As rumor has it, there was this fella named Christopher Columbus that sailed the ocean blue in 1492. Poor fella; was searching for India and the peppercorn plant and found the Bahamas and the bell pepper. Good ‘ol Christopher saw all those peppers and said, “¡Eso parece una campana!” No, that’s a lie. He may have said “that looks like a bell” in Latin or jotted it down in his secret journal in Greek. No, I don’t know what the fella said, but it is generally accepted that Columbus is credited for naming the fruit (from a flower and seeds on the inside). Looking for India, Peppercorns, and “love in all the wrong places.” Ha! Now you’ve got that song stuck in your head.
I’ve got an old reprint of a cookbook called Boston Cooking-School Cookbook from the late 1800’s and there’s a great stuffed bell pepper recipe…rumored to be the first stuffed bell pepper recipe ever. But, I am not so sure about that. There are so many different cultures with their own version of the stuffed bell peppers.
We’re gonna swap this up a bit; of course we are! We’re Beer and Iron. We’re gonna add beer! This recipe may sound complicated with all its steps and parts; but don’t let the step-by-step shy you away. I am presenting this recipe in two ways: 1) Step-By-Step and taking nothing for granted and 2) The Quick-And-To-The-Point recipe (the printable version). If you print this recipe and need a bit more explanation, you’ll have the Step-By-Step to refer to.
NOTE: You will likely have more stuffing than bell peppers to stuff. That’s A-OK. Better than the other way around. Bell Peppers come in all kinds of sizes and subsequently stuffing space (and also depending on your pepper packing proficiency…OKAY! Three time fast!).
Also, this article has affiliate links.
We are going to cook this recipe in a cast iron baking pan (what you will find in the photos). However, a cast iron skillet or even a cast iron Dutch oven will work very well with this recipe. Use what’s in your arsenal of iron!
9 x 13 Inch Cast Iron Casserole Pan. This will hold about 4 bell peppers (8 halves). If you don’t have any cast iron bakeware, use any cast Iron baking pan/pot/skillet large enough to accommodate the number of bell pepper halves you plant to cook. And, that also depends on the size of the bell peppers you are cooking with (affiliate links).
5- or 7-quart Dutch oven for browning and sautéing (a 9-quart will be okay too and, if you don’t have a Dutch oven, use a 12-inch cast iron skillet or larger).
3-quart Cast Iron Sauce Pot for cooking the rice (okay, if you want to use a different pot for the rice, we’ll let it slide…this time).
- Knife To cut the onions and the bell peppers.
- Smaller Knife To cut out the Placenta of the Bell Pepper.
- Cutting Board.
- Regular Spoon from the silverware drawer for spooning the stuffing into the bell peppers.
- Wooden or Bamboo Spatula for sautéing and stirring it all about as we prepare the ingredients.
- Bowl With a paper towel on the bottom to drain the meat and onions after we brown and sauté them.
- Can opener for the canned black beans (unless you are making fresh black beans and then KUDOS to you my friend).
- 1 Cup Measuring Cup to sort out the rice and beer.
- Measuring Spoons: Teaspoon and Tablespoon.
- Wired Thermometer (Optional) – To keep track on the internal temperature of the roasting, stuffed bell peppers.
- Strainer To FIRST drain and wash off your black beans and later to allow the meat and sautéed onions to drain.
- Large bowl to mix all the ingredients.
- Hot plate and hand mits (that cast iron is HOT!).
- Serving Spoon.
A nice lager or a Belgian will work well. I’d avoid an IPA; we love that hoppy touch to a beer but the remaining bitters may be a bit overwhelming in this recipe. Avoid the beers with a sweeter flavor like porters and stouts.
A common ingredient in many stuffed bell pepper recipes is rice…oh glorious rice! And how do we make rice better? We cook it with beer.
