These Stuffed Poblano Peppers are a healthy low-carb dinner idea made with ground beef, red peppers, cheese and plenty of flavour!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – use any neutral oil such as avocado oil, sunflower oil or vegetable oil for this recipe.
- Poblano peppers – jalapeno peppers are a great alternative to poblano peppers if you’d like more heat! Any variety of bell peppers will also work for this recipe for a milder option.
- Ground beef – for a leaner option, use ground turkey or chicken in place of ground beef.
- Garlic – fresh or jarred minced garlic can be used in this recipe.
- Chili powder – double up on the paprika, or use taco seasoning or cayenne to replace the chili powder.
- Cumin – curry powder, garam masala or taco seasoning can be used in place of cumin.
- Paprika – double up on the chili powder or use cayenne pepper or chili flakes instead.
- Red pepper – substitute red pepper with any other colour bell pepper of your choice.
- Red onion – yellow or white onion can be used in place of red onion.
- Cheddar cheese – use any variety of shredded cheese that you prefer.
Optional toppings
- Pico de gallo – homemade or jarred pico de gallo or even salsa can also be used.
- Avocado – use sliced avocado or fresh guacamole.
- Cilantro – if you’re not a fan of cilantro, parsley is also a great option.
- Sour cream – use Greek yogurt if you’re looking for a healthier choice.
How to make stuffed poblano peppers
Step 1: Slice and bake the poblano peppers.
Preheat oven to 400 F. Wash and de-seed poblano peppers, then drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
Step 2: Cook the ground beef.
Cook ground beef over med-high heat until browned (about 5-7 min) then drain any excess fat.
Step 3: Add seasonings and vegetables to beef mixture.
Add chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt & pepper to taste, garlic, red pepper and red onion, sauteeing another 2 minutes until veggies are tender.
Step 4: Stuff the beef mixture into the peppers.
Spoon ground beef mixture into cooked poblano peppers.
Step 5: Top with cheese and bake.
Top poblano peppers with cheese. Bake another 10 minutes until cheese is melted.
Step 6: Add on your choice of toppings.
Serve and enjoy!
Filling ideas for stuffed poblano peppers
These keto stuffed poblano peppers are super customizable, so feel free to try out different filling ideas! Here are some delicious ideas you can try:
- Tex-Mex: Swap out the ground beef for chorizo, and add in some black beans and corn.
- Chiles en nogada: This authentic Mexican recipe is stuffed with picadillo and topped with a walnut cream sauce.
- Vegetarian: Swap out the ground beef for your favourite meat substitute.
- Creamy stuffed peppers: Add in some cream cheese to make these stuffed poblano peppers super creamy and rich!
- Chile relleno: This Mexican dish is stuffed with cheese and picadillo, covered in egg white and then fried.
Frequently Asked Questions
When stuffing poblano peppers, I like to cut them in half lengthwise so you get two evenly-shaped halves. Unlike with bell peppers where you cut off the tops and stuff the inside, poblano peppers are a lot skinnier so you’ll be cutting them lengthwise. They’re a bit like zucchini boats, except you don’t have to scrape out the flesh!
Nope! For this stuffed poblano peppers recipe, all you have to do is wash and de-seed the poblano peppers. There’s no peeling required. If you peel the peppers, they’ll just fall apart and you won’t be able to stuff them.
For this stuffed poblano peppers keto recipe, you’ll need to bake the poblano peppers on their own for 10 minutes, then add the stuffing mixture and bake them for another 10 minutes.
Poblano peppers definitely have some heat, but they’re not super spicy. They’re similar to Anaheim peppers in terms of spice. If you don’t like any heat, I’d recommend making stuffed bell peppers instead.
Storing and reheating
These keto stuffed poblano peppers are a great meal prep recipe! Assemble the peppers the day before without any of the toppings and store them in the fridge before baking them the next day. When you’re ready to eat, all you have to do is pop them in the oven for 10 minutes.
You can also store your cooked leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days in glass meal prep containers. When you’re ready to enjoy, reheat them in the oven at 375° Fahrenheit or in the microwave until warmed through.
Freezing this recipe
You can definitely freeze these delicious poblano stuffed peppers – just keep in mind that the texture won’t be the same after defrosting. To freeze these peppers, allow them to cool to room temperature and then freeze them in an airtight glass container for up to 3 months.
Thaw them in the fridge overnight then bake then in the oven at 375° Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or until warmed through. Add on some fresh toppings and dig in!
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More low carb stuffed pepper recipes
Meal Prep Tools
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning these stuffed poblano peppers into your weekly lunches.
- I get all my free-range chicken and grass-fed beef from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months.
- **Get my full list of tools here**
Stuffed Poblano Peppers {Low-Carb}
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 poblano peppers
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 lb extra-lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Optional toppings
- Store-bought pico de gallo or salsa
- Sliced avocado
- cilantro
- sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Wash and de-seed poblano peppers, then drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook ground beef over med-high heat until browned (about 5-7 min) then drain any excess fat. Add chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt & pepper to taste, garlic, red pepper and red onion, sauteeing another 2 minutes until veggies are tender.
- Stuff ground beef mixture into poblano peppers, then top with cheese. Bake another 10 minutes until cheese is melted.
- Remove from oven and top with toppings of choice. Serve and enjoy!
Comments & Reviews
Heather Howland says
What would be a serving?
Taylor Stinson says
2 stuffed pepper halves.
Charles says
Made these tonight. Every body liked them. Even my picky child(she’s 18 now) said they taste good. For sure will make again.
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Robert W Switzer says
Haven’t tried them yet but will do so soon. I love chiles rellenos but don’t usually make them because the traditional recipe requires breading and lots of oil. Thanks for this lower fat version! I used to live in Toronto so know Bloor Street well!
KIM MCBERRY says
These were delicious! We used ground pork and added a can of fire roasted tomatoes and chopped fresh spinach. Definitely adding it to our rotation!
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed 🙂
Marsha Spegal says
How many servings are in this recipe?
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Marsha – there are 4 servings!
Jewl says
I made the ground turkey version and added cooked rice under the peppers and then tin-foiled the entire pan and baked at 400 degrees for 30 mins . The dish was delicious and everyone enjoyed.
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed 🙂
Erika says
Thank you for sharing! Loved it!
Taylor Stinson says
So happy you enjoyed Erika 🙂
Marta @ Foodaciously says
Hi Taylor, thanks for sharing this post! It’s such a tasty recipe and the stuffed peppers are so easy to pack for a lunch box for the next days. I can’t digest peppers too well, so I peeled the skin as you suggested and that improved a lot, thanks!