These Chorizo Sausage Stuffed Peppers are packed full of delicious Mexican flavors! With spicy chorizo, veggies, and cooked rice, it makes a perfectly balanced meal.
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These are easily some of the best-stuffed peppers I’ve ever eaten. I’m a huge fan of Mexican food and every ingredient here adds flavor and texture. There’s a little heat from the chorizo and the black beans and quinoa make it extra hearty and delicious. It’s both comforting AND filling.
If I am craving an easy meal with Mexican flavors, this is one of my go-to's. Your kids are also going to love these chorizo stuffed peppers! Pair them with your favorite side or tasty toppings and you have a brand new family favorite everyone will ask for by name.
If you are looking for more stuffed bell pepper recipes, try Awesome Stuffed Peppers or Lentil Short Rib Stuffed Peppers for your next family dinner.
Why You’ll Love This Sausage Stuffed Pepper Recipe
- Customizable: Swap or omit ingredients and make this Mexican-inspired sausage and peppers recipe your own.
- Kid-approved: Even the pickiest eaters love the flavor of these stuffed peppers.
- Bold flavors: Even with little seasonings, there are big bold flavors!
Ingredients
Here’s everything you need to make tasty stuffed peppers with sausage and rice. You will find more details on nutrition and measurements for this easy dinner recipe in the recipe card.
- Sweet Bell peppers: Any variety of bell peppers will work great for this recipe. Be sure they are nice and firm so they hold up well with the filling. I used red and yellow peppers but green peppers and orange are fine, too.
- Olive oil: The oil is used to brush the peppers before parbaking. Olive oil is my go-to but avocado oil is also wonderful.
- Mexican chorizo: This spicy variety of ground hot sausage offers a lot of flavor and a little heat. It pairs well with the other ingredients in this stuffed peppers with sausage recipe.
- Rice: You are going to need cooked rice to add to the stuffing. I recommend instant rice to save time. White rice or brown rice both work great.
- Quinoa: Cooked quinoa adds texture and is a great plant-based protein.
- Southwest corn: You can find canned southwest corn with canned veggies at your grocery store. It includes red and poblano peppers. Regular corn can be used as well.
- Tomatoes and chiles: I use fresh Roma tomatoes and a can of green chiles. To save a step, use a can of diced tomatoes and green chiles! It comes in varying flavors and heat levels.
- Mexican blend cheese: Any variety of shredded cheese will work perfectly. I love the Mexican blend but you can use Monterey Jack, pepper jack, or cheddar cheese, too.
- Black beans: For a heartier texture, I love to add black beans. Pinto beans are great, too.
- Spices: I simply use garlic powder and smoked paprika but you can use whatever you like. Great examples are cumin and regular paprika.
- Cilantro: As a fresh element, I highly recommend not skipping the chopped cilantro garnish.
- Sour cream: I make a flavored sour cream to add to the finished sausage stuffed peppers but you can also use Greek yogurt for a similar texture.
- Taco seasoning: This is all that is added to the sour cream! It’s simple but yummy.
See the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and the exact quantities of each ingredient.
Variations
- Italian sausage stuffed peppers: Use Italian sausage instead of chorizo to make your sausage stuffing. Add marinara or tomato sauce and use mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Garnish with fresh basil in place of cilantro!
- Swap the meat: You can also use ground beef in place of the sausage for a leaner and less spicy option.
- Chicken sausage stuffed peppers: Try this recipe with chicken sausage or turkey sausage for a leaner variation and less heat! Make the same recipe but without spicy chorizo.
- Vegetarian: Eliminate the chorizo and make without sausage or use a plant-based sausage as a substitute.
- Spicy: If you're looking for a bit more heat, add a few red pepper flakes, this jalapeno powder, smoked jalapeno powder, or chipotle powder to the meat mixture for a bit of heat. Y
How to Make Sausage Stuffed Peppers
Here are instructions on how to make this sausage stuffed peppers recipe.
Step 1: Prepare the oven and baking dish. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and grease a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray.
Step 2: Slice and oil peppers. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the membranes and seeds. Brush the insides with half of the olive oil and bake the pepper halves in the baking dish.
Step 3: Cook chorizo. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the remaining olive oil. Brown the chorizo and break it up using a wooden spoon.
