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Mexican Rice & Bean Stuffed Peppers

Name: Mexican Rice & Bean Stuffed Peppers
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 4 large Large bell peppers — 4 peppers, any colour or a mix; red, orange, and yellow peppers are sweeter and more flavourful than green when baked; choose peppers that are roughly the same size so they cook evenly, and that have a flat enough base to stand upright in the baking dish without tipping; 200g (1 cup) Long-grain white rice — rinsed well under cold water until the water runs clear; rinsing removes excess surface starch and prevents the cooked rice from becoming gluey and clumping together in the filling; 1 x 400g tin Tinned black beans — drained and rinsed; black beans are the classic pairing with Mexican rice; pinto beans are an equally good substitute; 1 x 400g tin Tinned chopped tomatoes — the base of the tomato rice; use a good-quality tin for the best flavour; 300ml Vegetable stock — hot; used to cook the rice in place of plain water, adding depth and seasoning to the filling from the inside out; 150g Frozen or fresh corn kernels — if using frozen, no need to thaw; if using a fresh corn cob, cut the kernels off with a knife; the corn adds sweetness and texture that contrasts well with the earthy beans and spiced rice; 1 medium White onion — finely diced; 3 cloves Garlic cloves — finely minced; 1 Fresh jalapeño — finely diced; seeds removed for mild heat, left in for more fire; 1 chilli + 1 tbsp adobo Chipotle chilli in adobo — 1 chilli finely minced plus 1 tablespoon of the adobo sauce; adds a smoky, slightly sweet depth that lifts the filling from a plain rice dish to something distinctly Mexican; omit for a milder version; 1½ tsp Ground cumin; 1 tsp Smoked paprika — adds a warm, smoky background note that complements the chipotle; ½ tsp Dried oregano — Mexican oregano if available; 2 tbsp Olive oil — for frying the aromatics; To taste Fine sea salt and black pepper — to season throughout; A large handful Fresh coriander — a large handful, roughly chopped; half stirred into the filling before stuffing, half scattered over the finished peppers at the table; 2 limes Fresh lime juice — squeezed over the finished peppers at the table; the acidity cuts through the richness of the filling and brightens the whole dish; 1 tbsp Olive oil — to drizzle over the peppers before baking; To serve Fresh tomato salsa or pico de gallo — to serve alongside; the freshness and acidity is the ideal counterpoint to the warm, smoky baked filling

Vibrant bell peppers filled with a deeply seasoned Mexican rice and black bean mixture — cumin-spiced tomato rice cooked with black beans, roasted corn, jalapeño, coriander, and a chipotle-tomato sauce — then baked until the peppers are tender and the filling is fragrant and slightly caramelised at the top. Completely dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, egg-free, sesame-free, and vegan.

20 minPrep

50 minCook

1 hr 10 minTotal

4Serves

Cooking progress0/4 steps

How to cook

Plating & presentation

Stuffed peppers are naturally dramatic — tall, colourful, and self-contained — and they need very little styling to look impressive. Serve one pepper per person on a wide, flat plate. The pepper should be upright and standing proud, not slumped to one side — a well-packed filling and a snug baking dish during cooking keeps them upright. The filling should be visible and abundant at the top, slightly caramelised and golden at the edges. The pepper lid placed at an angle on top of the filling — not flat, but tilted — is the classic presentation and signals that the pepper is stuffed. A generous scatter of fresh coriander over the top adds vivid green colour against the red, orange, or yellow of the pepper. A lime wedge on the side of the plate. A spoonful of bright red pico de gallo or tomato salsa alongside adds colour contrast and freshness. If serving as a sharing dish, arrange all four peppers in the baking dish and bring it straight to the table — the dish itself is part of the presentation. The different colours of the peppers — red, orange, yellow, green — make a mixed selection especially visually striking.

Dana's tip

Two things make the difference between a stuffed pepper that is merely adequate and one that is genuinely delicious: the seasoning of the filling and the cooking of the pepper itself. The filling must be boldly seasoned before it goes into the pepper — taste it and season it as if it were a standalone dish, because once it is sealed inside the pepper it cannot be adjusted. The chipotle chilli and adobo sauce are the flavour backbone; do not skip them or reduce them. The pepper itself needs to be completely tender — a stuffed pepper with a raw, crunchy shell is unpleasant; the pepper should be soft, yielding, and slightly collapsed around the filling. The covered-then-uncovered baking method achieves both: the foil traps steam that cooks the pepper through, and the uncovered final stage caramelises the top of the filling and concentrates the flavours. The 100ml of water in the base of the dish is not optional — without it the peppers scorch on the outside before the inside is cooked. Toasting the rice in the spiced oil before adding the liquid is a small step that makes a noticeable difference to the depth of flavour in the finished filling — do not skip it. Use the ripest, most flavourful tinned tomatoes you can find; they are the liquid base of the rice and their quality comes through in the finished dish.

Ingredients

Serves 4

Large bell peppers — 4 peppers, any colour or a mix; red, orange, and yellow peppers are sweeter and more flavourful than green when baked; choose peppers that are roughly the same size so they cook evenly, and that have a flat enough base to stand upright in the baking dish without tipping4 large

Long-grain white rice — rinsed well under cold water until the water runs clear; rinsing removes excess surface starch and prevents the cooked rice from becoming gluey and clumping together in the filling200g (1 cup)

Tinned black beans — drained and rinsed; black beans are the classic pairing with Mexican rice; pinto beans are an equally good substitute1 x 400g tin

Tinned chopped tomatoes — the base of the tomato rice; use a good-quality tin for the best flavour1 x 400g tin

Vegetable stock — hot; used to cook the rice in place of plain water, adding depth and seasoning to the filling from the inside out300ml

Frozen or fresh corn kernels — if using frozen, no need to thaw; if using a fresh corn cob, cut the kernels off with a knife; the corn adds sweetness and texture that contrasts well with the earthy beans and spiced rice150g

White onion — finely diced1 medium

Garlic cloves — finely minced3 cloves

Fresh jalapeño — finely diced; seeds removed for mild heat, left in for more fire1

Chipotle chilli in adobo — 1 chilli finely minced plus 1 tablespoon of the adobo sauce; adds a smoky, slightly sweet depth that lifts the filling from a plain rice dish to something distinctly Mexican; omit for a milder version1 chilli + 1 tbsp adobo

Ground cumin1½ tsp

Smoked paprika — adds a warm, smoky background note that complements the chipotle1 tsp

Dried oregano — Mexican oregano if available½ tsp

Olive oil — for frying the aromatics2 tbsp

Fine sea salt and black pepper — to season throughoutTo taste

Fresh coriander — a large handful, roughly chopped; half stirred into the filling before stuffing, half scattered over the finished peppers at the tableA large handful

Fresh lime juice — squeezed over the finished peppers at the table; the acidity cuts through the richness of the filling and brightens the whole dish2 limes

Olive oil — to drizzle over the peppers before baking1 tbsp

Fresh tomato salsa or pico de gallo — to serve alongside; the freshness and acidity is the ideal counterpoint to the warm, smoky baked fillingTo serve

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