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These stuffed poblano peppers are a party in a pepper! These poblano peppers are stuffed with ground beef, black beans, corn, in a chipotle pepper sauce. A flavorful southwestern stuffed pepper recipe.
Poblano Peppers
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Poblano peppers are a mild chili pepper from Mexico. The dried version is familiarly known as ancho or chile ancho. The heat of these peppers are in between a bell pepper and a jalapeño. Due to their large size, they are perfect for stuffing!
The first thing we have to do is wash them, then we need to cut them. Like bell peppers, they have a large cluster of seeds inside. I use a pairing knife because it is easier and more precise in handling. We want to cut 1/3 off horizontally, then I carefully cut around the stem to release it. Remove any seeds and shave any of the white bitter parts from the inside.
When you are cutting the peppers, think of a boat shape. We want to be able to stuff these to the max! You can discard the seeds/white membrane you cut out, and stem, but keep the 1/3 of pepper you cut off for later use.
Repeat and cut the rest of the poblano peppers and set them aside. They are all sizes and shapes, so each one will be a bit different when cutting.
Stuffing
Using the tops to the poblano peppers you just cut, we are going to dice it. Using a chef knife, I first cut vertically, then I proceed to cut horizontally into a dice.
For the rest of our stuffing I diced up half a yellow onion, used a can of black beans, corn, and chipotles in adobo sauce. For the chipotles in adobo, this is going to be our sauce to bring all the stuffing together. You can either dump the can in a blender and blend up all the peppers, or you can also quickly chop them on a cutting board with your knife.
Cooking the stuffing
For the ground beef, I used ground sirloin which is a more lean beef. You can also use ground chuck, or even ground turkey in the recipe. For spices I used: ground cumin, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper. I browned the beef in my dutch oven, then using a slotted spoon I set the beef aside.
Don’t worry about little bits left over, it will only help the flavor! I added in 2 tbsp of olive oil, diced yellow onion, and the diced poblanos we cut. Sauté over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until they begin to soften.
You are going to add back in the browned ground beef, the drained can of corn, and drained black beans. I sautéd this for a few minutes for the flavors to meld. Then pour in the chipotles in adobo sauce and stir until all the ingredients are coated. Since all the ingredients are fully cooked, take the time to taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Stuffing the peppers
When I first had this recipe, the peppers weren’t as tender as I wanted them to be. So roast the peppers in the oven at 400 for 10 minutes prior to stuffing them. I sprayed olive oil on them before putting them in the oven. Remove them from the oven and using a spoon, carefully spoon the stuffing into each pepper.
Prior to putting them in the oven, I sprinkled some shredded Mexican cheese on top, then topped with foil. I baked them at 375 in the oven for 25 minutes.
Finished dish
I topped the finish product with cotija cheese, which is like a Mexican parmesan… aka put it on everything! I also added some freshly chopped cilantro over the top as a garnish.
These stuffed poblano peppers are also great for meal prepping, that is if you don’t eat them all at once!
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Stuffed Southwestern Poblano Peppers
Ingredients
Stuffed Peppers
- 8 large poblano peppers (cut 1/4 off the top lengthwise, remove/discard stem and seeds, and dice the lengthwise pieces cut off the top (about 1/4 cup) [See Note])
- 1 pound ground sirloin or ground chuck
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- 1/2 yellow onion (diced (1/3 cup))
- 15 ounces black beans (drained)
- 15 ounces yellow corn (drained)
- 12 ounces chipotles in adobo sauce (blended or chopped by hand)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup Mexican shredded cheese
Garnish
- Crumbled cotija cheese
- Freshly chopped cilantro
- Crumbled cotija cheese
- Freshly chopped cilantro
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place cut poblano peppers into a greased baking dish, drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil over the peppers. Roast in oven for 10-15 minutes until they begin to soften. Remove from oven and set aside. Once removed, lower the heat to 375 F.
- While peppers are roasting, in a large dutch oven or high walled skillet. Add the ground beef over medium high heat. Add in the ground cumin, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper. Cook the beef fully through. Using a slotted spoon, remove the cooked ground beef and set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium, add in the 2 tbsp of olive oil, the diced onion, and diced poblano peppers. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until the onion and pepper begin to soften. Add the ground beef, corn, black beans, and chipotles in adobo sauce. Stir all the contents and cook for 2-3 minutes for the flavors to meld. Give the mixture a taste, adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- Using a spoon, carefully spoon the beef stuffing into the peppers. Top with the shredded Mexican cheese, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove foil. Garnish with crumbled cotija cheese and freshly chopped cilantro.
Notes
- For cutting poblano pepper technique, see blog post.
Great recipe, excellent instructions. I have made this as it is similar to my own version with either ground sirloin or ground chorizo. When I use chorizo I don’t need to add so many spices, just use chopped scallions. I like grated pepper jack or cheddar, and definitely the cotija. Personally, I was not a fan of the adobe, but others loved it. In my version, I use fresh chopped Fresno chilis instead of adobe. Overall, this is an excellent recipe you have created.
Damn these look good! Poblanos are my all time favorite chili.
Thanks Jo! They are underutilized, love them so much too!