Southwest Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Add some spice to your life with these Southwest Stuffed Poblano Peppers! They’re filled with a flavorful ground turkey and rice filling, topped with melted cheese, and make an easy, satisfying dinner. Best of all, they can be prepped entirely in advance!
My summer garden may not have gone according to plan this year, but thankfully my poblano peppers are still going strong. They’re so gorgeous that I knew I had to showcase them in these Southwest Stuffed Poblano Peppers!
Poblanos are perfect for stuffing because they’re large enough to hold a hearty filling and have a delicious earthy flavor with just a touch of heat.
This recipe pairs them with a Southwest-inspired ground turkey and rice filling complete with black beans, corn and tomatoes for a satisfying meal that’s packed with flavor.
If you’re not too familiar with poblanos, be sure to see my collection of poblano pepper recipes for even more delicious ways to use them!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- These stuffed poblano peppers are packed with hearty ground turkey, rice and bold Southwest flavors.
- They’re a satisfying, naturally gluten-free dinner that’s perfect for busy weeknights.
- The components can be prepped in advance, making this recipe great for meal prep or entertaining.
- They’re easy to customize with your favorite ground meat, vegetables, beans or cheese.
Recipe ingredients
- Poblano peppers. Poblano peppers are generally mild with an earthy flavor and a touch of heat. The heat level can vary from pepper to pepper. Substitute with bell peppers if desired.
- Ground turkey. Use lean ground turkey for best results as ground turkey breast can get dry very easily. Sub with your favorite ground meat or omit to make this recipe vegetarian.
- Rice. Use your favorite cooked white or brown rice. Leftover rice works perfectly!
- Onions and garlic. These are aromatics that are the building blocks for great flavor.
- Diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Diced tomatoes add flavor and the tomato paste helps thicken the mixture and add depth of flavor. Sub with a can of tomato sauce if desired.
- Seasoning. Use my homemade taco seasoning or your favorite store bought brand.
- Corn. Use fresh or frozen corn, or sub with your favorite veggies.
- Black beans. Use my Instant Pot black beans or canned, or sub with your favorite beans.
- Lime juice. Be sure to use fresh lime juice to make the flavors pop.
- Cilantro. Adds freshness and flavor. Sub with chopped parsley if desired.
- Cheese. Cheddar, Monterey Jack or a Mexican cheese blend all work well. Omit the cheese to make this recipe dairy-free.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to make stuffed poblanos
These stuffed poblanos are easy to make and several of the components can be prepped in advance to make assembly even quicker.
Pro tip: Prep the rice and filling in advance, then simply bake the poblano peppers, assemble and finish them in the oven when you’re ready to eat.
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
Tips for success
- Prep the rice and filling in advance, then bake the poblano peppers, assemble and finish them in the oven when you’re ready to eat.
- Choose large poblano peppers that are fairly uniform in size so they’ll cook evenly and hold plenty of filling. If they’re smaller, you may need 6–8 peppers.
- Don’t overcook the poblanos during the initial bake. They only need 10–12 minutes to begin softening since they’ll continue to cook once they’re stuffed.
- For a saucier filling, replace the diced tomatoes and tomato paste with your desired amount of red or green enchilada sauce.
- Store leftover stuffed poblano peppers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven until heated through.
Recipe FAQs
Poblano peppers are mild chile peppers that are typically dark green, about 4–5 inches long and have an earthy, slightly smoky flavor. When ripe poblanos are dried, they’re known as ancho chiles.
For more information and access to recipes, see my produce guide on Poblano Peppers.
Poblano peppers are considered mild chile peppers, although the heat can vary from pepper to pepper. They’re considerably milder than jalapeños, and removing the seeds and white membrane helps reduce the heat.
The best substitute for poblano peppers is Anaheim peppers, as they’re on the large side and they aren’t too spicy.
Green bell peppers are a great substitute for poblanos as well, but they are considerably larger.
This is a great make ahead dish. You can prep each component ahead of time by cooking the rice, prepping the poblano peppers, and preparing the filling. From there, simply bake the poblanos, stuff them and bake them until warm and bubbly.
If preparing the filling in advance, it would be best to warm it up while the poblano peppers bake so that it takes less time in the oven.
