This Vegan Stuffed Peppers recipe is full of flavor and easy to make in your Crockpot! They are stuffed with quinoa, black beans, and corn and topped with a wonderful avocado crema. If you’re looking for a healthy and delicious plant-based dinner, you need to try this one!
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This meal has all of my favorite characteristics: it’s healthy, it’s plant-based with vibrant vegetables, and has bold flavor. I also love that it’s hearty enough to fill up even my 6′ 3″ husband. Winning all around. While we are not a plant-based family and enjoy all foods, I love creating vegetable-forward meals like this one.
I made these stuffed peppers in my CrockPot. The slow cooker is an excellent tool for healthy meals. Why? Because slow cooking is amazing way to allow flavor to develop! The best way to turn someone off of healthy eating is to serve them bland, boring food.
These Vegan Stuffed Peppers are anything but boring. They are bursting with my favorite Mexican flavors and can be made as spicy as you like. It’s one of my favorite plant-based dinners.
These vegan stuffed peppers are filled with quinoa, salsa, and black beans for a hearty meal. Top them with creamy avocado and fresh lime juice for a flavorful bite. I’m not into shredded vegan cheese, but if that’s your thing, go ahead and add some. Regular cheese will, of course, work as well if you don’t need these to be vegan.
We all have our “I need to start eating clean” moments. While the motivation is true and strong when the thought strikes, it quickly fades when you can’t think of what to add to your menu that’s just as healthy and filling as delicious and comforting. This easy stuffed peppers recipe is here to fill that gap! Side note: check out my 5 simple steps to transition to a clean-eating diet.
These vegan stuffed peppers are perfect for all occasions. You can make them for a date night or serve them at a dinner party – they don’t stay on the table for long. They will be your main dish or side dish, whichever way you prefer. They can be a meal in themselves, but you can also served them with a flavorful lentil salad before to make a heartier meal. Everyone will love it!
Ready to add these best-stuffed peppers to your repertoire? Let’s get started.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Simple ingredients are the star. Most of the ingredients in the list are pantry staples and easy-to-find ingredients at your grocery store.
Amazing meal prep option. Can’t wait to serve these vegan stuffed peppers at your next gathering or for a busy weeknight dinner? Cool! Prepare the filling two to four days in advance and keep them safe in an airtight container in the fridge. When it’s time to shine, fill your bell peppers and cook to perfection. Trust me; it saves so much time, it’s crazy!
Tweak it as you like. Sneak in some extra veggies like zucchini, carrots, and mushrooms, add more spice, or switch up the type of beans. You can always play around with this recipe. How about a little vegan cheese topping? Mmm!
Great source of plant-based protein. If you’re like me, health-forward, and always looking for ways to include more protein in your diet, these tasty filled peppers will be right up your alley. From the quinoa to the black beans and corn, this recipe provides a well-rounded combination of plant-based protein sources.
Ingredients for Vegan Stuffed Peppers
Cooked Quinoa: Quinoa is a protein-packed, filling ingredient that will make our meatless stuffed peppers all the more satisfying. Cauliflower rice, brown rice, and white rice will all work as substitutes.
Salsa: Salsa adds flavor and moisture to this stuffed pepper recipe. Plus, it’s the best way to add your favorite veggies, like green onions, without any extra work.
Corn Kernels: Sweet and juicy, corn adds a lovely texture and color to these vegan stuffed peppers. You can use canned or fresh corn, depending on how much time you have.
Black Beans: If you don’t have black beans on hand, use kidney beans or pinto beans instead. They are all a great source of plant-based protein, fiber, iron, and magnesium.
Spices: You’ll need ground cumin, ancho chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic salt, and salt
Fresh Bell Peppers: I prefer large bell peppers in different colors for a visual treat. Large, because they’re easier to stuff and fit a lot of the delicious quinoa stuffing. Bell peppers are chock-full of vitamin C and antioxidants. Plus, their mild flavor makes them a perfect pick for this great recipe. Make sure you remove the tops, seeds, and veins.
Avocados: I like the creamy avocado texture as a topping. Decide the quantity depending on the size available. If you have small avocadoes, use two.
Lime: Add a little zest with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. It enhances the overall flavor and balances out the spices.
Cilantro: This herb adds freshness and a pop of color to our vegan stuffed peppers. If you’re not a fan, you can omit it or substitute it with fresh parsley.
