Load up on bold Tex Mex flavor with these easy Beef Stuffed Peppers without Rice! Cheesy, hearty, and perfect for busy nights.
These Tex Mex Stuffed Peppers without Rice are bursting with bold flavor, hearty textures, and just the right amount of kick! Instead of the usual rice, they’re packed with tender ground beef, melty cheese, chopped corn tortillas, green chilis, tomatoes, and Tex-Mex seasonings that bring smoky, savory goodness in every bite. The corn tortilla pieces soak up all that delicious flavor while adding a warm, slightly chewy texture — like mini enchiladas baked right into a pepper.
These stuffed peppers are super easy to make, require just one skillet before stuffing, and can be prepped ahead for busy weeknights. Whether you’re serving a hungry family or just looking for something simple, satisfying, and different, this recipe delivers. They’re also freezer-friendly and customizable — add beans, swap in ground turkey, or go spicy with jalapeños. No rice, no fuss, just big flavor!
No time to stuff peppers? Try my Unstuffed Peppers version!
Jump to:
Simple Ingredients and Substitutes
Quick note! This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them. This commission is what helps me keep this blog afloat :). I also share these links because I have used the products, genuinely love them, and want you to know exactly what I used.
- Sweet Bell Peppers – You can use any color you have or love. Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers will be sweeter than green peppers.
- Lean Ground Beef – I used 90% lean Ground Beef, but you can use any fat content. You can substitute in ground chicken or ground turkey.
- Seasonings: I used onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, chili powder, ground cumin, and salt. You can use a taco seasoning or add/replace any of these as you desire.
- Diced Tomatoes – I like the chunks of tomato that you get with diced. However, you can substitute in pureed, crushed, or whole tomatoes that you crush with your hands. You can also add a tablespoon of tomato paste for more deep flavor.
- Green chilis – I used the 4oz can of green chilis found in my regular grocery store. You can substitute in hatch green chilis. You can also leave these out if you don’t have them.
- Corn Tortillas cut into strips/small pieces – The tortillas help to thicken the filling and replace the rice. If you don’t have tortillas, you can substitute corn tortilla chips.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese – Any mix of cheddar, monterey jack, mozzarella or any melty cheese will work in this recipe.
- Fresh Cilantro leaves – If you don’t have fresh, you can use dried cilantro. You could also substitute with fresh basil or fresh parsley.
See recipe card for quantities.
Simple Equipment for Stuffed Peppers without Rice
For cooking the ground beef and making the filling for the stuffed peppers, you will need a large skillet/frying pan. I use my absolute favorite 12″ Ceramic Pan, which is great because food really does slide right off with minimal oil and I don’t have to worry about food sticking and burning.
Then to bake the stuffed peppers, you need a medium or large casserole dish that’s approximately 10×10, 12×12, 10×13 or similar. You can also just use a large sheet pan.
Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps
We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below)
To get ahead on this Stuffed Peppers without Rice recipe 1-2 days early, you can is prep the bell peppers and make and chill the filling.
First, clean the outside of the peppers if needed and cut off the top ½ inch of the peppers including the stem. Dice the tops for mixing into the beef and discard the stems.
Next, chop the cilantro and cut the tortillas into 1 inch long, ¼ inch thick strips.
You can store the peppers, tortillas, and cilantro separately in the fridge until ready to move on.
You can make the filling in advance too and store it in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to bake.
Preheat a large pan/skillet on High heat. To the hot pan, add the olive oil, ground beef, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Mix and cook through for 5 minutes, stirring after a few minutes to ensure even cooking.
Once the beef is cooked, mix in the diced pepper tops, canned diced tomatoes, green chilies, and tortilla strips.
Cook for 5 minutes or until the liquid is reduced and the stuffing has thickened.
Turn off the heat and mix in the chopped cilantro and 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (the remaining will go on top).
Cooking Stuffed Peppers without Rice
Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees.
Place the bell peppers into an oiled, casserole dish or on a sheet pan.
Stuff the peppers generously with the beef mixture.
and then bake in the oven for 12 minutes. (if your filling was chilled, then add 2-5 minutes as needed until the center is hot)
Talking Tip!
If your stuffed red peppers are off balance, here’s a tip! You cut the bottoms of the peppers to be flat, but then you risk the filling oozing out the bottom. Instead, use folded pieces of aluminum foil to prop up uneven peppers that are leaning. This way, they won’t topple over spill out the delicious filling as they bake up.
