Easy Quinoa Stuffed Peppers (Meal Prep + Freezer Friendly!)

These Quinoa Stuffed Peppers are a great updated Vegetarian Stuffed Pepper version of the classic Stuffed Bell Pepper Recipe. These peppers stuffed with quinoa will make all of your meal prep dreams come true. Learn how easy they are to make, what to serve with them, and how to freeze stuffed bell peppers.

This recipe was sponsored by Bush’s Beans. I was compensated for my time, but all options are my own.

Making this Recipe for Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

Stuffed Peppers are kind of a classic meal from my childhood. I remember my mom stuffing green peppers with a Mexican ground beef and rice mixture. They were super easy and something I enjoyed.

Consider these Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers and updated version of that classic childhood meal.

The rice in the recipe is swapped with quinoa and instead of ground beef I use black beans. The mixture is full of colorful vegetables and lots of flavor and a little heat from  the pepper jack and poblano.

It is a great vegetarian meal that proves meatless doesn’t have to be boring.

Garden Bell Peppers to Make Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

With summer coming to a close (school has already started here, but the weather hasn’t gotten the memo that it is “fall” yet), take advantage of those tasty summer peppers while you can.

Unfortunately, this summer I did not plant a garden again…unless you count a pot of herbs that a huge rain/wind/hail storm totally decimated a few weeks ago.

I haven’t figured out where to put a garden in this house and the ground is so stinking hard to dig in here that I’d have to do raised beds

Otherwise, I’d be putting some of these away in the freezer as soon as I could.

I have been using a new freezer that I got to get organized and stash a few other meals away in for those busy nights. They just don’t include homegrown garden produce.

I’ll share more on that adventure later.

What you Need to Make Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need to make this delicious recipe for peppers stuffed with quinoa:

• Olive Oil
• Onion
• Celery
• Mushrooms
• Poblano Pepper
• Ground Cumin
• Garlic
• Diced Tomatoes
• Black Beans
• Quinoa
• Carrot
• Red Bell Peppers
• Pepper Jack Cheese
• Fresh Cilantro

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions to make these stuffed bell peppers, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

How to Make Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa

Here’s an overview of the process to make these quinoa stuffed peppers:

First, you’ll sauté the onion, celery, and poblano for a few minutes. Then, add the cumin and garlic and cook.

After that, stir in the mushrooms and drained tomatoes (reserve the liquid!) and cook for a few more minutes. Meanwhile, you’ll cook the quinoa, carrots, and water (or broth) in a medium saucepan.

When the quinoa is done cooking, combine the cooked quinoa mixture with black beans, part of the shredded cheese, and the onion mixture. Fill the bell pepper halves with the quinoa mixture.

After stuffing the bell peppers, place them in a rimmed baking tray or large baking dish. Pour the reserved tomato liquid in the bottom of the pan.

Then, cover and bake. After 40 minutes, uncover and sprinkle the tops of the stuffed red peppers with more cheese and return the pan to the oven.

The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe for quinoa stuffed bell peppers. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.

Can You Meal Prep Stuffed Peppers?

Yes! Meal prepping is a great way to plan your busy week, and these quinoa stuffed peppers will make a great make ahead meal.

• Just prepare the recipe as instructed and stop before the step that instructs you to cook them in the oven.
• Instead, transfer them to a baking dish, cover it with foil or plastic wrap.
• Store the stuffed peppers in the refrigerator until you plan to cook them.

You should cook them within 5 days, and you’ll need to add around 10 minutes to the cook time since they’ll be starting cold from the refrigerator.

Tips for Making this Easy Dinner Recipe

• Rinse the quinoa first. A fine mesh strainer works well for this.
• Did you know you can quickly cook quinoa in an Instant Pot when you’re preparing these bell peppers stuffed with quinoa? Head over to my post: How to Make Instant Pot Quinoa for all the details!
• For extra flavor, cook the dry quinoa using vegetable broth or chicken broth.

Recipe Adaptation Ideas for these Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Want to adapt these quinoa stuffed peppers according to your personal preferences or based on what ingredients you have on hand? Here are my recommendations:

Like meat in your stuffed peppers? Try adding some shredded Crock Pot Mexican Chicken, ground beef or ground turkey and stir it in with the quinoa mixture.

Different colored bell peppers – You can easily use different bell pepper colors such as green bell peppers or yellow bell pepper.

Prefer rice in your stuffed peppers? You can substitute white rice or brown rice in place of quinoa.

