Chorizo and Rice Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Hello and welcome to Djalali Cooks. Today’s recipe is my take on a Mexican-inspired stuffed pepper. Though Mexico has its Chile Relleno, this version is not battered and fried. The stuffing is done like fried rice, so we will crisp up some rice, with red bell pepper, corn and chorizo. Then top the stuffed poblano peppers with cheese and briefly bake to melt the cheese. This is a really easy recipe that is pretty quick too. Let’s get right to it!

Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers have been around for a very, very long time. Most cuisines have their own versions; much like the world-wide versions of chicken and rice dishes. The fillings vary depending on the cuisine. Many cuisines feature rice, meat and cheese. But some cuisines have very different fillings. In India, Bharawn Shimla Mirch features bell pepper stuffed with spiced mashed potatoes. Denmark has Fyldte Peberfrugter, which is bell pepper stuffed with bulgur, mushrooms and kale. In the Philippines, Pandak na tao Pinalamanan Peppers are bell peppers stuffed with shrimp, pork and water chestnuts. In America, the first recipe for stuffed bell peppers appears in The Boston Cooking School Cook Book from 1896.

First of all, if you don’t have leftover rice to use, you can use fresh rice, but we want it to be a little dried out and cool. So make rice earlier in the day or an hour or so ahead and spread it out on a sheet tray and put it in the fridge. When you’re ready to get the meal going, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Now we can prep the poblanos.

Prep the Poblanos

We want to char the skin on the poblanos and then let them steam so we can easily remove the outer skin. You can do this a couple ways. I am going to char them directly over a medium-low flame, on my stovetop burner. If this is too adventurous for you, or if you have an electric stovetop, set your oven to broil and adjust the rack to the upper middle position. Arrange the peppers on a sheet tray and place in the oven and broil the peppers until charred on all sides.

With both methods, you have to watch and turn the peppers to get an even charring.

If you char the peppers in the oven, once the peppers come out, be sure to reduce the temperature to 400 degrees F and position the oven rack to the middle position.

When the peppers are well charred on all sides, place them in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to let them steam. Set the covered bowl of peppers aside. Now, let’s move on to the filling.

Pepper Stuffing

First, we will cook the chorizo. I have 8 ounces of Mexican chorizo. Sauté the chorizo over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. The sausage is cooked when the pieces are darker in color and firm. Transfer the chorizo to a separate bowl, leaving any collected fat in the pan.

Over medium-high heat, in that same pan with the chorizo fat, drizzle in about 1-2 tablespoons of grapeseed or vegetable oil. Then add 1.5-2 cups of cooked and cooled Rice. Stir the rice and break up any clumps. Let the rice cook – it will stick to the bottom, but once the grains are crispy, they will release as you scrape the bottom with a sturdy silicone spatula. Keep scraping and letting the rice cook until nearly all of it is looking crispy.

Then add the diced red pepper and the frozen corn. Continue scraping the rice up from the bottom occasionally and let the bell pepper and corn cook until they’ve just softened. About 4 minutes.

Then add the cooked Chorizo back to the skillet and stir well to fully combine the mixture.

Cut the heat and turn your attention to the steamed peppers.

Back to the Peppers…

You do have to be gentle with the peppers in this stage. We don’t want to accidentally pierce the flesh or rip them. So I just use what little finger nails I have to gently scratch the charred skin off. It comes off really easily after the steaming, which is key.

Once you have all (or nearly all) of the charred skin off, use a sharp knife to slice a slit in the flesh, from stem to bottom. Be sure to not cut all the way through the pepper to the other side. You will see the seeds up near the stem, just use your fingers to pinch off the clump of seeds. Then I like to rinse the peppers off under running water just to get all the loose seeds out and rinse off any stray char.

Stuffing the Peppers

Once you have all the peppers scraped and seeded. Place them on a sheet tray to fill them with the stuffing.

Spoon the filling into the peppers. Be sure to scoot the filling up to top to completely fill the peppers so there is a little mound of filling exposed.

Top the filling with grated cheese. I am using pepper jack cheese, but you can use cheddar or regular Monterey Jack cheese too.

Place the filled peppers in the preheated 400 degree oven on the center rack. Let the peppers warm through and the cheese melt in the oven for about 7-10 minutes.

