Fiesta Stuffed Peppers

Fiesta stuffed peppers are bell peppers filled with seasoned ground beef, corn, black beans, and cheese, then baked until the peppers are tender and the filling is hot. The peppers stay bright and firm rather than collapsing into mush because you don’t cook them before stuffing them. The filling cooks through while the pepper skin softens just enough.

Ingredients for Fiesta Stuffed Peppers

Bell peppers hold the filling and become tender as they roast. Ground beef forms the savory base of the filling and browns quickly in a skillet. Onion and garlic add depth and aromatic flavor to the meat mixture. Black beans and corn bring texture and a touch of sweetness that rounds out the spice. Diced tomatoes keep the filling moist without making it watery. Cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper build the warm, earthy fiesta seasoning. Cheddar cheese melts into the filling and tops each pepper, binding everything together. Chicken broth in the baking pan creates steam that cooks the peppers evenly.

Why This Fiesta Stuffed Peppers Works

The filling is cooked completely on the stovetop before it goes into the peppers, so you only need to bake long enough for the peppers themselves to become tender. This means the beef and vegetables are hot and flavored when you stuff them, and the oven time is short enough that the peppers stay firm and hold their shape instead of turning into limp skins.

Baking the peppers in a pan with broth underneath keeps them from drying out on the bottom. The steam rises around them and softens the skin evenly, while the filling stays moist from the tomatoes and beans inside. The cheese on top melts and browns slightly, adding a savory crust.

Mistakes To Avoid

Do not skip browning the ground beef properly. If you dump it into the pan and do not break it up as it cooks, you end up with large chunks that do not distribute evenly through the filling and some bites are all meat while others have none.

Do not overfill the peppers. If you pack the filling too high, it spills out into the pan as the peppers soften and collapse, and you lose the seasoning and texture that makes the dish work.

Do not bake the peppers without liquid in the pan. They will dry out on the bottom and the edges will char while the inside is still firm, leaving you with burnt skin and undercooked pepper flesh.

Do not skip draining the canned beans and corn. The liquid they are packed in dilutes the seasonings and makes the filling watery, so it leaks out as the peppers cook and pools in the pan instead of staying inside where it flavors each bite.

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Ingredients

• 4 large bell peppers (any color), halved lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 ounces) corn, drained
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup chicken broth

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Arrange pepper halves cut-side up in a 9×13 baking pan and set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains, about 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add diced onion and minced garlic to the beef. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion softens and releases its aroma.
4. Stir in drained black beans, drained corn, diced tomatoes with their juice, cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until the flavors blend and the mixture is hot.
5. Remove the skillet from heat. Spoon the filling evenly into each pepper half, mounding it slightly. Top each pepper with shredded cheese, about 2 tablespoons per half.
6. Pour chicken broth into the bottom of the baking pan around the peppers (not over them). Cover the pan loosely with foil.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the peppers are fork-tender and the cheese is melted and beginning to brown at the edges. The internal temperature of the filling should reach 160°F (71°C).
8. Remove from the oven and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.