These vegan stuffed peppers with rice are loaded with the most delicious salsa, jackfruit, and rice filling! This will be your new favorite easy Meatless Monday dinner! Vegan, gluten-free.
*This recipe was originally posted on 6/23/15 but I updated it with new pictures and better recipe instructions on 5/28/19.
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My local grocery store often has beautiful organic bell peppers that are just 1-2 days past their prime on sale. When I’m lucky enough to come across the clearance peppers, I stock up! I usually buy two 4-packs and then dice and freeze two of the peppers in one of these reusable silicone bags. Then I like to make stuffed peppers with the remaining six bell peppers.
Before we were vegan, one of my go-to easy dinner recipes was to cook chicken breasts in a slow cooker with a jar of salsa (or tomato sauce). Using store-bought salsa is such an easy and quick shortcut that adds so much flavor to the stuffed pepper filling!
Then I would mix the shredded chicken with rice and use it as filling for Mexican stuffed peppers. Now that we’re vegan, I still make this recipe but I use jackfruit instead of chicken and it’s just as delicious if not better!
How To Make Vegan Stuffed Peppers
It’s very simple to make this easy vegan stuffed peppers recipe!
Step #1 – Begin by cooking the rice in a separate pot, read the next section for instructions to make yellow rice.
Step #2 – While the rice is cooking, rinse and drain one can of jackfruit. Put the drained jackfruit into a large pan along with the water (the water will help to steam and soften the jackfruit) and all of the dry seasonings. I intentionally don’t add any salt because pre-made jarred salsa is usually pretty high in sodium. If you want to make your own salsa, you may need to add more sea salt to taste.
Step #3 – Cover the jackfruit and let it cook for 15-20 minutes or until the jackfruit is soft enough to break up with a spatula. While the jackfruit is cooking, slice the tops off the bell peppers and remove the seeds and membranes.
Step #4 – When the rice and jackfruit are done cooking, add all of the cooked rice and one cup of your favorite salsa to the pan with the jackfruit. Mix it well and stuff each pepper with the filling. Top each pepper with vegan cheese (optional) and bake the peppers for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Top each stuffed pepper with more salsa, guacamole, pickled jalapenos, or your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
How To Make Yellow Rice Without Saffron or a Boxed Mix
I love yellow rice but I can’t afford to make it with saffron because it’s so expensive and I refuse to use a boxed mix. The easiest way to make beautiful yellow rice at home without breaking to the bank is to add 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder to the water that you cook the rice in. While the rice is cooking it will absorb the turmeric powder and it will color the rice a vibrant shade of yellow! Plus, it tastes delicious!
What Type of Salsa Should You Use?
I love to make homemade salsa (it’s Travis’ favorite!) but when I’m in a hurry I reach for our favorite store-bought salsa for these stuffed peppers. The only problem with the store-bought salsa is that it usually tends to be high in sodium. Make sure you watch for that (read the label!) and don’t add extra salt to the filling until after you mix in the salsa and taste it.
I’ve also made the mistake of accidentally using medium salsa instead of mild for the filling– phew, that was a spicy meal! If you’re not big on spicy food, make sure you use a mild jar of salsa for the filling.
What Type of Jackfruit Should You Use?
The brand of canned jackfruit that you use is important! I truly believe that some brands are better quality than others. Some cans of jackfruit have more hard cores in them while others have bigger “meatier” pieces of jackfruit with significantly less core.
This canned jackfruit is my #1 favorite brand of organic jackfruit to use but if you can find it I also like the Trader Joe’s brand of canned green jackfruit. Check out the rest of my vegan Trader Joe’s grocery list if you need any shopping inspiration.
Is This Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe Gluten-Free?
Yes, this vegan stuffed peppers recipe is naturally gluten free. If you’re not a fan of brown rice you could substitute quinoa instead.
Is This Healthy Stuffed Pepper Recipe Low-Carb?
This roasted stuffed pepper recipe isn’t low-carb because of the rice filling but you could easily make it low-carb by substituting raw cauliflower rice (you don’t have to cook it before stuffing the peppers, it will cook enough in the oven) for the brown rice or quinoa.
