Mexican Gluten Free Stuffed Peppers

These classic glute free stuffed peppers loaded with ground beef, quinoa or rice, lots of spiced, and shredded Mexican cheese. It’s comforting and easy enough for a family favorite weeknight meal!

‘Tis the season for needing simple, healthful, flavorful and family favorite dinners that don’t take up too much of your time. Enter: gluten free stuffed peppers. They’re loaded up with perfectly seasoned ground beef, jasmine rice or quinoa, and stuffed into peppers then baked until perfectly soft.

I like to cut the peppers in half, starting at the stem. I kept the stems on because I like how it looks in photos, but you don’t want to each them so it’s easiest to cut them off before baking. Another option is to just slice off the tops and stuff them while they’re still intact. The bake time will be slightly longer this way- closer to an hour. If you want a plant based option, try my vegan stuffed peppers which are loaded up with rice and beans! If you love this recipe, try my crispy beef tacos next!

Quick tips!

• If you aren’t feeling the beef, ground turkey or ground chicken will work just as well! You don’t need to make any additional changes if you use a different ground meat.
• This recipe calls for chicken broth for the beef filling. I love using this for a bit more flavor, but you can absolutely just swap for water if you don’t have any broth on hand!
• I happened to use all red bell peppers, but you can use a mix! Since you need four peppers here, one green, one yellow, one orange and one red is fun!

How to make gluten free stuffed peppers

Slice your peppers in half lengthwise and add to a large baking sheet. You can alternatively cut the tops off and stuff the peppers whole, but I like to half them and then cut out any white bits and seeds. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Heat a medium-large skillet over medium-high heat with the oil. Once hot, add in the diced onion and saute for about 5 minutes or until it begins to brown slightly. Add in the garlic and ground beef and cook until the beef has browned.

Mix in the tomato paste and let toast for about 1-2 minutes. Mix in the spices, then the chicken broth, then the rice or quinoa. Let combine over medium heat for about 5 minutes, then stir in half of the cheese. Mix through until melted.

Spoon the beef mixture into the prepared peppers and then top with the remaining cheese.

Cover the dish with foil, bake for 40 minutes, then add the cheese on top and bake for 10 more minutes, uncovered. Garnish with the cilantro and enjoy! Try my stuffed sweet potatoes next!

Serving suggestions

These Mexican gluten free stuffed peppers are are a whole meal all on their own! You have protein from the beef, fiber from the veggies, fats from the beef and cheese etc. If you want something else on the side, you can try my Mexican three bean salad for extra fiber, chips and homemade pico de gallo or guac, or some air fryer sweet potato wedges. Feel free to get creative!

Variations

Make it spicy! As written, these gluten free stuffed peppers are not spicy, but there are a few things you can do if you want them to be. One, add a diced jalapeno to the beef mixture when you’re sauteeing the onion. You can also add some hot sauce or extra red pepper flakes to the beef mixture or final dish when you serve!

Add more veggies: If you really want to increase the veggie content, you can add some extra diced bell pepper into the beef mixture or some diced carrot, green beans, zucchini, or a can of black beans for added fiber.

Make it dairy free: You can easily either swap the cheese for your favorite dairy free shredded cheese blend or just omit it entirely! There is plenty of flavor from the beef and rice mixture that you won’t really miss it.

More cozy dinner recipes!

• Gluten Free Shepherd’s Pie
• Sheet Pan Harissa Chicken Thighs
• Baked Black Bean Tacos
• Cilantro Lime Steak & Rice Bowls

If you want more recipes straight to your inbox, be sure to subscribe to my email list. As always, if you make this recipe, be sure to tag me on instagram and leave a comment below so I can see your creation!