Stuffed Peppers Without Rice: A Lower-Carb Favorite
Sneak Preview: These Southwestern-inspired stuffed peppers ditch the rice in favor of cauliflower rice (or quinoa) for a lower-carb, flavorful twist. Roasted bell peppers cradle a hearty, meaty filling with bold spices that’ll have everyone asking for the recipe.
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Are you trying to avoid the “whites” (rice, potatoes, and bread)? If so, you need this Southwestern Stuffed Pepper recipe without rice. That’s right! No rice. Instead, riced cauliflower stands in for the rice. Cauliflower haters won’t even notice. All the other flavors and colors are sure to distract them.
Why This is One to Share
- Colorful & Nutrient-Packed: My son once heard from his third grade teacher, “Eat more colors”—this recipe delivers.
- Flexible & Freezer-Friendly: Swap ingredients to suit your taste and freeze leftovers for later.
- Southwestern Kick: Cumin, chili powder, beans, and Jack cheese bring bold flavor.
Are These Peppers Lower-Carb?
Not strictly low-carb, but definitely lower-carb than traditional stuffed peppers with rice. While veggie-heavy, black beans, corn, and tomato sauce add some carbs. Each serving has about 257 calories, 17g carbs, 15g protein, and 5g fiber—a solid balance for a satisfying meal.
Shared & Loved
“Once again, your step by step instructions were flawless and very helpful. I used quinoa instead of cauli-rice because we like the texture better. But otherwise followed the instructions and ingredients exactly. And of course, had to reduce the ingredients because it’s only the two of us right now. This is the best stuffed pepper recipe I’ve found. Thank you so much.”–STEPHAN
Choosing Your Bell Peppers
- Green – More pungent, slightly bitter.
- Red, Yellow & Orange – Sweeter and milder.
Use any color you like!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Make it your own! Here’s how:
- MEAT: Use all beef, swap for turkey sausage, or go vegetarian.
- CAULIFLOWER RICE: Sub with quinoa (cook it first).
- BEANS: Pinto beans work too.
- CHEESE: Monterey Jack, Cheddar, or even Mozzarella.
- CILANTRO HATERS? Try fresh parsley instead.
How to Freeze & Reheat Stuffed Peppers
For the family: Freeze in a casserole dish (no cheese yet). Thaw, bake covered at 350°F for 20-30 minutes, adding cheese in the last 5 minutes.
For single servings: Wrap each pepper individually before freezing. Microwave from frozen for 4-6 minutes.
Leftovers? Make Burritos!
Chop up leftover filling, warm it, and wrap in a flour or corn tortilla with extra cheese for a quick burrito.
How To Roast Bell Peppers
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Halve peppers vertically (through the stem), remove seeds, and place cut-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Spray with oil and roast for 15-20 minutes until softened with light charring.
How to Make the Filling
- Sauté 1 lb ground beef and ½ lb sausage. Drain excess grease.
- Add chopped onion, garlic, zucchini, corn, and black beans.
- Mix in cooked cauliflower rice, tomato sauce, cumin, and chili powder.
- Simmer for 8-10 minutes until flavors meld and veggies soften.
Stuff & Bake the Peppers
- Fill each roasted pepper half with the warm filling.
- Sprinkle with ¾ cup shredded cheese.
- Bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes until heated through and cheese melts.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro (or parsley) before serving.
Stuffed Peppers Without Rice: A Lower-Carb Favorite
Video
Ingredients
- 6-7 large bell peppers halved (vertically, through the stem) with guts removed
- 1 pound (454 g) ground beef
- ½ pound (226 g) breakfast sausage regular or hot
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 (70 g) small onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (196 g) medium zucchini,finely diced
- 1¼ cup (205 g) frozen or fresh corn kernels
- 1 15.5 oz can (425 g) black beans, drained and well-rinsed
- 10 oz. (283 g) bag of frozen riced cauliflower cooked according to package directions (or 1 cup cooked quinoa)
- 16 ounces (453 g) tomato sauce
- 1½ teaspoon cumin
- 1½ teaspoon chili powder or smoked chipotle chili powder
- ¾ cup (176 g) Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese, shredded
- chopped cilantro garnish
Instructions
How to Roast Bell Peppers
- Heat oven to 450˚F (230˚C).
- Line a large jelly-roll pan with foil.
- Halve 6-7 large bell peppers vertically, remove seeds, and place cut-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Spray with oil and roast for 15-20 minutes until softened with light charring.
- When the peppers finish cooking, they should be tender with a few random dark spots. Turn them right side up and arrange in 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Turn oven back to 350˚F.
How to Make the Filling
- Sauté 1 pound (454 g) ground beef and ½ pound (226 g) breakfast sausage in a large skillet. Season with 1 teaspoon table salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper while cooking. Drain excess grease.
- Add 1 (70 g) small onion, chopped and 3 cloves garlic, minced. Sauté for 3 minutes until soft. Add remaining ingredients: 1 (196 g) medium zucchini,finely diced , 1¼ cup (205 g) frozen or fresh corn kernels, 1 15.5 oz can (425 g) black beans, drained and well-rinsed, 10 oz. (283 g) bag of frozen riced cauliflower, 16 ounces (453 g) tomato sauce, 1½ teaspoon cumin, and 1½ teaspoon chili powder or smoked chipotle chili powder except cheese and cilantro.
- Simmer for 8-10 minutes until flavors meld and veggies soften.
Stuff & Bake the Peppers
- Fill each roasted pepper half with the warm filling.
- Sprinkle with ¾ cup shredded cheese.
- Bake at 350˚F for 10-15 minutes until heated through and cheese melts.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com
FAQs
- What can I use instead of cauliflower rice?
- Quinoa or finely chopped cooked mushrooms.
- How do I soften bell peppers before stuffing?
- Roasting in the oven is easiest—no boiling needed!
- How many carbs are in stuffed peppers without rice?
- Approximately 17g per serving.
Final Thoughts
These stuffed peppers are proof that a small tweak—like swapping out rice—can make a classic recipe even better. Enjoy the bold flavors, freeze extras, and don’t forget to share this dish with friends. They’ll definitely want the recipe!
Need help troubleshooting? Email me: Paula at saladinajar.com—photos welcome!
Paula Rhodes, owner
As a retired home economist, I created Saladinajar.com to share my belief that you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Bread machines (used in an unconventional way), homemade yogurt, and quick microwave recipes are my specialty.