Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers with Cauliflower Rice

Name: Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers with Cauliflower Rice
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 cups riced cauliflower; 1 teaspoon olive oil; 6-8 bell peppers, any color you like; 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed; 2 medium sized tomatoes, diced; 1 1/4 cup grated cheese, divided; 1/4 cup diced onion; 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, or salsa; 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro; 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Created On: July 14, 2019 | Updated: March 17, 2025 | 44 Comments

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These low-carb Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers with Cauliflower Rice are a great alternative to regular rice. They’re flavorful and delicious, and no one will ever know!

I posted about how to make Cauliflower Rice last week, and we’re going to use it this week! Although they’re baked in the oven, these Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers are perfect for summer because they’re packed with fresh flavors, and you can really throw anything into them!

I wasn’t kidding when I said that now that we’ve started eating cauliflower rice around here, I can’t remember the last time I ate regular rice. I enjoy rice, but it can be heavy and filling, so I love that cauliflower rice adds the same texture but is much lighter.

Why Your Body Will Love Riced Cauliflower

Cauliflower also has several health benefits, including sulforaphane, a great compound for the skin. It helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles, promotes collagen production, and may help protect the skin against harmful UV radiation. Sulforaphane is also known to help lower cholesterol levels, keeping arteries clear of fatty buildup. This contributes to lower blood pressure and lowers the risk of heart disease.

Stuffed Peppers Recipe Ingredients

Cauliflower – This recipe uses cauliflower as the “rice.” You can follow my cauliflower rice recipe here, or buy frozen, riced cauliflower at the grocery store.
Bell pepper – You can choose the best pepper color you love or some of each for some variety.
Black beans – I used canned beans, which I drained and rinsed.
Tomatoes – For this recipe, I used medium-sized tomatoes and diced them.
Cheese – I used grated cheese (cheddar, pepper Jack, Monterey Jack are some good options).
Onion – Like the tomatoes, I diced up the onion.
Enchilada sauce – You can use your favorite enchilada sauce or salsa.
Spices – This recipe incorporates cumin, paprika, garlic and onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
Chopped cilantro
Olive oil

Tips For These Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Stuffed peppers are really easy to make! Mix a tasty filling, stuff it into hollowed-out peppers, and bake them in the oven until heated. I have a few tips on making the best vegetarian stuffed peppers.

Picking the right bell peppers: You can use any color bell peppers you like. Green peppers are slightly more bitter, and red, yellow, and orange are more sweet. I chose the sweeter ones for this recipe because they would be good for summer flavors.
Do you need to cook the peppers first? This is really up to you. I’ve made stuffed peppers both ways, and I think I prefer it when I blanch them for 30 seconds to 1 minute before stuffing them. If you boil them in hot water (blanch) first, they will be a little more tender and not so crunchy when you eat them. These are vegetarian stuffed peppers, so you don’t need to bake them for a really long time because all the ingredients are already cooked, so they might be a little tough if you don’t boil them first. It’s totally up to you, though!
Can I leave out the cheese? Yes! I don’t use a ton of cheese in my recipes, but I added to this recipe because I thought it would be a nice binder for the filling since we’re using cauliflower instead of regular rice. If you like, you can leave it out altogether or substitute a vegan cheese.

How To Make These Stuffed Bell Peppers with Cauliflower Rice

One thing I really love about vegetarian stuffed peppers is that the serving dish is edible! If you don’t like bell peppers, you can stuff the filling into a tomato or zucchini. The cooking time might change slightly, but probably not by much. And, if you don’t feel like stuffing anything, you can eat it in a bowl with a few chips on the side! The stuffing is so good and can be used for many different things 🙂

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the top off of each pepper and scoop out all the seeds and white membrane. If you prefer a softer pepper, boil a large pot of water and place peppers in for about 1 minute. Remove from water and place in a baking dish.
Heat a large skillet, add olive oil, and rice the cauliflower. Sautee until the cauliflower is tender, about 7 minutes.
Add the cauliflower rice and all the remaining ingredients (except for 1/4 cup cheese) to a large bowl and mix until combined. Pack each pepper with the filling; the amount of filling will depend on the size of your pepper. Top with a little sprinkle of cheese. Pour about 1/3 cup of water into the bottom of the baking dish and bake the peppers until the mixture is heated through and the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers For Meal Prep

These stuffed peppers are great for meal prep. My husband took the leftovers for lunch every week and enjoyed them. I recommend storing them in an airtight container and reheating them before eating. I don’t recommend keeping them for longer than four days.

These stuffed peppers are great because you can make the filling beforehand, then stuff and bake the peppers when you’re ready to eat. These days, I love any meal that has a component that can be made ahead of time. These are also kid-friendly! My kid wouldn’t eat the actual bell pepper, but he did really enjoy the filling, and I’ll take what I can get 🙂

Have a question about this recipe? Ask me in the comments, and I’ll get back to you ASAP.

Looking For More Recipes Incorporating Cauliflower Rice?

How To Make Cauliflower Rice

30 Minute Red Beans and Cauliflower Rice

Easy Stove Top Enchiladas with Cauliflower Rice

Enchilada Meal Prep Bowls with Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Rice {Freezer Friendly}