These Stuffed Poblano Peppers are filled with savory seasoned ground beef, green onions, and cilantro then topped with a generous sprinkle of cheddar cheese. After baking, I love serving these peppers over a bed of cilantro lime cauliflower rice (or cilantro lime white rice) with a dollop of sour cream. This easy chili pepper dish is the best of summer translated into a warm and comforting dish that carries well into cool fall months.
How spicy are poblano peppers?
Poblanos are generally considered to be a fairly mild chili pepper, though their heat can vary substantially. I've had poblanos that are super mild and others that I've been grateful to eat with a healthy dollop of sour cream to tone down the heat.
To further illustrate the heat level, I find it helpful to compare its Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) to other common chili peppers. As you can see, poblano peppers generally fall at or below the heat level of jalapeno peppers.
- Habanero 100,000-350,000 SHU
- Serrano 10,000-25,000 SHU
- Jalapeno 2,500-10,000 SHU
- Poblano 1000-2,500 SHU
- Bell 0 SHU
How to tame the heat of a particularly spicy pepper
You may have heard that a chili pepper's capsaicin is found in the seeds – This is only sort of true. The capsaicin is actually found in the highest concentrations in the pith and ribs of the pepper (the white part). The seeds are surrounded by the pith and ribs which is why they get blamed as the primary culprit. So, if you want to lessen the heat of a poblano pepper, scrape as much of the white pith and ribs out as you can.
Other things you can do to lessen the heat are to add fat and acid. Capsaicin is a fat-soluble compound, so dairy products such as sour cream will help tame heat. Acidic ingredients like fresh lime juice will also help lessen the heat, so serving with a wedge to spritz on top (and in the cilantro lime rice) is always welcome.
What to serve Stuffed Poblano Peppers with
I love serving these Stuffed Poblano Peppers with a side of cilantro lime cauliflower rice or cilantro lime white rice. Both options add a burst of refreshing acid that helps tame heat from the chili peppers and provide an excellent base for the saucy pepper filling to soak into. Additionally, these stuffed peppers are wonderful with a simple salad if you prefer.
Some other great side dishes that pair well with these Stuffed Poblano Peppers:
- Grilled Corn Salad with Spicy Honey Lime Dressing
- Spicy Cabbage Slaw
- Chili Lime Watermelon with Labneh and Honey
- Creamy Cucumber Radish Salad
What tools do I need to make this recipe?
- A baker's half sheet lined with parchment paper
- A cutting board
- A chef's knife
- A skillet
- A kitchen scale (may use measuring cups for less precise measurements)
- Measuring spoons
- A citrus juicer
- A citrus zester
- A cheese grater (unless you use pre-grated cheese)
Are you looking to upgrade your cooking tools or replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.
Looking for more dinner inspiration?
Love this Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Cilantro Cauliflower Rice recipe? Here are some more of my favorite dinner recipes that you might enjoy:
- Jalapeno Poppers with Sausage and Cream Cheese
- Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder
- Chicken Poblano Chili
- Picadillo
- Pressure Cooker Barbacoa Beef
- Sloppy Joe Bowls
- Marinated Grilled Skirt Steak with Avocado Chimichurri Sauce
- Salmon with Adobo Sauce and Blackberry Cucumber Avocado Salsa
- Salmon Tacos with Spicy Cabbage Slaw and Lime Crema
Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 portions 1x
- Category: Mains
- Method: Oven / Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These Stuffed Poblano Peppers are filled with savory seasoned ground beef, green onions, and cilantro then topped with a generous sprinkle of cheddar cheese. After baking, I love serving these peppers over a bed of cilantro lime cauliflower rice (or cilantro lime white rice) with a dollop of sour cream. This easy chili pepper dish is the best of summer translated into a warm and comforting dish that carries well into cool fall months.
