Taco Stuffed Peppers are tender bell peppers filled with taco seasoned ground beef, black beans, corn, and cheese. Serve these stuffed peppers with your favorite taco toppings for a new twist on Taco Tuesday.
Everyone loves tacos and what could be better than changing up the classic stuffed bell pepper recipe for a new Mexican-inspired family meal.
We all know the classic stuffed bell pepper. Generally, bell peppers are stuffed with a meatloaf mixture and then they are topped and baked in an Italian seasoned tomato sauce.
But what if you want to change things up a little? You certainly can and these taco meat stuffed bell peppers taste absolutely delicious!
Simply brown ground beef and season it with your favorite taco seasoning and a bit of tomato paste. Then add corn, black beans, and cheese to the taco meat to make a delicious taco-inspired filling for bright red, yellow, and orange bell peppers. All that’s left to do is top the stuffed peppers with more cheese before they are popped in the oven for a short bake.
But there is more to this dish than great taste. Adding corn and black beans is key to stretching your budget dollar and sneaking more veggies into your meal.
So, if you are looking for a new classic recipe that the whole family will love, these tasty taco stuffed peppers are a perfect meal!
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Ingredients
- Red, Orange, & Yellow Bell Peppers - The flavor of red, orange, and yellow bell peppers is slightly sweet and pairs well with the savory taco stuffing. Green peppers can also be used but will have a pronunced vegetal smell and taste.
- Ground Beef - Any ground beef will work well. Lower levels of fat will not require draining before adding the taco seasonings. But higher levels of fat may brown better and taste better.
- Taco Seasoning Mix - Use your favorite taco seasoning mix for beef.
- Tomato Paste - Tomato paste adds depth of flavor to the seasoned taco meat.
- Black Beans - Black beans add another flavor and texture to the filling.
- Corn - Kernels of corn add a slight sweetness and visual appeal to the taco filling.
- Shredded Cheese - Use your favorite cheese. Cheddar, monterey jack, mozarella, and Mexican 4 cheese blends are all good choices.
Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.
Instructions
Heat the oven to 375°F/190°C and spray a 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.
Halve the bell peppers and remove the seeds and the white membrane. Place the halved peppers cut side down in the prepared baking dish.
Cover with cling wrap, vent the wrap by piercing it with a knife or fork, and microwave the peppers for 4 minutes. Check the peppers for being done. Peppers should be tender and easily pierced by a fork.
If the bell peppers are not tender after 4 minutes, continue to microwave the peppers 30 seconds at a time until the peppers are tender.
Heat a large 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is well heated, add the ground beef. Stir the ground beef with a large spoon, breaking the ground beef up and turning it frequently until the meat is well browned on all sides. Drain the meat if needed.
Add the taco seasoning mix and continue to stir the meat until it is coated with the seasonings. Add the tomato paste and water, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and let the meat filling cook for 10 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the heat and add the black beans, corn, and ½ cup of shredded cheese. Mix the taco filling well with a large spoon.
Fill each halved bell pepper with the taco filling and sprinkle the taco-filled peppers with the remaining shredded cheese.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake the peppers for 30 to 40 minutes or until the peppers are heated through and the cheese is melted.
Serve the peppers with your favorite taco toppings like salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and more shredded cheese.
Substitutions & Variations
- Ground Beef - instead of ground beef you can use ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Lower Carb Version - you can omit the tomato paste, black beans, and corn for a very low carb/keto version.
- Deluxe - Omit the tomato paste, reduce the water to ⅓ cup, and add a can of Rotel Tomatoes.
- Stretch to 8 Servings - Add 1 cup of cooked white or brown rice, add one additional pepper, and use a larger 13 x 9" baking pan.
Storage
Leftover Taco Stuffed Peppers and can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Can You Freeze Stuffed Peppers?
You can prepare taco-stuffed peppers up to the step of baking them and then freeze them for later. The stuffed peppers can last up to 3 months in the freezer. Place the stuffed peppers in a freezer-safe container with a cover. Aluminum trays with a cardboard lid work really well if you completely cover the tray and lid with a layer of plastic wrap.
My Top Tips
Shred the Cheese Yourself - Pre-shredded cheese is super convenient and will work just fine in this recipe. But for the best-melted cheese, shred the cheese yourself from a block of cheese. Packaged shredded cheese is coated with an agent to keep the cheese from sticking and clumping and this agent also changes the look and texture of melted cheese.
More Recipes with Ground Beef
- Easy Ground Beef Enchiladas
- Maple Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf
- Italian Meat Sauce
- 14 Delicious Ground Beef Dinners
📖 Recipe
Taco Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 3 Bell Peppers, Halved, with Seeds and White Membrane Removed
- 1 Pound Ground Beef
- 1 Taco Seasoning Mix, 1 Ounce
- 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 1 Cup Water
- ½ Cup Black Beans
- ½ Cup Corn
- ½ Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar or Mexican Blend Cheese
- 1 Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar or Mexican Blend Cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F/190°C and spray a 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.Halve the bell peppers and remove the seeds and the white membrane. Place the halved peppers cut side up in the prepared baking dish. Cover with cling wrap, vent the wrap by piercing it with a knife or fork and microwave the peppers for 4 minutes. Check if peppers are done . Peppers should be tender and easily pierced by a fork. If the bell peppers are not tender after 4 minutes, continue to microwave the peppers 30 seconds at a time until the peppers are tender.3 Bell Peppers
- Heat a large 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is well heated, add the ground beef. Stir the ground beef with a large spoon, breaking the ground beef up and turning it frequently until the meat is well browned on all sides. Drain the meat if needed.1 Pound Ground Beef
- Add the contents of the taco seasoning mix and continue to stir the meat until it is coated with the seasonings. Add the tomato paste and water, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and let the meat filling cook for 10 minutes.1 Taco Seasoning Mix, 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste, 1 Cup Water
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add the black beans, corn, and ½ cup of the cheese. Mix the taco filling well with a large spoon.½ Cup Black Beans, ½ Cup Corn, ½ Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar or Mexican Blend Cheese
- Fill each halved bell pepper with the taco filling and sprinkle the taco filled peppers with the remaining shredded cheese.1 Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar or Mexican Blend Cheese
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake the peppers for 30 to 40 minutes or until the peppers are heated through and the cheese is melted.
- Serve the peppers with your favorite taco toppings like salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, and more shredded cheese.
Notes
- Ground Beef - instead of ground beef you can use ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Lower Carb Version - you can omit the tomato paste, black beans, and corn for a very low carb/keto version.
- Deluxe - Omit the tomato paste, reduce the water to ⅓ cup, and add a can of Rotel Tomatoes.
- Stretch to 8 Servings - Add 1 cup of cooked white or brown rice, add one additional pepper, and use a larger 13 x 9" baking pan.
Nutrition Per Serving
All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.
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