Chorizo and Rice Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Use a fish spatula to transfer a Chorizo and Rice Stuffed Poblano Pepper to a plate. You can top with your favorite Mexican toppings. I have pickled red onions, cotija cheese and cilantro. Some other topping ideas: sour cream or crema, hot sauce, salsa, diced avocado and pickled jalapeño slices.

I do hope you give these super flavorful, light yet satisfying Chorizo and Rice Stuffed Poblano Peppers a try. It’s a great summertime take on stuffed peppers! Another fun “stuffed” recipe is my recipe for Stuffed Avocados. It’s a great brunch dish! Thanks for stopping by today, take care and be well! xo Kelly

Key Equipment

Print Recipe

Chorizo and Rice Stuffed Poblano Peppers

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading...

Dinner, Main Course – Mexican-inspired

By Kelly Djalali – Serves: Makes 4 Stuffed Peppers

Prep Time: 30 Minutes – Cooking Time: 10 Minutes – Total Time: ~40 Minutes

Chorizo, corn, red pepper and fried rice fill poblano peppers, topped with cheese and baked to perfection. Finished with cilantro, pickled onions and cotija.

Ingredients

• 4 Large or Medium-sized Poblano Peppers
• 8 oz. Mexican Chorizo
• 1.5-2 cups Cooked Rice, cooled or Day Old Rice
• 1-2 tbsp. Grapeseed or Vegetable Oil
• 1 cup Frozen Corn
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
• 1 cup Grated Pepper Jack Cheese
• Finishing Touches
• Pickled Red Onions
• Cotija Cheese, crumbled
• Cilantro

Instructions

Char the Peppers

1

Set your oven to broil and adjust the rack to the upper middle position. Arrange the peppers on a sheet tray and place in the oven and broil the peppers until charred on all sides. Watch and turn the peppers as they broil to get an even charring.

2

When the peppers are well charred on all sides, place them in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to let them steam. Set the covered bowl of peppers aside.

3

Once the peppers come out, reduce the temperature to 400 degrees F and position the oven rack to the middle position.

The Filling

4

Sauté the chorizo over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. The sausage is cooked when the pieces are darker in color and firm. Transfer the chorizo to a separate bowl, leaving any collected fat in the pan.

5

Over medium-high heat, in that same pan with the chorizo fat, drizzle in about 1-2 tablespoons of grapeseed or vegetable oil. Then add 1.5-2 cups of cooked and cooled Rice. Stir the rice and break up any clumps. Let the rice cook – it will stick to the bottom, but once the grains are crispy, they will release as you scrape the bottom with a sturdy silicone spatula. Keep scraping and letting the rice cook until nearly all of it is looking crispy.

6

Then add the diced red pepper and the frozen corn. Continue scraping the rice up from the bottom occasionally and let the bell pepper and corn cook until they've just softened. About 4 minutes.

7

Then add the cooked Chorizo back to the skillet and stir well to fully combine the mixture.

8

Cut the heat and turn your attention to the steamed peppers.

Prep the Peppers

9

Gently scratch and peel the charred skin off of the peppers. It comes off really easily after the steaming but be careful to not pierce or tear the flesh.

10

Once you have all (or nearly all) of the charred skin off, use a sharp knife to slice a slit in the flesh, from stem to bottom. Be sure to not cut all the way through the pepper through the other side. You will see the seeds up near the stem, just use your fingers to pinch off the clump of seeds. Then I like to rinse the peppers off under running water just to get all the loose seeds out and rinse off any stray char.

11

Once you have all the peppers scraped and seeded. Place them on a sheet tray to fill them with the stuffing.

Fill the Peppers and Bake

12

Spoon the filling into the peppers. Be sure to scoot the filling up to top to completely fill the peppers so there is a little mound of filling exposed.

13

Top the filling with grated cheese.

14

Place the filled peppers in the preheated 400 degree oven on the center rack. Let the peppers warm through and the cheese melt in the oven for about 7-10 minutes.

15

Use a fish spatula to transfer a Chorizo and Rice Stuffed Poblano Pepper to a plate. You can top with your favorite Mexican toppings. I have pickled red onions, cotija cheese and cilantro. Some other topping ideas: sour cream or crema, hot sauce, salsa, diced avocado and pickled jalapeño slices.

This post may contain affiliate links; when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission on qualifying items.