Fire up your taste buds with these easy gluten-free stuffed bell peppers! A tasty side dish or mean course for Meatless Monday these peppers are stuffed with a spicy quinoa zucchini mixture that's a great way to add some flavor to the table.
As a Certified Nutrition Coach, I appreciate that this spicy quinoa mixture can be meal prepped in advance making the peppers simple to whip up.
These gluten-free stuffed peppers are a delicious side dish loaded with plant-based protein- as are these air fryer stuffed peppers!
They make a fiery addition to any main course and can even be used for a tasty, comforting lunch too.
Ingredients And Substitutions
Though traditional stuffed peppers are a mix of cooked rice and ground beef (or ground turkey), these gluten-free ones have a bit of a twist.
Cooked quinoa: having quinoa cooked in the fridge is a sure-fire way to make meal prep easier and is actually one of my favorite tips for gluten-free meal prep. Save yourself the time and have it ready.
Bell peppers: any color will work but try to get peppers that are larger, this way you can fill them right up.
Veggies: mixed into the gluten-free stuffed peppers are mushrooms, zucchini, and asparagus. However, any of your favorite vegetables will work here. Chop them all finely so that they cook evenly and don't take up too much room.
Garlic: the perfect addition whenever you sautee something.
Olive oil: used to sautee the seasonings and you don't use much. Any neutral flavored oil will work.
Red pepper flakes: responsible for the spicy kick on these stuffed peppers! Adjust this to your personal preference.
But What About The Protein?
Quinoa is one of the few plant-based foods that contain all essential amino acids. Meaning, you don't need to add anything to the stuffed peppers if you don't want to.
That said, if you feel the need to step up your protein, you can easily serve the peppers on the side of something larger, make something like salmon stuffed peppers, or mix in any of the following:
- Leftover Dutch oven chicken
- Leftover spiced ground beef
- Dairy-free scrambled eggs
- Chopped Italian sausage
How To Make Them
Step 1: Saute the garlic and red pepper flakes in oil until crackling.
Step 2: Mix in the veggies and cook until soft before adding in the cooked quinoa.
Step 3:Prepare your peppers by removing the seeds and stem and placing them in a baking dish.
Step 4: Stuff the peppers and bake in the oven.
Expert Tips
Serve the bell peppers either as whole peppers stuffed standing up (in which case flatten the bottom as much as possible, or sliced in half and stuffed on their sides (thus doubling the servings).
Top the gluten-free stuffed peppers with sliced green onions, kimchi, avocado, or salsa for additional flavor.
To make the stuffed peppers paleo or whole30 approved, use cauliflower rice in place of quinoa. Of course, you can also make bell peppers stuffed with rice also.
How To Meal Prep Stuffed Peppers
If you're a meal prepper, first learn more about how to make meal prepping easier.
Next, know that there are two ways you can go about this:
- Fully make the gluten-free peppers and store in air-tight containers in the fridge. They tend to last 3-4 days in the fridge and still taste great when reheated in the microwave or oven.
- Whip up the quinoa mixture so it's ready in the fridge. Then, when you need to assemble the vegan stuffed peppers all you have to do is cut and stuff the peppers and bake. Thus, this makes for a crazy simple weeknight dinner!
Regardless, this stuffed pepper recipe is a great way to use up the peppers in your garden! And if you need help growing your own, learn about germinating pepper seeds to get them started!
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Other Gluten-Free Side Dishes
- Gluten-free quinoa salad
- Citrus spinach salad
- Roasted root vegetables
- Candied Brussels sprouts
- Zucchini carrot salad
Spicy Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups quinoa cooked
- 3 bell peppers large
- 3 button mushrooms chopped
- 1 zucchini quartered
- 7 stalks asparagus diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a pan with tinfoil.
- In a large pan, heat the olive oil slightly over medium heat.
- Once oil is heated, add the garlic and pepper flakes
- Let the mixture begin to sizzle (about two minutes) then add the vegetables.
- Cover with a lid and let cook for four to five minutes.
- Add in the quinoa and mix well making sure everything is coated.
- Cover with a lid and cook for two more minutes or until vegetables are almost tender. If using any additional protein, add it in here.
- Remove lid and cook an additional three minutes for everything to thicken up.
- Prep the peppers by cutting them in half, removing the seeds, and any extra skin.
- Carefully divide the vegetable mixture into the peppers and place on the baking tray.
- Bake for 25 minutes and let cool slightly before eating. Top with any additional fixings.
Notes
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Anna
These look incredible! I love stuffed peppers.... And love spicy food even more! Can't wait to try these!
fitasamamabear
Stuffed peppers are such a win- they're so tasty and look fancy 😀