Taco Tempeh, Black Bean and Rice Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers are a fun, meal prep friendly way to pack in a lot of flavor and nourishing ingredients into one meal! These Mexican inspired stuffed peppers use tempeh as a hearty protein source, plenty of taco seasoning for flavor, and beans, rice, and cheese for that stuffed pepper consistency!

Taco Tempeh, Black Bean and Rice Stuffed Peppers

Mexican inspired stuffed peppers are my favorite. I love anything with rice and beans and peppers are one of my favorite vegetables to cook with, because they’re so versatile. The key to stuffed peppers is cooking the peppers enough beforehand so that they’re pliable enough to stuff, but firm enough so they don’t turn to mush.

Taco Tempeh, Black Bean and Rice Stuffed Peppers

These peppers are made with crumbled tempeh. If you’re nervous to cook with tempeh, don’t be! I prefer using it more than tofu – the consistency is heartier, it’s more transformable, and I love that you can crumbled it to a meat-like consistency. Like tofu, tempeh absorbs any flavors that you cook it with.

Taco Tempeh, Black Bean and Rice Stuffed Peppers

Don’t be afraid of tempeh, BUT if you are, you can swap out the tempeh for 1/2 pound of ground meat, like a turkey, chicken, or beef. If you’re vegetarian and don’t like tempeh, just omit the tempeh altogether – they’ll be like rice and bean stuffed peppers.

If you’re a meal prepper, these are a great option, too! To reheat, just pop in the microwave for 3 minutes or in the oven at 400 and cook until heated through, about 10 minutes.

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Taco Tempeh, Black Bean and Rice Stuffed Peppers

4.50 from 2 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 4 large bell peppers
  • 8 oz block of tempeh
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large garlic clove minced
  • 1 small red onion diced
  • 1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
  • 1 cup cooked brown rice
  • ¾ cup shredded Mexican cheese
  • to garnish: jalapeno slices guacamole, etc

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spritz a large baking dish with cooking spray and add in the pepper halves. Spritz with more cooking spray and bake for 20 minutes.
  • Bring a medium pot of shallow water to a simmer. Add the block of tempeh and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the tempeh and pat it dry. Allow the block to cool, and when it's cool enough to handle, crumble it into pieces, slightly larger than a ground meat texture.
  • While tempeh cooks, place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering, add the garlic and onions and cook until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the tempeh, black beans, and tomatoes, stir, and add the taco seasoning. Stir well to combine and turn the heat off. Add the rice and 1/2 cup of the cheese and stir well to combine.
  • Stuff the mixture into the pepper halves and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and peppers are tender. Garnish as desired.

with love, Ali

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Recipe Rating




comments

  • The initial recipe was delicious. However, I wouldn't consider this food prep friendly because the bell peppers were a soggy when I went to reheat them the next day (and day after that) for lunch. Overall, I would suggest this for an individual experimenting with whole food and plant based nutrition! Delicious for sure.
    • Nathan! This is great feedback. Thank you so much for sharing your experience.
  • I can't tolerate taco seasoning. Would a general seasoning w/ salt & pepper work just as well?
  • Do you have the nutritional information on this recipe?
    • Hi Terri! We actually no longer provide that information. But if you plug the ingredients into a nutrition tracker, it should be able to provide you with the information you're looking for!
  • I loved this! Just like my mom used to make but veg and turned out so great. To prevent the sogginess; I think you could clarify the recipe to cook the peppers first “insides down”. I followed everything and did that for precaution and it was great the next day.