Tacolada Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Elizabeth "Zab" Purdy
- Jun 3
- 5 min read
Some recipes happen because I planned them carefully, had all the ingredients ready, and felt like a calm, organized woman with a meal plan. This is not one of those recipes.
Tacolada stuffed bell peppers are basically what happens when tacos, enchiladas, stuffed peppers, and “what do I already have in the kitchen?” all end up in the same room together. They are easy, filling, and very much a weeknight dinner situation. They are also toddler friendly, if that matters in your home like it does in mine!
Nothing fancy. Nothing dramatic. Just peppers, meat, rice, sauce, cheese, and enough taco seasoning to make it feel like you tried harder than you did.
That is exactly the kind of recipe I like to keep around.
This one is especially nice because it feels like a full meal without needing a million side dishes. You have the bell peppers, the seasoned meat, the rice, the chiles, the sauce, and the cheese all baked together until everything is warm and slightly browned on top. It gives casserole energy, but in a little pepper bowl, which makes it feel more intentional than just dumping everything into a pan and hoping for the best.
Although honestly, I support that too, depending on the day hahaha.
What Are Tacolada Stuffed Bell Peppers?
Tacolada stuffed bell peppers are stuffed peppers with taco and enchilada flavors. Instead of a traditional stuffed pepper filling, these use taco-seasoned meat, Spanish rice, diced chiles, red enchilada sauce, and shredded cheese.
The name is exactly what it sounds like: taco plus enchilada plus stuffed bell pepper.
Tacolada.
We’re not overthinking it.
The filling is saucy, cheesy, and flavorful, and the peppers bake just long enough to soften a little while still holding their shape. I like cutting the peppers in half instead of stuffing them whole because they cook faster, they are easier to fill, and they make better portions.
Why I Like This Recipe
I like recipes that give me options, and this one does.
You can use ground beef, ground turkey or ground chicken. You can use a microwave bag of Spanish rice because this is real life and I am not always cooking rice from scratch on a random Tuesday or if you wanna go for the homemade rice, you can do that too! This is usually a quick meal for me, so I skip the homemade rice typically.
You can adjust the spice level with the taco seasoning, enchilada sauce, or chiles to your liking because, I mean you're the one eating it LOL. I do what I like, you do what you like! That's the beauty of life and why I love being an unhinged homemaker. I don't have to stick to the same measurements if I don't want too!
It is also a good recipe for using up things that tend to sit around in the pantry. A can of diced chiles. A can of enchilada sauce. A bag of rice. Half a bag of shredded cheese. For me, these are things I ALWAYS have on hand!
This is the kind of dinner that makes sense when you want something homemade-ish but not exhausting.
Ingredients
For this recipe, you will need:
4 bell peppers
1 pound ground meat, such as beef or chicken
Taco seasoning
Broth, beef or chicken depending on your meat
1 can diced chiles
1 can red enchilada sauce
1 bag spicy Spanish rice, such as rice-a-roni or Pasta Sides
Shredded cheese
You can adjust the ingredients based on what your family likes. If you want it a little less spicy, use mild enchilada sauce or regular Spanish rice or even skip the chiles. If you want more heat, use hot taco seasoning, pepper jack cheese, or extra chiles.
Prep Time and Cook Time
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4 people
The cook time may vary a little depending on your oven, how soft you like your peppers, and how much cheese you put on top. I bake mine until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.
How to Make Tacolada Stuffed Bell Peppers
Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees.
While the oven is heating, cut the tops off the bell peppers and set them aside. Remove the seeds from the peppers. (If you prefer, you can cut each pepper in half.)
Do not throw away the pepper tops! Dice them up and add them to a mixing bowl. This gives the filling a little extra pepper flavor and keeps you from wasting them, which I appreciate because groceries are not cheap these days.
Add the diced chiles to the mixing bowl with the diced peppers.
Next, prepare the bag of Spanish rice in the microwave according to the package directions. (This is one of the reasons this recipe is easy. The rice is already seasoned, and it saves time.)
While the rice is cooking, brown the ground meat in a skillet.
Once the meat is browned, add water, broth, and taco seasoning. Let it cook on medium heat for about 8 minutes, or until it reaches a thicker, saucy consistency. You want the meat seasoned and moist, but not watery.
Once the meat is ready, add it to the bowl with the diced peppers and chiles.
Add shredded cheese to the bowl
Then, pour in about 1/4 can of red enchilada sauce and mix everything together. The filling should be saucy enough to hold together but not so wet that it floods the peppers.
Now it is time to fill the peppers.
Add one scoop of rice to each pepper. Then add one scoop of the meat mixture on top of the rice. (do this until you think your pepper is full enough, keeping in mine the quantity still needing to be filled.) Finish each pepper with shredded cheese on top.
Place the stuffed peppers in a baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.
Let them cool for a few minutes before serving because the inside will be hot.
From my own recipe book
Notes and Swaps
You can use beef, chicken, turkey, or even venison if that is what you have. The seasoning and sauce do most of the work here, so this recipe is pretty forgiving. When it comes to ground meat, venison is what we typically use, actually.
If you want to make it a little lighter, use ground chicken or turkey and go easy on the cheese. If you want it heartier, use ground beef and add extra rice or beans to the filling.
Black beans or corn would also work well in this. I did not write them into my original version, but they would make sense if you wanted to stretch the filling or add more texture.
You can also switch up the cheese. Cheddar, Mexican blend, Monterey Jack, or pepper jack would all work.
For the rice, I use a spicy Spanish rice because it adds flavor without needing extra work. If your family does not like spice, regular Spanish rice or even plain rice would be fine. You may just want to add a little extra taco seasoning or sauce so the filling does not taste flat.
What to Serve With It
These stuffed peppers are filling enough to stand on their own, but you could serve them with a simple side salad, chips and salsa, guacamole, sour cream, or extra rice.
If you want to keep it easy, just add a spoonful of sour cream or Greek yogurt on top and call it dinner.
Final Thoughts
Tacolada stuffed bell peppers are one of those recipes that feels a little chaotic in the best way. It is not traditional stuffed peppers, not quite tacos, not fully enchiladas, but somehow it works.
It is easy, flexible, and very homemade-ish. The kind of dinner that lets you use pantry staples, make a real meal, and still not feel like you spent your entire evening in the kitchen.
Good food. Realistic effort. Minimal emotional damage.
That’s dinner!
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