Chorizo Stuffed Bell Peppers
Chorizo Stuffed Bell Peppers
Table of Contents
At the Budget Bytes kitchen, we absolutely adore stuffed bell peppers, so I created a new variation to enjoy them again. These Chorizo Stuffed Bell Peppers are packed with flavorful Mexican chorizo, hearty rice, and a rich sauce, topped with melty mozzarella cheese. They’re incredibly filling, perfectly portioned for meal prep or freezing, and you can easily tweak the ingredients for a more budget-friendly option. Be sure to add this to your to cook list I know you’ll love them.
Ingredients for Chorizo Stuffed Bell Peppers
These chorizo stuffed bell peppers are bursting with flavorful herbs and spices, all enveloped in a rich tomato sauce, making every bite absolutely delicious. Here’s what you’ll need for the chorizo stuffed bell peppers:
- Bell Peppers: You’ll need three bell peppers for six servings. We used a colorful mix for a festive touch, but feel free to choose any color that fits your budget.
- Mexican Chorizo: This fresh (not cured) sausage is loaded with spices and can be found either loose or in links. If you buy links, simply squeeze the meat out of the casings into the skillet. I recommend Johnsonville, but many larger grocery stores have their own versions too.
- Garlic & Onion: Fresh onion and garlic add depth of flavor and texture to the filling.
- Rice: Long grain white rice helps bulk up the meal while keeping costs low. We cook the rice right in the pot with the chorizo, spices, and broth for maximum flavor.
- Chicken Broth: Cooking the rice in chicken broth ensures every bite is flavorful. We like using Better Than Bouillon for its great taste and budget-friendly price.
- Tomato Paste: This ingredient helps create an enchilada sauce-like flavor in the rice mixture.
- Diced Green Chiles: Green chiles enhance the filling with flavor, color, and texture. If you prefer milder stuffed peppers, you can omit them or choose a mild variety.
- Spices: We added even more flavor with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and salt.
- Mozzarella: The stuffed peppers are topped with mozzarella cheese for a rich finish, but you can swap it for other cheeses like Monterey Jack, pepper jack, cheddar, or a Mexican blend.
- Green Onion: A sprinkle of sliced green onions on top adds a fresh touch, though they’re completely optional.
What Else Can I Add ?
This recipe offers great flexibility, so feel free to make it more budget-friendly with these ingredient swaps:
Beans: Substitute half the chorizo with a can of black or pinto beans for added fiber and savings.
Diced Tomatoes: For extra color and texture in your bell pepper filling, include a drained can of petite diced tomatoes or Rotel.
Sweet Potato: Chorizo pairs beautifully with sweet potato; replace half the chorizo with one small finely diced sweet potato, adding it with the rice to simmer together for a spicy-sweet flavor.
What to Serve with Chorizo Stuffed Bell Peppers
These southwest-inspired peppers are quite filling on their own, but if you’d like to add a side, they pair wonderfully with Cumin Lime Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Cowboy Caviar, Sweet Potato Cornbread, or Warm Corn and Avocado Salad.
How To Store Leftovers
I love preparing stuffed bell peppers for meal prep, and here’s how I store and reheat them. Cooked bell peppers can be kept in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. I usually reheat them quickly in the microwave for about 2 minutes each.
If you’d like to freeze them, let them cool in the refrigerator first, then transfer them to a freezer-safe, airtight container. This way, you can reheat one at a time as needed. Frozen stuffed bell peppers can be thawed overnight in the refrigerator and reheated the next day in the microwave, or you can defrost them directly from the freezer using the defrost function and then heat thoroughly on full power.
You may like: Pesto Meatballs
Chorizo Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- 3 bell peppers
- 1 lb. Mexican chorizo
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 4 oz. can diced green chiles
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup long grain white rice uncooked
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cut each bell pepper in half so there is a top and bottom portion, then remove the seeds and ribs. You can either carefully cut the stem out of the center of the top half, or eat around it later. Place the halved bell peppers in a baking dish, cut sides up. Par-bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Add the chorizo to a large deep skillet and cook over medium heat until browned. While the chorizo is cooking, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the onion and garlic to the chorizo and continue to cook until the onions are softened.
- Add the diced green chiles, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and salt to the skillet and stir until combined.
- Add the uncooked rice and chicken broth to the skillet and stir until combined again. Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the broth to come up to a boil.
- As soon as the broth begins to boil, turn the heat down to low and let the rice simmer over, low without lifting the lid or stirring, for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and let it rest for five more minutes.
- Finally, remove the lid and gently stir the rice and chorizo mixture. All of the broth should be absorbed and the rice tender.
- Divide the rice and chorizo mixture between the six bell pepper halves, then top with shredded cheese. Cover the baking dish and return it to the 350ºF oven and bake for 20 minutes more. Finally, top with sliced green onions and serve!
- See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Serving: 1pepper
Calories: 380kcal
Carbohydrates: 24g
Protein: 18g
Fat: 24g
Sodium: 1032mg
Fiber: 3g