Ingredients
For the Stuffed Poblano Peppers:
- 4 large poblano peppers (about 1 ¼ lbs total), halved with ribs, pith, and seeds removed
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
- 74 g (⅔ cup) green onion, chopped
- 30 g (½ cup) cilantro, chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil (may sub for 2 minced garlic cloves)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp Kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 8 oz (2 cups) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- Optional: Sour cream to top
For the Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice*:
- 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil (may sub for 1 tbsp olive oil + 2 minced garlic cloves)
- 24 oz (about 6 ¾ cups) cauliflower rice (I like this frozen one, but you can use fresh too)
- 1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 limes, zest and juice (about 2 tbsp juice + 2 tsp zest)
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper
Instructions
For the Stuffed Poblano Peppers:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 C). Prep a baker's half sheet with parchment paper and place the prepped poblano halves on top, cut side exposed.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef until cooked through, then lower the heat slightly to just above medium.
- Add the tomato sauce, green onion, cilantro, garlic-infused olive oil (or minced garlic), cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano, and Kosher salt to the ground beef, stirring to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and hot. Taste for salt and adjust if needed.
- Remove the meat mixture from heat and portion equally into each poblano pepper half. Top each with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes. I usually pull the peppers out when the edges start to darken slightly and look a bit wrinkly.
- Serve warm on top of the Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.
For the Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice:
- In a large skillet (I just wipe out the skillet I cooked the meat in) over medium-high heat, add garlic-infused olive oil (or olive oil + minced garlic), the riced cauliflower, cilantro, lime zest and juice, Kosher salt and pepper.
- Sautee for 3-5 minutes, just long enough to cook the cauliflower and give it a bit of heat, but not so long that it starts to mash. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust if needed, then remove from heat.
Notes
Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
If you prefer, you can use cooked white rice in place of the riced cauliflower to make cilantro lime rice.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed poblano pepper and ⅛th of cauliflower rice
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 614 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
Cheese Curd In Paradise says
Any type of stuffed pepper is immediately on my list to make. I love poblanos and the filling sounds delicious so hearty! I love using cauliflower in the sauce as well- yum!
Emmeline says
OK I love everything about this recipe?!?! Stuffed peppers!! Cilantro!! Lime!! Cauliflower!! Just give it all to me.
Bee says
Wow, this look fantastic! I haven’t seen stuffed peppers made with poblanos before, but now I see that this is a must! All those fillings sound perfect, too! Pinned 🙂
Danielle Wolter says
i am a huge huge fan of poblano peppers. i put them in everything i can and also love to sue them in sauces. this is such a great recipe! I make ones that are stuffed with rice and beans - poblano peppers are just the best!
Emily Leary says
Stuffed poblano peppers and cauliflower rice - what's not to love? I love spicy dishes and this looks and sounds so delicious.A perfect meal for these chilly autumn evenings!.
Jagruti Dhanecha says
Stuffed peppers? I am sold. Love everything about this dish..what a delicious and tasty dish for the chilly nights.
Donna says
Oh wow this sounds all kinds of amazing, those poblanos are just cooked to perfection! Yum
Holly says
I love that you grew these poblano peppers yourself! This sounds like a really delicious meal!
Sues says
This looks like a dream dinner to me!! Definitely adding it to my weekly meal plan for soon! 🙂
Veronika's Kitchen says
Wow! This recipe looks so delicious! Never tried it before but definitely pinning it for later!)
Vanessa Vickery says
What a beautiful looking recipe! Sounds amazing!
Jyothi (Jo) says
Poblano peppers are my fav type of peppers and serving stuffed peppers with rice is best meal ever, I love my rice everyday. But cauliflower rice is better for my waistline. The stuffing is so hearty and comforting. Absolutely delicious!
Kiki Johnson says
Stuffed peppers and rice is such a classic comfort food comfort and I grew up with my granny's version! Delicious - but I these days I would definitely opt for your healthy twist with cauliflower rice on the side. Delish!
Veena Azmanov says
These peppers sound so delicious with all that ground meat filling. Such awesome flavors in the recipe, I can imagine it was gone in an instant. Sounds yum.
Aleta says
I'm always looking for more low carb recipes and wow, this one looks amazing! I love cauliflower rice too so this recipe is right up my alley!
Analida Braeger says
Stuffed peppers are always exploding with flavor and add an amazing contrast to whatever I bake in them. Your take on them looks amazing. Especially with the addition of tangy lime. Thanks for sharing.