These flavorful Mexican taco stuffed poblano peppers make a refreshing change from classic ground beef stuffed bell peppers! The ground beef filling is made with a homemade taco seasoning full of delicious Mexican flavors from smoked hot paprika, chili powder seasoning and more. The baked peppers are finished with traditional taco toppings plus crumbled tortilla chips that mimic a crunchy taco shell. A great meal for taco Tuesday!
For more Mexican-inspired beef recipes, also check out this chuck roast chili and this easy fajita taco salad.
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- Stuffed poblano pepper ingredients and notes:
- Taco topping ingredients:
- How to cut poblano peppers for making stuffed peppers:
- How to make stuffed poblano peppers:
- Is pre-cooking the peppers important?
- What to serve with taco stuffed poblano peppers:
- How to store leftovers:
- How to make it ahead:
- How to freeze the stuffed peppers:
- More delicious Mexican recipes:
- Full Printable Recipe
- Comments
Stuffed poblano pepper ingredients and notes:
- beef – I recommend 90 percent lean beef for this recipe. Beef with a higher fat content tends to be too greasy.
- peppers – poblano peppers are chili peppers that are not spicy but that have a deep and complex flavor. You need fresh, green poblanos for this recipe (the kind you usually find in the grocery store).
- cheese – I recommend cheddar cheese for this recipe because it has great flavor and also melts well.
FUN FACT: When left on the vine long enough, poblano peppers eventually turn red and are used to make ancho chili powder.
Taco topping ingredients:
How to cut poblano peppers for making stuffed peppers:
Unlike bell peppers, poblano peppers are generally not round but instead flattened. That means that you end up either with shallow, wide pepper halves or with narrow, deep ones, depending on which way you cut them. For the recipe here you want shallow, wide halves, so you want to cut the peppers parallel to their flat side. That way you get a wide, even distribution of meat, cheese and toppings across the pepper.
How to make stuffed poblano peppers:
See full ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below!
Step 1. Pre-cook the pepper halves in boiling water for 10 min.
Step 2. Meanwhile, cook the beef with onion and spices in a large skillet.
Step 3. Transfer the pepper halves into a baking dish and fill with the beef.
Step 4. Top with shredded cheese and bake.
Is pre-cooking the peppers important?
Yes, it's very important to pre-cook the peppers. I tested baking the raw peppers directly and found that, even with longer baking times, the pepper skins remained too tough. Pre-cooking the poblano peppers starts to soften their skins and leaves them soft and delicious after baking.
What to serve with taco stuffed poblano peppers:
Top the baked stuffed peppers with traditional taco toppings, like diced tomato, lettuce, sour cream and crumbled flavored tortilla chips, like Doritos. Serve the peppers by themselves or with rice and black beans.
How to store leftovers:
Transfer any leftover peppers into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven or the microwave.
How to make it ahead:
You can make the peppers up to 1 day ahead and keep in the fridge. Prepare the peppers as instructed, fill them with the meat and the cheese, then let them cool to room temperature. Cover the baking pan the peppers are in and transfer to the fridge. Bake the following day as instructed.
How to freeze the stuffed peppers:
Let the fully filled but unbaked peppers cool to room temperature, then transfer to a freezer bag, seal and freeze. Thaw the peppers in the bag in the fridge overnight, then bake as instructed.
More delicious Mexican recipes:
- Shrimp and Chorizo Tacos20 Minutes
- Fajita Taco Salad with Steak20 Minutes
- Chicken and Chorizo Fajitas25 Minutes
- Chunky Chuck Roast Chili (Dutch Oven)2 Hours
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Full Printable Recipe
Taco Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Equipment:
- measuring cups and spoons
- knife and cutting board
- garlic press (optional)
- cheese grater
- large pot with lid
- baking pan
- pastry brush
- large cast iron skillet or non-stick pan
- wooden spoon
Ingredients:
- 2 poblano peppers
- 1 teaspoon mild olive oil, plus more to brush the baking pan
- ¼ cup minced white or yellow onion (you need about ⅓ of a small onion for that)
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced or pressed through a garlic press
- ½ pound ground beef (90 percent lean)*
- ½ teaspoon chili powder seasoning**
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked hot paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (3 ounces)
To serve:
- sour cream
- chopped romaine lettuce
- diced tomato
- flavored tortilla chips (such as Doritos), crumbled
Instructions:
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Slice the peppers in half lengthwise*** and remove ribs and seeds.
- Transfer the peppers halves cut side up to a large pot and fill with water until submerged. Cover, then bring the water to a full boil. Once the water is boiling, set a timer for 10 minutes and boil the pepper halves for 10 minutes. Take the peppers out of the water and let dry. While the peppers are cooking, prep the baking pan and make the filling.
- Grab a baking pan large enough to fit the pepper halves and lightly brush it with olive oil.
- Heat the ½ teaspoon olive oil in a cast iron or non-stick pan.
- Add the onion and saute until starting to soften (about 5 minutes).
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Add beef, chili powder, salt, onion powder, smoked paprika, cumin and garlic powder. Cook until the beef is no longer pink (~7 minutes), stirring around a few times.
- Set the pepper halves into the prepared baking pan, then transfer the meat into the pepper halves.
- Distribute the cheese on top and bake until the peppers are tender (25 to 30 minutes).
- Transfer to plates and top with sour cream, lettuce, tomato and crumbled chips.
Notes:
Nutrition Information (Estimated):
Nutrition values provided on this website are generated from a nutrition database and are estimates only. The accuracy of the nutrition information for any recipe on this website is not guaranteed. Nutrition values can vary quite a lot depending on which brands are used.
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