- 4 Bell Peppers – colors are your preference
- 2+ Table Spoons of Oil Olive (or Grapeseed Oil) for coating the outside of the bell peppers. You may need more oil.
- 1 Pound Lean Ground Turkey Breast (2 pounds if you wanted the stuffing to be meatier).
- 2 Cup Beer Rice (See Recipe) – Could just use rice or brown rice (Rice needs to be pre-cooked).
- 1 Chopped Onion – About a cup’s worth raw. You’ll have less than a cup after sautéing…and that’s what we want.
- 1 Can of Black Beans Drained and Rinsed
- ½ Cup Frozen Corn More or Less and Fresh from the Garden is A-OK too
- 1 15oz Jar of Salsa about 15 ounces (give-or-take of cold or room temperature salsa)
- 1 TBSP (Heaping) Taco Seasoning. OR TWO! If you want Homemade, try this recipe. If you want more Mexican flavor, add more!
- 1 Cup Shredded Cheese Or Two (No such thing as too much cheese).
- Optional: Fresh Chopped Cilantro Parsley, Chives, Green Onions.
- Optional: Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt.
- Optional: Sliced Avocado.
- Salt to Taste – Salting any recipe can be tricky; it will make or break the experience for sure. Consider the salt that is in the rice before adding salt to this recipe.
Step 1: Preheat your Oven to 400°F (205°C) and your cast iron pot that you plan to brown the ground turkey meat in and sauté the onions in.
Step 2: Start the rice cooking on the stove top (See Beer-Rice Recipe).
Step 3: Cut the washed bell peppers lengthwise and through the stem and then cut out the “placenta” but leave the stem on the pepper (not all halves will be able to keep the stem depending on the stem location).
Step 4: Coat the outside of the peppers with the oil.
Step 5: Place the cut and oiled bell pepper halves open-side-up in the 9 x 13 Inch Cast Iron Casserole Pan (or other) and put them in the preheated oven.
Step 6: Roast the bell peppers for about 25-40 minutes depending on thickness.
Step 7: Place the oven-pre heated pot over a medium-high burner, add a bit of oil (about a tablespoon or two), and brown the ground turkey meat.
Step 8: While the turkey meat is browning, drain and rinse off the black beans then put them in the bowl you plan to mix your stuffing in.
Step 9: After browning the turkey, set it aside in the colander to drain.
Step 10: Using the oil/fat left behind from the turkey, sauté the onions until they “clear up.” If there is not enough oil or fat left to sauté the onions, you can add a bit of oil here.
Step 11: Add to the mixing bowl:
- 1 Can Rinsed Black Beans (already done).
- 1 Cup of Browned Ground Turkey
- 1 15 Ounce Jar of Salsa
- 1-2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning store-bought or homemade (See Homemade Taco Recipe)
- The Sautéed Onions.
- 1/2 Cup Corn Kernels
- 2 Cups of Beer-Rice (See Recipe Here).
Step 12: Remove the bell peppers from the oven and fill them with the prepared stuffing by using the silverware spoon. Just “mound” the stuffing slightly.
Step 13: Put the stuffed Bell Peppers in the Oven. Warm everything up to an internal temperature to around 165° F (75°C). I use a wired thermometer like this one (affiliate link):
Step 14: Pull the hot, roasted, stuffed bell peppers out of the oven.
Step 15: Preheat the oven to BROIL!
Step 16: Sprinkle (or coat) the tops of the bell peppers with cheese.
Step 17: Place the cheese-topped stuffed bell peppers back in the oven on broil and let them brown (keep a close eye on them; they will burn)
Step 18: Once the cheese is toasted, pull them from the oven and top them with fresh and chopped cilantro or parsley, avocado, or sour cream (Greek yogurt works pretty okie-dokie too).
Stuffed bell pepper with a Spanish…Mexican…Texan…American…Idahoan “piquant after-dinner flavor – heavy, but with a touch of mellow smoothness.”
