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Transitioning into Fall with Stuffed Poblano Peppers

One of my favorite things in our summer garden this year was our small chili pepper crop. I was especially excited about our poblano plant this year because last year we had a grand total of one poblano grow and subsequently get eaten by a garden pest before the plant went completely dormant for the season. This year, I’ve enjoyed being able to walk right into my back yard to gather a variety of chili peppers for meals, using them to elevate the flavor and heat of everything from frittatas to quesadillas and tacos.

Now that it’s officially fall, I’m enjoying using poblanos as the star attraction in these seriously tasty Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice. Stuffed with plenty of beefy and cheesy goodness, this dish is the best of summer translated into a warm and comforting fall dish that will carry you into the cooler months.

How spicy are poblano peppers?

Overall, poblanos are generally considered to be a mild chili pepper, though their heat can vary substantially from pepper to pepper – even on the same plant. I’ve had poblanos that are super mild and others that I’ve been grateful to eat with a healthy dollop of sour cream to tone down the heat. Capsaicin, a naturally occurring compound found in the highest concentrations in the ribs and pith of the pepper (the white part), is responsible for a pepper’s heat. By removing the ribs and pith along with the seeds in these Stuffed Poblano Peppers, you can often lessen the heat of the pepper quite a bit.

Taming the heat with a little citric acid

If you’ve been following the blog since the beginning, you’ll know that even though my heat tolerance is not high, I am a big fan of chili peppers. In fact, the first recipe to grace this blog is for another stuffed pepper favorite: Jalapeno Poppers with Sausage and Cream Cheese. Alternatively, this recipe for Stuffed Poblano Peppers is chock full of ground beef in a well-seasoned tomato sauce base and loaded with green onions and cheddar cheese. To compliment the spice, I’ve paired them with a refreshing and citrusy Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice that helps tempter the heat a bit with natural citric acid. Additionally, I love to top these with a little lactose-free sour cream!

Overall, I would certainly consider this dish to be spicy, but I personally do not find it to be melt-your-face-off hot.

A note for special diets

These Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice are grain-free, gluten-free, low-carb and friendly for Keto diets with a net carb count of 6g per serving. For SIBO diets, I like to use a sharp cheddar cheese specifically because it is generally considered low-lactose (less than .5g/serving) and love to top these with a lactose-free sour cream. If lactose is not an issue for you, you can easily use a traditional sour cream instead.

clock clock icon cutlery cutlery icon flag flag icon folder folder icon instagram instagram icon pinterest pinterest icon print print icon squares squares icon Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 from 32 reviews Author: Whip & Wander

Whip & Wander Prep Time: 8 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 58 minutes

Yield: 8 portions 1 x

Category: Mains

Cuisine: Mexican Print Pin Scale 1x 2x 3x Ingredients For the Stuffed Poblano Peppers: 4 large poblano peppers

large poblano peppers 1 lb ground beef

lb ground beef 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

(8 oz) can tomato sauce 2/3 cup green onion, chopped

green onion, chopped 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

cilantro, chopped 1 tbsp garlic oil (may sub 2 minced garlic cloves)

garlic oil (may sub minced garlic cloves) 2 tsp ground cumin

ground cumin 2 tsp chili powder

chili powder 1 tsp paprika

paprika 1/2 tsp oregano

oregano 1/2 tsp sea salt

sea salt 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and divided

sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and divided Optional: Sour cream to top (I prefer this lactose-free option) For the Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice: 1 large head cauliflower ( 6 cups ), riced

large head cauliflower ( ), riced 1 cup cilantro, finely chopped

cilantro, finely chopped 1 lime, both zest and juice

lime, both zest and juice 1/2 tsp sea salt Instructions For the Stuffed Poblano Peppers: Prep your poblanos by halving them lengthwise, then removing the ribs, pith, and seeds (the white part). Place the poblanos in an oven safe baking dish, lined with baking paper, and reserve to the side. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 C). In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef until cooked through. Lower the heat slightly to just above medium. Add the tomato sauce, green onion, cilantro, garlic oil, cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano, and sea salt to the ground beef, stirring to combine. Cook the ground beef mixture, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes, then add 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheddar cheese and stir to combine. Remove from heat and portion equally into each poblano pepper half. Top with remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes. I usually pull them out when the edges of the pepper start to darken slightly and look a bit wrinkly. Serve on top of the Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice. For the Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice: In a large pan over medium-high heat, add the riced cauliflower, cilantro, lime zest and juice, and sea salt. Sautee for 2-3 minutes, just long enough to cook the cauliflower and give it a bit of heat, but not so long that it starts to mash. Nutrition Serving Size: 1 stuffed poblano pepper and 3/4 cup of cauliflower rice

Calories: 291

Sugar: 4 g

Sodium: 630 mg

Fat: 19 g

Saturated Fat: 9 g

Carbohydrates: 10 g

Fiber: 4 g

Protein: 21 g

Cholesterol: 70 mg