Serving suggestions
This stuffed poblano peppers recipe can be served up so many delicious ways as described below!
- They make a great dinner served with Mexican caesar salad or butter lettuce salad. They’re also great with a side of Mexican sweet corn cake or cilantro lime cauliflower rice!
- Serve Taco Tuesday style with an array of toppings such as sour cream, pico de gallo and homemade guacamole.
- Change things up by swapping the diced tomatoes with red enchilada sauce or green enchilada sauce!
- Make these stuffed poblanos low carb by omitting the rice and corn.
More stuffed pepper recipes
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Southwest Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Ingredients
- 4 large poblano peppers see note 2
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb. lean ground turkey sub with your favorite ground meat
- 2 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning
- 15 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups cooked rice white or brown
- 1 cup black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 1 lime juiced
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro
- 1 cup grated cheese
Instructions
Prep the poblano peppers:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Halve the poblano peppers lengthwise and remove the seeds and white membrane.4 large poblano peppers
- Place the peppers on a large rimmed baking sheet and coat with one tablespoon of the olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste. Bake the peppers for 10-12 minutes until tender, then remove from heat.2 tablespoons olive oil
Prepare the filling:
- While the poblanos are baking, prepare the filling. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and taco seasoning, and cook 30 seconds. Add the ground turkey and break up into small chunks with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until cooked through.1 medium onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning
- Add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste and stir well. Add the rice, black beans and corn, stir until combined, and simmer about 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice, cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste.15 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, 1 cup black beans, 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
Stuff and bake the poblanos:
- Divide the filling between the poblano pepper halves and top with grated cheese.1 cup grated cheese
- Bake for 5-10 minutes or until cheese has melted, and serve warm with lime wedges. Enjoy!
Notes
- Pro tip: Prep the rice, poblano peppers and the filling in advance, then assemble and bake when you’re ready! Simply assemble the peppers and bake for 15 minutes or so until the peppers are tender and the filling is warm.
- If the poblano peppers are on the smaller size, you may need 6-8 of them, or you’ll have filling leftover.
- If you’d like your filling to be on the saucy side, substitute the diced tomatoes and tomato paste with the desired amount of enchilada sauce or tomato sauce.
- Store leftover stuffed poblanos in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
18 Comments on “Southwest Stuffed Poblano Peppers”
I’ve made this twice now with peppers from my garden. Really delicious! My peppers were smaller so I had leftover stuffing which we ate with eggs and avocado for breakfast or in a tortilla for dinner another night that week.
I’m so glad you like the recipe Jenny! I miss growing poblanos so much.
Awesome! Added just 2 Tbsp of Salsa Verdi !!
That sounds like a great addition!
I only substituted cauliflower rice in this recipe and we really enjoyed it and will definitely make again soon. Great low carb and satisfying meal.
Thanks so much for sharing that — I’m glad to hear that the cauliflower rice worked well!
Just made this ..Taste delicious
I did skip the tomatoes paste
I’m so glad you liked them!
I made these and they are killer delicious! Poblanos add the perfect heat level and you can easily sub a bell pepper for a milder version. That’s what I did for my hubby. Always happy to find a keeper recipe!
I’m glad you enjoyed them Madeleine, and thank you for your feedback! 😊
My garden was a TOTAL bust this year! Except for the herbs so there’s that at least lol LOVE the sound of these stuffed poblanos! They sound delicious!
Thank goodness for my peppers and herbs! What was it about this year?? Thanks Ashley!
Marcie, these stuffed peppers have all the flavor! So Yum! The poblanos are just perfect for my heat tolerance!
I agree. Sometimes overly hot chili peppers overpower the flavors of everything else. Poblanos are perfect!!
I really need to make more stuffed veggie dishes. These look great, Marcie! So colorful and flavorful. Adding to the must-make list!
I could eat stuffed veggies every day! Thanks Katherine!
Love stuffed peppers, and when they have a bit of kick to them, that’s all the better for me! These would be great for weekend snacking or for dinner with a side salad! Pinning to make some time soon!
That’s exactly how I ate these — with a side salad! Thanks Leanne!