Add the remaining shredded cheddar cheese on top of each pepper and bake for another 3 minutes.
When the Stuffed peppers are done baking, let them rest for 5 minutes. Then serve and Enjoy!
Stuffed Pepper Variations
There are so many fun and delicious ways to change up this recipe! Here are just a few ideas, but get creative with ingredients that your family love.
- Italian-Style – Use ground beef or Italian sausage, marinara sauce, mozzarella, fresh basil, or other Italian herbs.
- Greek-Inspired – Use ground lamb or beef, spinach, feta, olives, and oregano for a Mediterranean flavor burst.
- Asian-Style – Ground chicken or pork with soy sauce, ginger, scallions, and veggies for a savory, stir-fry-style pepper.
- Vegetarian Black Bean & Sweet Potato – A hearty, meatless version with mashed sweet potatoes, black beans, corn, and melty cheese. Add quinoa for even more protein and fiber!
- Cheesy Pizza-Stuffed – Kid-friendly mix of pepperoni, mozzarella, and pizza sauce for a fun, cheesy favorite.
Stuffed Peppers Recipe FAQs
Absolutely, you can add cooked rice to the beef filling and double the peppers to 8! Here’s what to do. First, you may need a bigger pan or pot. Double the seasonings, tomatoes, chilis, and cheese (not the tortillas or beef). Add 2 cups of pre-cooked rice to the mix along during the same step as the tortilla slices. Mix thoroughly and then stuff the 8 peppers.
If your filling has too much liquid, you can do a couple things to thicken it. First, you can cook it longer to reduce the liquid. Simmer for 4-5 minutes or as needed until reduced, but watch and stir to make sure it doesn’t burn. Second, you can blend up some additional tortillas into small pieces and mix them in. This will bulk up the filling with more delicious Tex Mex flavor!
Yes you can substitute the ground beef with ground Chicken or ground turkey. If you do this, make sure to cook the ground poultry a little longer to ensure that it is fully cooked and no longer pink anywhere. In fact, I like to really get the meat browned before adding any liquid for more flavor! Then taste the filling before stuffing the peppers to make sure it’s flavorful enough, as chicken and turkey has less fat and is milder in flavor. If needed, add more salt or seasonings.
Have you tried this recipe? If so, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe below! I love to hear your feedback and your rating helps others to find this recipe. Thanks so much!
Tex Mex Beef Stuffed Peppers without Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 Sweet Bell Peppers red, yellow, or orange
- 1 pound Ground Beef 90% lean
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1 tablespoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 14 ounces Diced Tomatoes 1 can
- 4 ounces Green Chilies 1 can
- 4 Corn tortillas size 6”
- 1½ cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Instructions
Prep Steps
- PREP PEPPERS. Clean the bell peppers and cut off the top ½ inch of the peppers including the stem. Dice the tops for mixing into the beef and discard the stems. Chop the cilantro.
- SLICE TORTILLAS. Cut the tortillas into 1 inch long, ¼ inch thick strips.
- COOK BEEF. Preheat a large pan/skillet on High heat. To the hot pan, add the olive oil, ground beef, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Mix! Cook through for 5 minutes, stirring after a few minutes to ensure even cooking.
- FINISH PEPPER PREP. While the beef is cooking, finish prepping the bell peppers by removing/discarding the seeds and inside membranes. Place into an oiled, casserole dish or on a sheet pan. (TIP: Use folded foil to prop up uneven peppers that are leaning)
- FINISH THE STUFFING. Once the beef is cooked, mix in the diced pepper tops, canned diced tomatoes, green chilies, and tortilla strips. Cook for 5 minutes or until the liquid is reduced and the stuffing has thickened. Turn off the heat and mix in the chopped cilantro and 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (the remaining will go on top).
Cooking Steps
- STUFF & BAKE. Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees. Stuff the peppers generously with the beef mixture and then bake in the oven for 12 minutes. (if your filling was chilled, then add 2-5 minutes as needed until the center is hot) Add the remaining shredded cheddar cheese on top of each pepper and bake for another 3 minutes.
- When the Stuffed peppers are done let them rest for 5 minutes, then serve and enjoy!
Comments
No Comments