Can You Freeze Stuffed Peppers?
Yes, these loaded stuffed peppers freeze very well! I would recommend freezing the peppers in a freezer-safe container after you stuff them. When you’re ready to reheat the peppers, take them out of the freezer the night before and let the peppers defrost in the fridge overnight. Bake the peppers at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until they’re hot all the way through.
Notes & Substitutions
- If you don’t care for brown rice, you could substitute quinoa, couscous, or cauliflower rice.
- If you’d like to boost the protein of the vegetarian stuffed peppers, you could make the jackfruit filling (according to the recipe instructions) along with beans (black beans or kidney beans would be delicious), lentils, or crumbled tempeh!
- If you want to add some hidden vegetables to the filling, mushrooms, corn, zucchini, spinach, or red cabbage would be good options.
- Make sure that you use the best quality canned young jackfruit that you can find so it tastes the best in the stuffed peppers.
Tips For Making the Best Southwestern Salsa Stuffed Peppers
- Try to pick yellow, orange, or red peppers that are similar in size so the peppers cook evenly.
- I used store-bought salsa to keep this recipe super simple but if you’re watching your sodium intake then it’s completely fine to use homemade salsa instead.
- To give your homemade stuffed peppers a spicy kick use poblano peppers instead of bell peppers and or use medium salsa instead of mild salsa.
- Just like with jackfruit tacos, and jackfruit enchiladas, toppings are important on vegan stuffed red peppers too! We like to add guacamole, extra salsa, vegan cheese, cilantro, fresh lime juice, vegan sour cream (we like Kite Hill unsweetened plain greek yogurt), green onions, and fresh cilantro!
More “Stuffed” Vegan Recipes You’ll Love!
Pesto Spinach Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes
Stuffed Spinach Artichoke Dip Shells
Loaded Black Bean Sweet Potato Burritos
Vegan Stuffed Peppers
Equipment
- Medium Casserole Dish
- Large Saute Pan
Ingredients
- 6 medium bell peppers
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- (1) 14 oz can jackfruit rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup water (add more if it gets too dry)
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 cup salsa
Toppings -
- cilantro
- mashed avocado
- lime wedges
- vegan sour cream
- sliced green onion
- pickled jalapeños
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook the rice according to package instructions. Add 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder to the water while the rice is cooking to turn the rice yellow.
- While the rice is cooking, put the drained and rinsed jackfruit, water, and all of the dry seasonings (except the turmeric) into a large saute pan. Cover it and let it cook for 15-20 minutes. Use a spatula to break up the jackfruit.
- While the jackfruit and rice are cooking, prep the bell peppers. Cut off the tops and remove the seeds and membranes.
- Add the cooked rice and 1 cup of salsa to the pan with the cooked jackfruit. Mix it well and fill each pepper with the rice mixture. Optional - Top each pepper with vegan cheese.
- Add 2 tbsp of water to the bottom of the casserole dish to stop the peppers from sticking. Arrange the peppers to fit snugly in the casserole dish. Bake the peppers for 30 minutes or until tender. Top with fresh lime juice, guacamole, cilantro, vegan sour cream, and jalapenos.
Notes
- These stuffed peppers are naturally gluten-free.
- To add more protein, add (1) 14 oz can of black or kidney beans or tempeh to the filling.
- If you don't want the dish to be spicy make sure you use mild salsa.
- To make vegan quinoa stuffed peppers, simply swap the brown rice for quinoa.
- Don't throw out the bell pepper tops, you can dice them up and add them to the filling or add them raw to a salad.
- Try to pick yellow, orange, or red peppers that are similar in size so the peppers cook evenly.
- I used store-bought salsa to keep this recipe super simple but if you're watching your sodium intake then it's completely fine to use homemade salsa instead.
- Just like with jackfruit tacos, and jackfruit enchiladas, toppings are important on vegan stuffed red peppers too! We like to add guacamole, extra salsa, vegan cheese, cilantro, fresh lime juice, vegan sour cream (we like Kite Hill unsweetened plain greek yogurt), green onions, and fresh cilantro!
Nutrition
