Description
Delicious and hearty stuffed poblano peppers filled with a flavorful mixture of ground turkey, corn, black beans, rice, and spices, topped with melted Mexican cheese blend for a perfect weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Peppers
- 6 large (about 1 3/4 lbs) poblano peppers, halved lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed
Filling
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 small)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic (3 cloves)
- 1 lb. lean ground turkey
- 1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
- 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, well drained in a sieve
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup (slightly packed) cooked white rice
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the poblano pepper halves on a 13 by 9-inch baking sheet in a single layer and bake until tender-crisp, about 15 minutes.
- Prepare the Filling Base: While the peppers bake, heat olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 3 minutes until softened. Then add minced garlic and sauté for an additional 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Cook the Turkey: Push the onion and garlic mixture to one side of the skillet. Add the ground turkey, season with salt and pepper, and cook while tossing and breaking into chunks until nearly cooked through.
- Add Corn and Finish Cooking: Stir in the corn and continue cooking until the turkey is fully cooked.
- Combine Ingredients: Remove the skillet from heat. Stir in the drained diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, tomato sauce, cooked white rice, rinsed black beans, chili powder, ground cumin, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Mix in half a cup of the shredded Mexican cheese blend and the chopped cilantro.
- Stuff the Peppers: Spoon the filling into the baked poblano pepper halves, filling them very full. You can press down slightly to fit more filling inside.
- Add Cheese Topping: Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of Mexican cheese blend evenly over the top of the stuffed peppers.
- Bake to Melt Cheese: Return the stuffed peppers to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the peppers are softened to your liking, about 10 minutes.
Notes
- You can substitute ground turkey with ground chicken or beef if preferred.
- Use freshly cooked rice for best texture; leftover rice also works well.
- For a spicier version, choose diced tomatoes with hotter green chilies or add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- To make it vegetarian, omit the turkey and add extra beans and vegetables like zucchini or mushrooms.
- If you don’t have a 13 by 9-inch baking sheet, any oven-safe dish that fits the peppers in a single layer will work.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the oven or microwave.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed pepper half
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
