Jump to Recipe

Vegetarian stuffed peppers with taco quinoa, black beans, and pecans made easy in the Instant Pot. This post was sponsored by the , but all opinions are my own.

A white platter topped with multi-color vegetarian vegan stuffed bell peppers with quinoa, black beans, and pecans. Peppers are topped with avocado, jalapeno, cilantro, and watermelon radish.

Have you heard about nut “meat” tacos? Well, these taco stuffed peppers are a fun new take on them. These veggie stuffed peppers are filled with taco spiced quinoa, black beans, pecan pieces, tomatoes and corn. Topped with avocado, salsa, or guacamole, a sprig of fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice, stuffed peppers are a flavorful and filling weeknight dinner, great to incorporate in weekly meal plans. We made these stuffed peppers even easier by cooking them in the Instant Pot. Let’s see how it’s done!

Instant Pot Quinoa

Step 1 in making vegetarian stuffed bell peppers is to cook the quinoa. The Instant Pot makes this very easy. If you’d prefer to make it on the stovetop follow the directions in this post all about cooking perfect quinoa. Cook the quinoa in the Instant Pot liner itself, or in a dish on the trivet, with one cup of water in the liner.  

A pot of cooked quinoa in an Instant Pot pressure cooker.

Remove the quinoa, give it a fluff with a fork, and add one cup to a larger bowl. 

Vegetarian Stuffed Pepper Ingredients 

Quinoa, black beans, corn, pecans, taco seasoning, and tomatoes in a glass bowl on a marble countertop. This is the filling ingredients for vegan stuffed bell peppers.

The ingredients for this recipe are simple, and you might just have all of them in your pantry already. 

  • Raw pecan pieces for meaty texture 
  • Corn kernels for sweetness (fresh, frozen, or canned all work) 
  • Black beans 
  • Fire roasted tomatoes. You can also substitute salsa or enchilada sauce. 
  • Taco seasoning. Use one tablespoon for kid-friendly, and 2 for spicier. 
  • Fresh chopped yellow onion 
  • Chopped cilantro for freshness 

Nuts as a Meat Substitute 

A bag of chopped American Pecans on a white marble countertop.

Though you might think of pecans as a dessert nut, they actually work beautifully in sweet and savory dishes. Fresh pecans are a source of plant-based protein, good fats, and fiber, which helps you stay fuller for longer*. They also have flavonoids and essential minerals, including copper, manganese and zinc. Their versatility makes them the perfect addition to your weekly grocery list – a bag of pecans can provide crunchy flavor and nutrition to any of your go-to meals.

Pecan pieces are a great substitute for ground meat. I love the hearty texture they add to tacos and these stuffed peppers. 

The filling for vegetarian quinoa stuffed bell peppers in a bowl.

Mix all the ingredients together and your stuffing is ready for the peppers. 

How to Cook Stuffed Peppers in the Instant Pot 

Colorful stuffed bell peppers in an Instant Pot pressure cooker before being cooked.

The Instant Pot pressure cooker makes tender stuffed peppers quick and easy, but if you don’t have an Instant Pot you can make them in the oven. Cut the tops off the bell peppers and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Fill them up with the taco mixture and really pack it in. Add a cup of water to the pot and fit with the trivet or steamer basket. Place the stuffed peppers on top and pressure cook. 

For an even more kid-friendly option, top the cooked peppers with cheese (I use dairy-free) and pop under the broiler for a few minutes to melt. 

How to Serve Stuffed Peppers

Beautiful and delicious vegetarian stuffed bell peppers with quinoa, corn, and black beans sit on a white platter. These healthy vegan quinoa stuffed peppers have a Southwest Mexican spin and are easy to make in the Instant Pot.

With their Mexican flair, these peppers are perfect with a crisp green side salad, homemade guacamole and salsa or salsa verde, and of course some tortilla chips for scooping it all up.

More Plant Based Instant Pot Recipes

The cover of a healthy vegan vegetarian Instant Pot pressure cooker cookbook.

If you’re looking for even more nourishing vegetarian or vegan Instant Pot recipes, check out my post here, or grab my new cookbook, Vegan in an Instant! The book is available January 7, 2020 wherever books are sold, including Target, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, and Amazon. 

Yield: 4

Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Nutritious stuffed bell peppers with a Mexican spin! Colorful peppers are stuffed with quinoa, black bean, corn, and pecan "taco" filling and cooked in the Instant Pot or oven. This recipe is vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free.

Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1 1/2 cups (1 15 oz. can) cooked black beans
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
  • 1 cup fresh pecan pieces
  • 1-2 tablespoons taco seasoning
  • 2 cups fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
  • 4 multicolor bell peppers
  • 1 ripe avocado, diced (for garnish)
  • 1 lime, sliced (for garnish)
  • 2 radishes, sliced (for garnish, optional)

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, stir together the quinoa, beans, corn, pecan pieces, taco seasoning, tomatoes, onion, and cilantro.
  2. Cut the tops off the peppers and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and veins. Fill the hollowed peppers with the filling.
  3. Pour 1 cup of water into the Instant Pot liner. Fit with the trivet or large steamer basket. Place the peppers onto the trivet. Lock the lid, with valve sealing. Select manual/pressure cook (high) and set for 5 minutes.
  4. When the cook time is finishes, naturally release the pressure for 5 minutes before manually releasing any remaining pressure. Carefully remove the lid and ensure the peppers are fork-tender.
  5. Remove the peppers and enjoy warm topped with avocado, lime, radish slices, and fresh cilantro.

Notes

  • To bake these vegetarian stuffed peppers in the oven, place into a casserole dish, cover with foil, and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until peppers are tender.
  • For a more kid-friendly option, top peppers with shredded cheddar cheese and melt under the broiler.
  • These peppers are also delicious served with guacamole instead of avocado.
  • Serve with tortilla chips and a green salad.

*One serving (28g) of pecans contains 18g unsaturated fat and only 2g of saturated fat.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 pepper
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 544Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 0mgCarbohydrates: 67gFiber: 21gSugar: 12gProtein: 18g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Nutritionix. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your favorite calculator.

© Marina Delio
Cuisine: Mexican / Category: dinner