Beef and Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

I love cooking with bell peppers because they are extremely versatile and chock-full of essential nutrients. In fact, one serving of my stuffed bell peppers recipe contains way over 100 percent of your recommended daily value of vitamin C! That means that this recipe, while tasting delicious, is working to boost your immunity system, skin and eye health, and it’s helping you to fight disease caused by oxidative stress. That’s pretty incredible!

You’re going to love my stuffed bell peppers recipe because it’s completely gluten-free and high in protein. Plus, it contains a lot of antioxidants. Not only are you getting antioxidants from the bell peppers, but this recipe includes beneficial herbs and spices like cilantro, garlic, cumin, paprika and chili powder.

Health Benefits of Bell Peppers

Did you know that bell peppers are packed with a ton of essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants? Bell peppers are referred to as “sweet peppers” because they don’t contain capsaicin, the component that gives most peppers and chilis their spicy taste. So, if you’re not into spicy foods, you can still enjoy this stuffed bell peppers recipe and take advantage of its nutritional content and benefits.

Some of the top health benefits of bell pepper nutrition are possible because of the antioxidants that are present in peppers, including lutein and zeaxanthin. These powerful antioxidants work to reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease, improve your eye and skin health and support your immunity. Eating bell peppers will also help you to maintain good mental health and promote a healthy pregnancy. (1)

Nutrition Facts

One stuffed bell pepper made using this recipe contains roughly the following (2, 3, 4, 5, 6):

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• 274 calories
• 16 grams protein
• 11 grams fat
• 29 grams carbohydrates
• 5 grams fiber
• 6 grams sugar
• 146 milligrams vitamin C (195 percent DV)
• 0.6 milligrams vitamin B6 (53 percent DV)
• 1052 IUs vitamin A (45 percent DV)
• 1 microgram vitamin B12 (44 percent DV)
• 0.3 milligrams riboflavin (35 percent DV)
• 3.3 milligrams niacin (24 percent DV)
• 0.2 milligrams thiamin (22 percent DV)
• 67 micrograms folate (17 percent DV)
• 15 micrograms vitamin K (17 percent DV)
• 0.8 milligrams vitamin B5 (16 percent DV)
• 60 milligrams choline (14 percent DV)
• 1.6 milligrams vitamin E (11 percent DV)
• 0.8 milligrams manganese (48 percent DV)
• 3.5 milligrams zinc (45 percent DV)
• 315 milligrams phosphorus (45 percent DV)
• 0.3 milligrams copper (39 percent DV)
• 92 milligrams magnesium (30 percent DV)
• 413 milligrams sodium (28 percent DV)
• 11 micrograms selenium (20 percent DV)
• 3.4 milligrams iron (19 percent DV)
• 137 milligrams calcium (14 percent DV)
• 626 milligrams potassium (13 percent DV)

In addition to the bell peppers, here’s a quick glance at some of the top health benefits associated with the other ingredients in my stuffed bell peppers recipe:

• Grass-fed beef: Grass-fed beef contains omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid, which has been shown to promote body fat reduction and fight disease. Eating healthy fats, like grass-fed beef, can reduce your risk of heart disease and improve your blood sugar levels. I always choose organic, grass-fed beef because it’s free of hormones and antibiotics, and raising grass-fed beef is better for the environment too. (7)
• Quinoa: Quinoa is a gluten-free grain that supplies antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and protein. In fact, it’s one of the few grains that contains all nine of the essential amino acids. Quinoa benefits come from the presence of bioflavonoids, which play a role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and cancer. It’s also an excellent source of vitamins and minerals like riboflavin, magnesium and iron. For all of these reasons and more, quinoa is considered a superfood that can be added to so many recipes to boost the nutritional content. (8)
• Cilantro: Cilantro is a great source of vitamins A, C, E and K and minerals like calcium, potassium, iron and magnesium. Eating cilantro benefits your heart because it helps to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. It also helps to detoxify the body, facilitating the elimination of toxic metals that can lead to health issues like hormonal imbalances, neurological conditions and heart disease. (9)

How to Make Beef and Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

To make these tasty and super healthy stuffed bell peppers, start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper and set it aside while you get your ingredients together.

Next, in a large bowl, combine ½ pound of cooked, grass-fed ground beef, 3 cups of cooked quinoa, a 4-ounce can of green chiles, ½ cup of diced, fire-roasted tomatoes, ½ cup of shredded goat cheese, ¼ cup of crumbled goat feta cheese, 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro leaves, 1 teaspoon each of cumin and garlic powder, ½ teaspoon each of onion powder, chili powder, smoked paprika and black pepper and about ¼ teaspoon of sea salt.

Spoon the mix of ingredients into each bell pepper, filling the pepper to the top. Then place each pepper on your baking dish and sprinkle on a little more cheese.

Bake the peppers for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are tender. You’ll notice that they get a little wrinkly… that’s a good thing!

And just like that, your stuffed bell peppers are ready. I like to serve mine with plain goat yogurt, salsa and chopped green onions for some added texture. You can also eat them as is, and they will be perfectly delicious. Enjoy!