These taco stuffed peppers are full of flavor and so easy to make! They are the perfect easy weeknight dinner and a great twist for taco Tuesday!

A red pepper stuffed with a meat mixture and topped with cheddar cheese sour cream and sliced jalapeno.

If you love tacos and stuffed peppers you’re going to love the combination of the two! Sweet bell peppers make the perfect vehicle for perfectly seasoned beef taco filling, lots of cheese, and all your favorite taco toppings!

This stuffed pepper recipe is also a great meal if you’re on a low carb diet! Peppers make a great alternative to taco shells for enjoying all of the taco taste without the carbs!

A white baking pan with 6 stuffed peppers cooked in it.

Great additions to these peppers-

This delicious taco stuffed peppers recipe is perfect as it is, but there are several additions you can make to personalize it more and add all your favorite Mexican flavors. Adding in some additional ingredients can also help stretch your filling so if you are feeding a crowd you can make more peppers without needing more taco meat. Keep in mind depending on how much you add in you may need more peppers to stuff.

Some of these filling options will add carbs to your peppers. If your family is like mine and you have some who eat low carb and some who don’t you can even add to half of the meat mixture to make a combination of regular and low carb peppers!

Some of our favorite additions include-

Corn

Black Beans or Pinto beans

Cooked Rice- Spanish rice, white rice, or brown rice all work well

Cooked Quinoa

Cauliflower Rice

Lentils- you can use these in place of meat for a vegetarian option

A close up of a red pepper stuffed with a meat mixture and topped with cheese and jalapeno

Frequently asked questions-

Can I use different meat?

Absolutely! I like to make these peppers with ground beef but they are also amazing with other ground meat options. You can use ground chicken or ground turkey and make delicious stuffed peppers!

What peppers are best?

For this recipe you can use any color of bell pepper. I find red and yellow peppers are sweeter and lend a nice flavor to this recipe. Green peppers tend to hold up better to being cooked and lend the classic pepper flavor to this easy recipe. I like to use a mix of colorful bell peppers so that everyone can choose their favorite! When picking your peppers try to find some with 4 bumps on the bottom, they are much easier to lay flat and fill!

What are the best toppings for these peppers?

The beauty of these peppers is that you can top them with all your favorite toppings! Whatever you love on your tacos you can pile high on your peppers. Some of our favorites are sour cream, guacamole, sliced green onions, black olives, sliced jalapenos, chopped tomatoes, and crushed tortilla chips! The possibilities are endless and everyone can create their own flavor combination so that the whole family is happy with their dinner!

Can I use taco seasoning?

Yes! I like to add my spices individually so that I can tweak the taste of my filling as I go. But if you have a homemade taco seasoning you love, or a packaged seasoning that is your favorite go ahead and use them! Packaged seasoning mix is a great option if you don’t keep a ton of individual spices in your home and want to make these peppers!

Here’s what you’ll need for these taco stuffed peppers-

The ingredients for taco stuffed peppers on a white marble counter top. Ground beef bell peppers, onion, cheese, salsa, garlic, onion powder, smoked paprika, cumin and salt.

3 Large Bell Peppers

1 Lb Lean Ground Beef

1 Cup Salsa

1 ½ Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

½ Medium Onion

1 ½ tsp Cumin

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Onion Powder

1 tsp Smoked Paprika

½ tsp Salt

Cooking oil- I use avocado oil or olive oil

Optional- taco toppings- sour cream, fresh cilantro, salsa, black olives etc.

A close up of a yellow bell pepper stuffed with meat and topped with cheddar cheese and a sliced jalapeno.

Here’s how to make this stuffed pepper recipe-

Lightly oil a 9×13 inch baking dish and preheat the oven to 375

With the stem still on your peppers cut them in half lengthwise (top to bottom) and remove the seeds and pith with a small paring knife.

Place the pepper halves cut side down in the prepared baking pan and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the peppers are slightly softened.

While the peppers are baking you can make the filling.

First finely chop the onion.

Place the onions in a large skillet with a small amount of your preferred cooking oil and sauté over medium-high heat until the onion is translucent.

A collage of four pictures showing how to make taco stuffed shells. In the first an onion has been diced on a wooden chopping block. In the second a yellow pepper has been cut in half lengthwise and the seeds and pith removed. In the third picture meat and spices have been placed in a cast iron skillet. In the final picture the meat is cooked and salsa and cheese have been added to the cooked meat.

Add in ground beef, and seasonings and continue cooking, stirring, and crumbling as it cooks until it is cooked through.

*If you’ve used a higher fat ground beef and need to drain it do that now

Add 1 cup of salsa and into the cooked ground beef and stir until well mixed.

Add in ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese and continue mixing until cheese is melted and well incorporated.

Scoop the meat mixture into each pepper half and place back in the pan filled side up.

Repeat until all of the peppers are filled. .

A collage of four pictures showing how to make taco stuffed peppers. In the first olive oil has been drizzled in a white baking pan. In the second yellow, green and red pepper halves have been placed in the baking dish. In the third picture the peppers have been stuffed with a meat mixture and in the fourth they have been sprinkled with shredded cheddar cheese.

Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheese across the top of the peppers.

Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Serve warm with additional taco toppings if desired.

Store leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container.

Taco Stuffed Shells

These taco stuffed peppers are full of flavor and so easy to make! They are the perfect easy weeknight dinner and a great twist for taco Tuesday!

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Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 40

Servings: Servings

Calories: 429kcal

Author: Krista

Ingredients

3 Large Bell Peppers
1 Lb Lean Ground Beef
1 Cup Salsa
1 ½ Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
½ Medium Onion
1 ½ tsp Cumin
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
½ tsp Salt
Cooking oil- I use avocado oil or olive oil
Optional- taco toppings- sour cream fresh cilantro, salsa, black olives etc.

Instructions

Lightly oil a 9×13 inch baking dish and preheat the oven to 375
With the stem still on your peppers cut them in half lengthwise (top to bottom) and remove the seeds and pith with a small paring knife.
Place the pepper halves cut side down in the prepared baking pan and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the peppers are slightly softened.
While the peppers are baking you can make the filling.
First finely chop the onion.
Place the onions in a large skillet with a small amount of your preferred cooking oil and sauté over medium-high heat until the onion is translucent.
Add in ground beef, and seasonings and continue cooking, stirring, and crumbling as it cooks until it is cooked through.
*If you’ve used a higher fat ground beef and need to drain it do that now
Add 1 cup of salsa and into the cooked ground beef and stir until well mixed.
Add in ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese and continue mixing until cheese is melted and well incorporated.
Scoop the meat mixture into each pepper half and place back in the pan filled side up.
Repeat until all of the peppers are filled. .
Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheese across the top of the peppers.
Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Serve warm with additional taco toppings if desired.
Store leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Taco Stuffed Peppers

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