There’s tomato, turkey, pepper, cumin, rice and the bell peppers with mild and sweet flavors of the yellow, orange, and red varieties and the “green” grassy flavor of the green bell pepper.
Then there’s the cheese…oh my gracious! CHEESE! Smooth and such a flavor bolus that really brings these peppers to life!
Though I threw in the “Idahoan” part there (that’s where I’m from) this is definitely a dish that screams “South of the Border” with an Italian hint…after all…if people can be Heinz 57 so can our food, right!!! (HIGH FIVE!).
With the tomato acids, this meal will pair well with a nice amber ale. And, with the Tex/Mex flavors, most any lager should be a nice addition to the palate-satisfying finish.
Think Mexican lagers like Corona, Pacifico, Modelo, and Tecate would be some examples. My fellow craft beer lovers likely have some of their favorites come to mind with these lager examples (though that Modelo is pretty nice for a less-than-craft-brew).
Sulae’s Suggestion: Lager / Mexican Lager
We’re not looking at courses here, we looking to balance the meal with a side dish or two like French fries with a burger.
Stuffed bell peppers are a meal in and of themselves. There’s the fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Fiber…sure enough!
My 14-year-old tends to go back for the second and sometimes the third bell pepper. Often times there is “spillage” of the stuffing that has made its way out of the bell peppers and sits on the plate. Having a nice side to “mix” this stuffing with is a nice way to “clean the plate.” So, often I will create some sides for this meal. Some great foods and recipes that pair well with stuffed bell peppers are:
Basic Polenta – Keep it simple; the stuffed bell peppers are the star of this show.
Corn Chips – Great with any Tex-Mex themed meal. But easy does it!
Mashed Potatoes – This goes with everything. Though not my go-to with this recipe, it’s sure good at “gathering up the stuffing spillage.”
Cauliflower Rice – Yes, there’s rice in this recipe…but cauliflower rice ain’t rice that’s for sure.
- A lot of recipes call for stove top and oven use during the same meal preparation. We want our iron hot when it’s time to start cooking! And, if you must preheat the oven anyway, you might as well heat up the cast iron you’ll be using on the stove top in the process. That way it’s hot and ready for what ever deliciousness you are about to introduce that pot or pan with.
- Cut up and measure out all your ingredients first. Do this while you are heating up the stove or the cast iron. There’s nothing like having a smoking pan on the stove ready for that onion and the onion is still being chopped. This tip alone will save you a headache and make the cooking process so, so much more enjoyable.
Mexican-Style Ground Turkey and Beer Rice-Stuffed Bell Peppers in Cast Iron
Equipment
- 9 x 13 Inch Cast Iron Casserole Pan. This will hold about 4 bell peppers (8 halves). If you don’t have 9 x 13 Inch Cast Iron Casserole Pan or cast iron bakeware, use any cast Iron pan/pot/skillet large enough to accommodate the number of bell pepper halves you plant to cook. Use what's in your arsenal of iron!
- 7-quart Dutch oven browning and sautéing 5- or 7-quart Dutch oven browning and sautéing (a 9-quart will be okay too and, if you don’t have a Dutch oven, use a 12-inch cast iron skillet or larger).
- 3-quart Cast Iron Sauce Pot for cooking the rice (okay, if you want to use a different pot for the rice, we’ll let it slide…this time).
- Knife to cut the onions and the bell peppers
- Smaller Knife to cut out the Placenta of the Bell Pepper.
- Cutting Board
- Regular Spoon from the silverware drawer for spooning the stuffing into the bell peppers
- Wooden or Bamboo Spatula for sautéing and stirring it all about as we prepare the ingredients.
- Bowl with a paper towel on the bottom to drain the meat and onions after we brown and sauté them.
- Can Opener for the canned black beans.
- 1 Cup Measuring Cup to sort out the rice and beer
- Measuring Spoons: Teaspoon and Tablespoon.
