Chorizo Stuffed Poblano Peppers

4.60 from 5 votes

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Jump to Recipe

This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read My Disclosure

Chorizo Stuffed Poblano Peppers with brown rice are spicy, comforting and a great make-ahead meal for a festive late-fall family dinner or for casual entertaining. Serve with my Southwestern Salad on the side!

Photo of Chorizo and Brown Rice Stuffed Poblano Peppers in white baking dish garnished with limes and cilantro sprigs.

The inspiration behind this recipe:

So, I think I’ve mentioned six or seven times (but who’s counting) that we’ve had an abundance of Poblano peppers this year.  It’s been downright insane what we’ve harvested from four plants!

We’ve roasted, peeled and seeded huge amounts of Poblanos.  We have big plans to use them but for now, they wait quietly in our freezer.

Clearly, I’ve been on a Southwestern/Mexican kick lately but sometimes that’s just how things roll in my kitchen.  When the weather turns really cold, I crave hearty, spicy food.  So, I took the biggest and the best from our last Poblano harvest before the killing frost and made these Chorizo Brown Rice Stuffed Poblano Peppers.

So.  Glad.  I.  Did!  These were a delicious change from all the Thanksgiving leftovers awaiting us!

How to Make Chorizo Stuffed Poblano Peppers:

  • Start with some beautiful, large, fresh Poblano peppers.
Photo of freshly washed Poblano peppers.
  • Place them under the broiler set to HIGH.  Let them blister and brown on one side, then flip them over and blister and brown on the other side.  Don’t go too crazy; you want some texture left in the peppers.
  • Place a baking sheet over the peppers so they steam after being broiled.  The steaming process is going to make removing the skins oh-so-easy!
Photo of roasted Poblano peppers on baking sheet after being roasted.
  • Then brown some fresh chorizo sausage and onion.  Drain, but reserve those delicious drippings!
Photo of chorizo being browned and stirred with wooden spoon in skillet.
  • Cook the spices in the drippings then add the sauce ingredients.
Photo of sauce being made and stirred with wooden spoon in a skillet.
  • Combine the sausage with cooked brown rice, some sauce, some cheese and fill those peppers!
  • Place them on a layer of the sauce…
Photo of stuffed peppers in white baking dish before being sauced and baked.
  • Top with more sauce…
Photo of sauce being spooned over stuffed peppers.
  • Cheese!
Photo of cheese being sprinkled over sauced peppers.
  • Then cover slightly and bake the Chorizo Stuffed Poblano Peppers until bubbling.  The cheese creates a beautiful blanket over the stuffed peppers!
Photo of baked Chorizo and Brown Rice Stuffed Poblano Peppers fresh out of the oven.
  • Remove the cover and let the cheese brown slightly and oh my….
Photo of Chorizo and Brown Rice Stuffed Poblano Peppers with one poblano being scooped from baking dish with white spoon.
  • Serve these Chorizo Brown Rice Stuffed Poblano Peppers with some sour cream, lime wedges and cilantro sprigs for garnish for the perfect warming late-fall family dinner or easy make-ahead casual dinner for guests!
Photo of one serving of Chorizo and Brown Rice Stuffed Poblano Peppers on black plate garnished with lime wedge, cilantro and dollop of sour cream.

Love stuffed peppers?  Be sure to try my other stuffed pepper recipes!

4.60 from 5 votes

Chorizo Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Chorizo and Brown Rice Stuffed Poblano Peppers are spicy, comforting and a great make-ahead meal for a festive late-fall family dinner or for casual entertaining.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Ingredients 

  • 9 large Poblano peppers, or 14 small to medium
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 pound fresh chorizo sausage, casings removed if in casings
  • 7 cloves garlic, minced, divided
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder, hot or mild
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 can (28-ounce) tomato sauce, plus 1/2 cup water to rinse out the can
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar, or as needed (packed)
  • 1 cup cooked brown rice
  • 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
  • 1 large egg
  • oil or cooking spray for pan

Instructions 

  • Preheat broiler to high. Place peppers on a large rimmed baking sheet and place under the broiler (approximately 6 inches from the element). Roast the peppers until blackened and blistered, turning once after approximately 7-8 minutes. Roast another 4-5 minutes. (If not totally charred, don’t worry as you want some texture left.)
  • Immediately cover with another rimmed baking sheet, aluminum foil or place in a covered container and let cool.
  • Peel as much of the skin away as you can. Carefully cut each pepper on one side from tip to stem and remove the seeds. Set aside until needed.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Heat oil in a large skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, reduce heat to medium and cook the onion until beginning to soften, approximately 5 to 6 minutes.
  • Add the chorizo, breaking it up into small pieces and brown it until no longer raw. Add half the garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes. Transfer chorizo mixture to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Reserve fat in the pan and reduce heat to medium-low.
  • Combine remaining garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander and oregano in the pan. Stir over medium-low heat for approximately 30 seconds or until garlic is fragrant.
  • Add tomato sauce, water you rinsed the can out with and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook 3-4 minutes just to combine the flavors. Taste the sauce and add additional brown sugar if too acidic. Remove from heat.
  • Chop one of the Poblanos if they’re large or two if they’re smaller (whichever one/ones is/are the least pretty).
  • Combine the chopped Poblano, chorizo mixture, rice, 1/2 cup of the sauce, half of the cheese and the egg in a large bowl. Mix well.
  • Prepare a 13 x 9-inch baking dish by brushing it with oil or spraying with cooking spray.
  • Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce in the prepared baking dish.
  • Fill each pepper with equal amounts of the filling and place in the baking dish.
  • Pour the remaining sauce over the peppers and top with remaining cheese. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking another 10-12 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

Notes

SUBSTITUTIONS:
  • Can use green bell peppers in place of Poblanos.
MAKE AHEAD:
  • Can be prepared up to the point of baking two days ahead. Refrigerate.
  • Increase baking time if it is right out of the refrigerator or let it sit out 30 minutes to come to room temperature.
FREEZER-FRIENDLY:
  • Can be frozen baked or unbaked.
  • If unbaked, thaw in the refrigerator, then follow the baking directions.
  • Add additional baking time if it is cold from the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1large pepper or 2 medium peppersCalories: 379kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 19gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 665mgPotassium: 461mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1645IUVitamin C: 150mgCalcium: 376mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

iconLike this? Leave a comment below!

Carol

Carol is a personal chef with 22 years of experience cooking food people want to eat! Here, you'll find expert techniques, time-saving tips, and flavor-packed dishes you'll be proud to serve family and friends.

you May Also Like

4.60 from 5 votes (5 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




4 Comments

  1. Shelley says:

    Oh, Carol, I’m so jealous of your bountiful poblano harvest! What a wonderful problem to have, trying to use them all up! This stuffed peppers recipe is exactly the kind of comfort food my guys and I adore – hearty and a little kicky. Perfect for chilly evenings when you crave something that’s both cozy and yet also fun. I love this recipe idea, and I know they will, too! Thank you for the wonderful inspiration. (Oh – and I really enjoy your gorgeous photography, too!)

    1. Carol says:

      Hi, Shelley, What a nice thing to say! We love Poblanos for sure! Thanks again and hope you enjoy!

  2. Amanda says:

    These stuffed peppers were a huge hit! I love the spicy flavor the chorizo added and the sauce was delicious. Definitely putting this on the rotation!

    1. Carol says:

      Hi, Amanda and thanks so much!! Glad you enjoyed as much as we did! Chorizo rocks!