Want to try different beans? Experiment with pinto beans, kidney beans, or cannellini beans in place of black beans.

Want more veggies? Add some finely chopped spinach to the cooked quinoa before stirring in the black beans, cheese, and onion mixture.

Garden fresh tomatoes – Use fresh chopped tomato if you have a lot of garden tomatoes. I recommend you blanch and peel the tomatoes first (this post on how to freeze tomatoes has instructions for blanching).

Substitutes for the poblano – if you don’t have poblano peppers, you can use fresh jalapeños instead (remove the seeds for less heat) or canned roasted green chili peppers. Don’t skip the peppers because they add great flavor!

Sides for Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

I think this recipe could easily be a complete meal on its own. But if you’re wanting a meal that’s a little more filling, here are some recipe ideas to serve alongside these veggie stuffed peppers:

Marinated Flank Steak is perfect for summer grilling nights! Marinating flank steak will infuse the meat with tons of flavor and give you a tender slices of steak to serve as a main dish along side these peppers stuffed with quinoa.

This Easy Smoked Chicken turns out incredibly flavorful, tender and juicy. The smoky flavor of the chicken would pair nicely with this easy recipe for quinoa stuffed bell peppers.

If you’re trying to get more veggies in your diet, a salad made with mixed greens, lettuce, cucumber, shredded carrot, and tomato makes a great basic side salad. Check out these 3 Simple Salad Dressing Recipes to go along with your salad.

If slaw is more your style, this Cilantro Lime Kale Slaw or this Cilantro Lime Broccoli Slaw would both go great with these quinoa stuffed peppers.

Don’t see what you’re looking for here? You can always head over to check out the recipe index to look for more recipes.

How to Store Leftover Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Any leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Leftover stuffed peppers will be good for about 3-5 days after cooking.

How to Freeze Stuffed Peppers

These quinoa stuffed peppers are a great recipe for meal prep! If you’d like to save your self some time, or enjoy colorful summer produce in the middle of winter, spend a little extra time to make a batch of these to put away in your freezer for a later use.

Here’s how to freeze these quinoa stuffed peppers:

1. Prepare them according to instructions up to the cooking step. You just want to assemble them.
2. Then, place them on a parchment paper or waxed paper lined baking sheet and freeze them until solid.
3. After the peppers are completely frozen, place them in labeled gallon sized resealable plastic bags. 3 or 4 will usually fit in a bag.
4. Zip the bag almost all the way. Insert a straw in the small opening and suck out all the air. Remove the straw and  then zip the bag the rest of the way.
5. When you label the bag, make sure to include what the recipe is, any remaining steps, and the date you froze it.

Try these Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers Home!

Next time you’re looking for easy meals for a Meatless Monday dinner, give this recipe for vegetarian stuffed bell peppers a try!

Did your whole family love all the flavors? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought of this healthy dinner recipe.

On Instagram? Share your photo and tag me with @goodlifeeats and #goodlifeeatsrecipes. I’d love to see your photo of this stuffed pepper recipe!

More Bell Pepper Recipes

In this recipe for Mango Salsa with Grilled Corn and Blistered Red Peppers, juicy mango pairs well with grilled corn and blistered red bell peppers for a sweet and savory summertime salsa.

This Slow Cooker Baked Bean Trio with Bacon and Peppers are loaded with flavor thanks to three types of beans, bell peppers, poblano peppers, and bacon.

This recipe for Easy Chicken Tacos with Slaw is lightened up lemon pepper taco chicken, crunchy and tangy slaw flavored with cilantro, and topped with cotija cheese. You’ll love the refreshing and summery flavor of these Chicken Slaw Tacos!

This Chicken Salad Wrap recipe is a breeze to whip up. Shredded chicken is combined with black beans, corn, red peppers, cilantro, green onions, and a spicy creamy sauce, then stuffed in a tortilla wrap with greens and avocado slices.

Served with a large salad and a crusty slice of bread, this Roasted Red Pepper Soup can be a delicious and warming meal all on its own!

You won’t miss the meat in these Vegetarian Fajitas. They’re made with bell peppers and mushrooms, and flavored with a homemade fajita marinade!

Kale, purple cabbage, carrot, and red bell pepper are tossed with a jalapeño lime vinaigrette for a healthy Mexican inspired Cilantro Lime Kale Slaw.

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I have an ongoing relationship with Bush’s Beans where I am compensated for my time, however this is a brand that I have always used in my own kitchen and any opinions expressed regarding the product are my own.