PRO TIP: You can adjust the cooking time of the bell peppers. Cook for 10 minutes for crisp peppers and 20 minutes for soft peppers.
Step 4: Combine ingredients. Transfer the cooked chorizo to a large mixed bowl and add the remaining ingredients (only half of the shredded cheese). Stir until combined.
Step 5: Stuff the peppers. Divide the sausage mixture evenly amongst the bell peppers. Sprinkle cheese over the top.
Step 6: Bake. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Step 7: Serve. Garnish the stuffed peppers with chopped fresh cilantro and a dollop of flavored sour cream. Enjoy!
⭐️ Hint: When browning the chorizo, be sure it is cooked through. Also, feel free to drain any excess grease if needed.
If you love the flavors of this recipe you might also enjoy this Air Fryer Sausage and Peppers dish!
Storage
Store leftover stuffed peppers with sausage in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. To reheat, place in a 350-degree F oven for 15-20 minutes or until warmed.
Serving Suggestions
Here are some ideas of what to serve with stuffed peppers.
- A spicy side like Jalapeno Coleslaw would pair well with the flavors of these easy stuffed peppers.
- Use Homemade Tomato Salsa or Ultimate Guacamole as fresh and tasty toppings.
- You can’t go wrong with cheese dip! Drizzle Instant Pot Queso over your stuffed peppers with sausage and rice.
- For a heartier side dish option, I recommend Easy Cheesy Mexican Corn Casserole.
Tips
- Make it ahead. Sometimes, I like to have the stuffed peppers prepared before dinner to make things easier. Assemble them the day ahead, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap, and store them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before baking.
- Don’t overbake. Since you are technically baking the peppers twice, do not bake them too long so they don’t become mushy.
- Drain the veggies. Canned corn, green chiles, and even the black beans must be drained thoroughly so you don’t have a wet and soggy filling.
FAQ
Absolutely! Omit the rice if you prefer though you may need to replace it with more quinoa or beans. You can also eliminate the quinoa if you want and make stuffed peppers with sausage and rice.
Turn this recipe into stuffed mini peppers with sausage! It can be a fun twist to serve as an appetizer.
Yes! Store in a freezer-safe bag or container and they will last up to 3 months.
More Ground Sausage Recipes
Do you like cooking meals with ground sausage? Here are some recipes you may also like to try using sweet or hot Italian sausage as well as regular pork sausage.
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Chorizo Sausage Stuffed Peppers
Equipment
- baking pan
- Knife
- skillet
Ingredients
For the stuffed peppers
- 3 bell peppers I used red orange and yellow.
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 pound Mexican chorizo
- 1 cup cooked rice white or brown
- ½ cup cooked quinoa
- ½ cup southwest corn
- 1 10-ounce can green chilis chopped and drained
- 2 Roma tomatoes diced
- ½ tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 cups Mexican mix shredded cheese divided
- ½ cup black beans drained
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish optional
For the flavored sour cream
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 425°F and grease a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Prepare the peppers. Half the peppers lengthwise and remove the seeds and the fibrous insides. Place them in the baking dish, cut side up, and brush the insides with olive oil.
- Bake. Bake the peppers uncovered for 10 minutes if you like them a bit crisp or for 20 minutes if you want softer peppers.
- Brown the chorizo. While the bell peppers bake, make the filling. Heat the rest of the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook until nicely browned, breaking it apart as you go.
- Put it all together. In a large bowl, mix together the chorizo, rice, quinoa, corn, green chilis, tomatoes, 1 cup cheese, black beans, smoked paprika, garlic, and onion powder.
- Assemble. Spoon the filling into the peppers and top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake (again). Bake the stuffed pepper for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
- Make the flavored sour cream. While the peppers are baking, whisk together the sour cream and taco seasoning in a small bowl.
- Serve. Serve the peppers warm with the flavored sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro.
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Notes
- Make it ahead. Sometimes, I like to have the stuffed peppers prepared before dinner to make things easier. Assemble them the day ahead, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap, and store them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before baking.
- Don’t overbake. Since you are technically baking the peppers twice, do not bake them too long so they don’t become mushy.
- Drain the veggies. Canned corn, green chiles, and even the black beans must be drained thoroughly so you don’t have a wet and soggy filling.
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