- Wired Thermometer Optional – To keep track on the internal temperature of the roasting, stuffed bell peppers.
- Strainer To FIRST drain and wash off your black beans and later to allow the meat and sautéed onions to drain.
- Large bowl to mix all the ingredients
- Hot plate and hand mits (that cast iron is HOT!)
- Serving Spoon
Ingredients
- 4 Bell Peppers Colors are your preference
- 2 Oil Olive or Grapeseed Oil for coating the outside of the bell peppers. You may need more.
- 1 Pound Lean Ground Turkey Breast You could do 2 pounds if you wanted to be meatier. You can also add a bit of sausage if you want or substitute the turkey for ground beef or ground chicken. It’s up to you (and what’s available in the fridge).
- 2 Cup Beer Rice See Recipe – Could just use rice or brown rice. Needs to be pre-cooked.
- 1 Chopped Onion About a cup’s worth raw. You'll have less than a cup after sautéing…and that's what we want.
- 1 Can of Black Beans Drained and Rinsed
- ½ Cup Frozen Corn More or Less and Fresh from the Garden is A-OK too
- 1 15oz Jar of Salsa About 15 ounces (give-or-take of cold or room temperature salsa)
- 1 tbsp Heaping Tablespoon of Taco Seasoning If you want Homemade, try this recipe. If you want more Mexican flavor, add more!
- 1 Cup Shreaded Cheeze Or Two Cups
- Fresh Chopped Cilantro Parsley, Chives, Green Onions. (Optional)
- Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt. Optional
- Sliced Avocado. Optional
Instructions
- Preheat your Oven to 400°F (205°C) and your cast iron pot that you plan to brown the ground turkey meat in and sauté the onions in.
- Start the rice cooking on the stove top (See Beer-Rice Recipe).
- Cut the washed bell peppers lengthwise and through the stem and then cut out the "placenta" but leave the stem on the pepper (not all halves will be able to keep the stem depending on the stem location).
- Coat the outside of the bell peppers with the oil.
- Place the cut and oiled bell pepper halves open-side-up in the 9 x 13 Inch Cast Iron Casserole Pan (or other pan of your choice) and put them in the preheated oven.
- Roast the bell peppers for about 25-40 minutes depending on thickness.
- Place the oven-pre heated pot over a medium-high burner, add a bit of oil (about a tablespoon or two), and brown the ground turkey meat.
- While the turkey meat is browning, drain and rinse off the black beans then put them in the bowl you plan to mix your stuffing in.
- After browning the turkey, set it aside in the colander to drain.
- Using the oil/fat left behind from the turkey, sauté the onions until they “clear up.” If there is not enough oil or fat left to sauté the onions, you can add a bit of oil here.
- Add to the mixing bowl:1 Can Rinsed Black Beans (already done).1 Cup of Browned Ground Turkey1 15 Ounce Jar of Salsa1-2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning store-bought or homemade (See Homemade Taco Recipe)The Sautéed Onions1/2 Cup Corn Kernels2 Cups of Beer-Rice (See Recipe).
- Remove the bell peppers from the oven and fill them with the prepared stuffing by using the silverware spoon. Just "mound" the stuffing slightly.
- Put the stuffed Bell Peppers in the Oven. Warm everything up to an internal temperature to around 165° F (75°C). I use a wired thermometer
- Pull the hot, roasted, stuffed bell peppers out of the oven.
- Preheat the oven to BROIL!
- Sprinkle (or coat) the tops of the bell peppers with cheese.
- Place the cheese-topped stuffed bell peppers back in the oven on broil and let them brown (keep a close eye on them; they will burn)
- Step 13: Put the stuffed Bell Peppers in the Oven. Warm everything up to an internal temperature to around 165° F (75°C).
- Once the cheese is toasted, pull them from the oven and top them with fresh and chopped cilantro or parsley, avocado, or sour cream (Greek yogurt works pretty okie-dokie too).