Hot Sauce: Although optional, hot sauce really brightens the flavors and gives a nice kick that works well with the Mexican-inspired flavors.
Go through the recipe card to find how much of what you need.
How to Make Vegan Stuffed Peppers
- Start with four large bell peppers and cut them in half. I found that cooking them in half worked great to get the peppers perfectly tender. Eating them this way is easier, also.
- Prep your stuffing mixture, which is a lovely mix of cooked quinoa, black beans, corn, salsa, and spices. The salsa will dictate some of the flavor, so choose a salsa you love with the amount of spiciness you prefer.
- Once you stuff each pepper half with the mixture, you can place them in the slow cooker. I used a 6-quart Crock-Pot slow cooker and had to layer them a bit. Not a problem at all for these Vegan Stuffed Peppers.
- Cook on high for three hours. The Crock-Pot will automatically switch to warming mode at the end of the cooking time.
- After the peppers cook, they are topped with an avocado lime crema where sour cream might normally be used and fresh cilantro. These toppings bring it together perfectly and shouldn’t be left out!
Tips and Tricks
- Choose the bell pepper wisely. Red bell peppers are the sweetest, while green bell peppers are slightly bitter. If you like it mellow, use yellow bell peppers – these guys hang somewhere in the middle. They should be firm, so they hold their shape well when heated.
- Season generously. If you prefer your dishes with Italian seasoning or taco seasoning, use them.
- Make sure you drain and rinse your beans before using them. It’ll keep your peppers from getting too watery.
- Don’t overstuff! You want to be able to eat the entire thing without making a mess. Leave some room for the filling to expand while cooking.
Variations to Try
- Add a Crunchy Bite. Nuts. Yes! Add a crunch to this recipe by sprinkling some crushed walnuts or pecans on top.
- Spice it Up. Are you all about spice? Double up the amount of hot sauce, sprinkle some cayenne pepper, or throw in some red pepper flakes for an extra kick.
- Make it Saucy. Add some tomato sauce with the salsa to your mixture for a saucier bite.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Use the Recipe to Make Meaty Stuffed Bell Peppers?
Of course! You can replace the quinoa with ground beef, chicken, or turkey. Cook the meat in a large skillet over medium heat (use olive oil) and add it to the rest of the filling ingredients. You may also like my Stuffed Peppers with Ground Turkey recipe.
Can I Store Leftover Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers?
Yes! If you have any leftover stuffed peppers, transfer them to an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for 3-4 days. They’ll do fine. You can also freeze leftover peppers for about 3 months! When you want to enjoy them again, thaw them overnight and reheat.
Can I Cook the Peppers in the Oven instead of the Crock Pot?
Yes. Follow instructions up to the part where you place the stuffed peppers in the slow cooker. At this point, instead place the in a large casserole dish. Bake in the oven, preheated to 375 degrees, for 45 minutes.
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Mexican Vegan Stuffed Peppers {Slow Cooker Recipe}
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
These healthy Vegan Stuffed Peppers are bursting with bold flavor and are made in your slow cooker.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 2 1/2 cups salsa
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 large bell peppers (any color), tops, seeds, and veins removed, and cut in half
- 1 very large or 2 smaller avocados
- juice from 1 lime
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
- water
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- lime wedges
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the first 9 ingredients well.
- Fill each pepper half with the quinoa mixture.
- Place each pepper half in the slow cooker and cook on high for three hours.
- While the peppers are cooking, prepare the avocado topping. Mash the avocado well in a bowl. Add the lime juice, hot sauce, and salt and whisk until very smooth. Add enough water to thin it to your preference (start with a teaspoon or so).
- Serve the peppers with avocado sauce, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: dinner
- Method: slow cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 471
- Sugar: 16.4g
- Sodium: 1626.7mg
- Fat: 13.4g
- Saturated Fat: 1.9g
- Carbohydrates: 76.2g
- Fiber: 22.8g
- Protein: 17.8g
This recipe was first published in September 2016. Video was added February 2020 and another text update 2024.
really delicious!!!
That looks delicious!!!! I love this! The best part though, is that it is healthy and holiday friendly!
I made this recipe today and it was very good. I didn’t have ancho chili powder so I used regular chil powder. I really like crock-pot recipes and this recipe is a keeper. My husband loved it and I am trying to make some healthier dinner options for a guy who just loves steak and hamburger. Thank yoo for this recipe.
Great to know, Jamie! Thank you!
