Vegetarian Stuffed Poblano Peppers {with Enchilada Sauce}

Roasted Poblano Peppers Stuffed with Black Beans and Rice

Black beans, rice, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spices are simmered in red enchilada sauce and then stuffed into roasted poblano peppers. These Stuffed Poblano Peppers are a staple meatless meal around my house because they are simple, healthy, and so delicious we crave them on the regular.

A while back, a friend of mine looked at this recipe and said, “Wait. No cheese?” Yes, I said. No cheese. You’re not going to miss it.

She eyed me with deep skepticism.

And, I get it. Chili Rellenos are one of my favorite things in the whole wide world because chilies or peppers with cheese is DELICIOUS. The cheese just isn’t always a necessary ingredient to get you to delicious.

I make these Stuffed Poblano Peppers ALL. THE. TIME. And, that’s saying something because I’m not the kind of cook that likes to make the same things over and over again. But this slightly spicy, flavor packed dish just checks all the boxes for me.

✓ Quick and easy

✓ Uses whole {not processed}, healthy ingredients. Horray for real food!

✓ Vegetarian or vegan {depending on whether you top them with sour cream}

✓ Starts with roasted poblano peppers – one of my absolute favorite things to eat

✓ Is a GREAT way to use up leftovers

✓ Reheats well! I always make enough to ensure that I get to eat these for lunch for at least two days.

The most tedious part of making these (and it’s not that tedious) is peeling the blacked skin from the roasted poblanos. After that, you simply simmer the stuffing ingredients in a saucepan, stuff the peppers, and bake.

Slow Simmered Black Beans and Homemade Enchilada Sauce

There’s two ingredients in these stuffed peppers that you can either make from scratch or simply open a couple of cans: Enchilada sauce and black beans.

My absolute favorite homemade enchilada sauce starts with frozen chili puree. This gorgeous ingredient is found in most grocery store freezers and it allows you to make the most amazing homemade red enchilada sauce with only about 10 minutes of hands-on time.

If you, like me, LOVE a good red enchilada sauce, it’s a game changer.

The recipe for homemade enchilada sauce makes quite a bit. Much more than you’ll need for these peppers. This is not a problem. In fact, it’s a HUGE bonus.

Use the leftover sauce to make cheesy Enchilada Casserole, Southwest Summer Corn Chowder, Black Bean Tostadas with Roasted Corn Salsa, or Chicken Tortilla Soup. Enchilada sauce also freezes really, really well. So, if you’re not wanting to use the leftover sauce in any other recipe this week, pop it into the freezer for when you do.

Like homemade enchilada sauce, slow simmered black beans are so much more delicious than the canned variety and only take about 5 minutes of hands on time. You can make them on the stovetop or in the crockpot. Either option requires you to simply dump some beans and spices into the pot and then let them simmer for a few hours.

Also like the enchilada sauce, one batch of beans will give you much more than you need for these peppers. Also not a problem. Also a HUGE bonus. Use the leftover beans to make Black Bean Tomato Soup, Veggie Black Bean Nachos, Cuban Chicken and Rice, Vegetarian Chili, or Black Bean Tostadas.

If you’re making these stuffed poblano peppers as a part of this Weekly Meal Plan, you already have some leftover enchilada sauce AND black beans in your refrigerator. 🙌

Horray for pantry staples!

If you want to make stuffed poblano peppers right now (and who doesn’t?) and you don’t have any homemade beans or enchilada sauce in your refrigerator, just open a couple of cans. Done. Easy peasy. Still super duper delicious.

One more thing to consider making from scratch…

I love serving stuffed poblano peppers with warm flour tortillas. Especially if they are homemade flour tortillas. Homemade tortillas take about 30 minutes of hands-on time and they are life changing.

I know… that sounds dramatic. But, I’m kinda serious. There’s simply no comparison between the packaged flour tortillas on the shelves of every supermarket and a freshly made homemade tortilla. It’s one of those cases where homemade is so much better, once you make them, you might never purchase a package again.

My favorite all-butter recipe for homemade tortillas is published on my other blog, Of Batter and Dough.

If you like these stuffed poblano peppers, you’ll probably also love…

• Roasted Tomatillo Sauce
• Scallops with Chorizo, Poblano Peppers, and Roasted Corn
• Southwest Summer Corn Chowder
• Black Bean Tostadas with Roasted Corn Salsa
• Vegetarian Spaghetti Carbonara
• Cauliflower and Chickpea Coconut Curry

Weekly Meal Plans that Include Stuffed Poblano Peppers:

• Weekly Winter Meal Plan #1
• Weekly Summer Meal Plan #3

If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #alittleandalot on Instagram.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

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★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: RebeccaBlackwell
• Prep Time: 25 minutes (plus time for poblano peppers to cool)
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 60-70 minutes
• Yield: 8 stuffed poblano peppers

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Description

Black beans, rice, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spices are simmered in red enchilada sauce and then stuffed into roasted poblano peppers.

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Ingredients

• 8 poblano peppers
• 1 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1 small red onion, peeled and diced
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp cumin
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced
• 18 oz (2 heaping cups) black beans – homemade or canned
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup enchilada sauce, homemade or from a can – PLUS more for drizzling if you like
• 16 oz diced fresh or canned tomatoes
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 lime

FOR SERVING:

• Sour cream
• Tortillas – homemade or purchased

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven’s broiler and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Wash and dry the poblano peppers and lay them out on the baking sheet so that they are not touching.
3. Broil until the skin is completely black. Remove from the oven and, using tongs, turn the peppers so that an un-blackened side is facing up. Put back under the broiler to blacken that side. Repeat until the skin of the peppers is blacked on every side.
4. Place the peppers in a bowl, cover with a towel and allow to cool to room temperature.
5. While the peppers cool, heat oil over medium heat in a large high-sided skillet or sauce pan. Add the diced onion and cook until softened and just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin, paprika, and garlic and cook 1 minute longer, stirring constantly.
6. Add all the remaining ingredients to the pan except for the rice and cilantro. Cover and cook on low, simmering for about 20 minutes, and removing the lid to stir occasionally. After 20 minutes, the mixture should be thickened and condensed.
7. Remove from the heat and stir in the rice, cilantro, and juice from 1 lime. Set aside to cool slightly while you peel the peppers.
8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
9. For each pepper, use a knife to slice the pepper open, lengthwise. Remove the stem and seeds and gently pull off and discard the blackened skin. Place the peppers in a 9 x 13 baking dish.
10. Open each pepper and add a generous amount of filling; wrap the pepper around the filling.
11. Bake the peppers for 20 minutes and, if you like, serve with extra enchilada sauce, sour cream and tortillas.

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Keywords: stuffed poblano peppers, vegetarian recipe, vegan recipe, stuffed peppers, easy recipe