Nice Dish.
For how many days can we keep this into a fridge?
I have same same question
I’m sorry I don’t see the question. What is it?
The question was how long this would keep in the fridge?
Dare I say it, they look meaty in texture the stuffing, of course they look yummy
If I’m using frozen corn, should I cook it separately in a pot and then add it to the mixture? or do I just add it to the mixture and put it into the crockpot frozen? Thank you for the recipe, I’m looking forward to trying it.
You can add the corn frozen. I hope you enjoy!
This was great! I apparently missed that the quinoa was supposed to be cooked beforehand – it came it perfect, and saved me time and a pot to clean! I could maybe add a little more salsa next time (due to using uncooked quinoa), but the quinoa just sucked up the salsa and cooked perfect in the crock pot. There was so much filling I actually made 6 peppers full. So fast, easy, and yummy! Perfect leftovers too!
Amazing! Soooo good AND easy to make. My GF was not looking forward to something vegan, but quickly became a convert on this dish! Made the quinoa in my rice cooker, then it’s just mix and stuff. Yummy!!
Wow this is 13 grams of fat that’s a lot right ?
I don’t feel that’s a lot for a meal. It will vary depending on your specific calorie needs, but the average woman requires 50-75 grams of fat every day.
Looks delicious.
Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome!
Can’t wait to try this tonight, having decided to go vegetarian it’s great to find new and exciting recipes. I’ve tried this before in the oven but the peppers didn’t cook evenly. I’m hoping that using the crockpot this will work out perfect. I’m using a mixture of garlic quinoa and brown rice i foumd at costco with black beans toped with mozzarella cheese, cilantro and avacaodo lime dressing……cant wait.
Sounds perfect! Please let me know how it turns out. 🙂
Do you think I would be able to freeze these all prepped and then cook them in the crock pot. I’m doing a meal exchange and trying to figure out if this would work.
I do think this would work! I’m sorry I can’t say 100% for sure, since I haven’t tried it, but my hunch is that it would work. Please let me know if you do try it!
I so enjoy your site and your recipes. Would you please consider adding a print option so we can enjoy your recipes a little more easily. Thank you.
Thanks, Gloria! There is a print option on the recipe card. Take a look at the upper right hand corner where the recipe is and you’ll see the print button. 🙂
I’m going to make this for dinner tonight! I’m going to make it on the stove instead of the slow cooker, though. Thanks for the lovely dinner inspiration! 🙂
You’re welcome! I hope you loved it!
I’ve been loving my crockpot and rice cooker lately for busy weeknights – this recipe is perfect for one of our dinners during the week.
Yes!
Thankyou for these amazing stuffed peppers recipe. This looks looks like a tasty way to incorporate more veggies in to my diet. Can’t wait to try it!
You’re welcome, Genevia! I hope you love it!
I hope you love these!
Not sure if you will be able to respond to this email by the time I make it this afternoon. However, I am hoping I can use fresh corn off the cob for this without cooking it. I would imagine in the crockpot on high for the three hours or on low for longer would be able to cook that corn. Looking very forward to making this very healthy recipe.
I’m sorry I missed this, but yes, I think that should work fine!
Yes, corn on cob, uncooked worked well! Great recipe! I will use the mild salsa next time verses the medium, but use the spice heat in the avocado topping for those who want the heat. I do appreciate this recipe so much as I have tried to cook vegan stuff peppers about six times and have not been happy until now. Thank you
Yay! So glad to hear that Wendy. 🙂
I’m a single young man in my mid thirties and not very familiar with cooking things in a slow cooker. Do I need to add any water to the cooker before placing the peppers in? My sister and her husband bought me a Crock-Pot for Christmas and I think this is the perfect recipe to try with it. Thanks for sharing.
No, you don’t need to add any water for this recipe. Good luck! 🙂
Maryea,
Could I sub brown rice for the quinoa? I am allergic to it. If so, how much?
Yes, you can definitely use brown rice in place of the quinoa. I would think you could sub it 1:1.
I used the brown rice because I ran out of quinoa and tried garbanzo beans instead of black beans because it’s what I hand on hand. Love this straightforward recipe-3 hours on high was just right. Beautiful photo!
Glad you liked this and your substitutions worked out well! Thanks so much for the feedback, Alicia.:)
looks fantastically delicious!!! Certainly going to try this one.
Thanks, Kathy! I hope you love the recipe. 🙂