Thai Stuffed Peppers Recipe By OhMyVeggies.com (2024)

Published: · by Joanne · Updated: · This post may contain affiliate links.

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I have maintained for quite a while now thatThai food is my desert island food. It's sweet! It's spicy! It's savory! It's tangy! Basically: it's everything. It should come as no surprise, then, that I've made it my Life Mission to Thai-ify everything and prove once and for all that there is no meal that Thai flavors can't improve upon. My latest conquest? The stuffed pepper!

Stuffed peppers are a pretty classic comfort food. What they're stuffed with depends on what country you're in, but it usually consists of some mixture of tomato sauce, rice, herbs, ground meat, and cheese.Not that there's anything wrong with those things, but they just don't rock my flavor boat the way that Thai curry does!Here, we've infused Thai red curry flavor into our stuffed pepper filling by simmering rice and late summer veggies with curry paste and coconut milk. The amount of Thai curry flavor will depend heavily on the brand of curry paste you use, so this is definitely an instance where you want to season to taste.

Arborio rice is usedfor the fillingbecause it releases a lot of starch, causing the filling to be gloriously creamy, but sushi rice or basmati rice should work as well. Brown rice could be substituted, but the cooking time will have to be adjusted according to its longer cook time needs. The peppers are boiled before filling to give them a head start on cooking. This sounds onerous, but takes almost no time at all. Once stuffed, they are transferred to the oven so that they can caramelize and take on some of that deep sweet roasted red pepper flavor, which really compliments the spice of the filling.

You might have some leftover filling, depending on the size of your peppers. Feel free to serve it alongside the peppers or, if you're like me, you might not be able to resist snacking on it while the peppers cook! This is a no judgement zone, so just do whatever you feel is right.

Recipe

Thai Stuffed Peppers Recipe By OhMyVeggies.com (3)

Thai Stuffed Peppers

With fragrant Thai curry paste and lots of veggies, these stuffed peppers are anything but boring.

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Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Keyword: stuffed peppers, Thai Stuffed Peppers

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 491kcal

Author: Oh My Veggies

Ingredients

  • 4 red bell peppers
  • 2 tablespoons safflower seed oil
  • 1 red onion minced
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper seeded and minced
  • 1 small zucchini cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 2 small Thai or Asian eggplants cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
  • 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
  • ¾ cup arborio rice
  • 1 ¾ cup coconut milk
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF.

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Slice the top off of the peppers and discard the cores and the stems. Boil the hollowed peppers for 4 minutes, until just tender. Carefully remove and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

  • In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño along with a pinch of salt. Sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the zucchini, eggplant, ginger, and red curry paste. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, until the vegetables just start to soften. Stir in the rice and coconut milk. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat just until the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

  • Fill the peppers with the rice and set them in a shallow ceramic baking dish. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the pepper skins start to wrinkle and brown. Serve warm.

Notes

How much curry paste you'll want to add will depend on how spicy your curry paste is. Make sure to taste as you add it to make sure you add enough.

Nutrition

Calories: 491kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 8gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 26mgPotassium: 952mgFiber: 8gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 5070IUVitamin C: 172mgCalcium: 68mgIron: 6mg

Craving more veg-friendly recipes? Shop our collection of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including our new Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!

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Thai Stuffed Peppers Recipe By OhMyVeggies.com (4)

About Joanne

Joanne Bruno is the blogger, recipe developer, and photographer behind the mostly ridiculous and always delicious vegetarian food blog Eats Well With Others. She likes her vegetables with a side of cupcakes and takes a highly hyperbolic approach to most things in life.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Adina says

    Love this idea, I have never filled a pepper Asian style. 🙂

    Reply

  2. Fox Kitchen says

    This looks so yummy! I have to try it out 🙂

    Reply

  3. Jennifer @ Delicious Everyday says

    Looks like you did a great job Thai-fying these stuffed peppers, Joanne! I can already imagine the flavour combination. I will definitely bookmark this to try.

    Reply

  4. Nik says

    These were delicious!! They were such a hit with my girlfriend. Thank you for this recipe. I will definitely be making these again in the future.

    Reply

  5. Sarah Morris says

    This was delicious! My favorite rice recipe thus far. I used an extra zucchini in place of eggplant as I could not find any and yellow onion instead of red because that's what I had on hand. It had the perfect amount of spice and deliciously creamy texture from the coconut milk. I cannot wait to make this again!

    Reply

  6. Tricia says

    Thai Stuffed Peppers Recipe By OhMyVeggies.com (5)
    Been making this for years and it’s one of my boys fave recipes. We add beefless beef to make it more filling for them and it’s delicious.

    Reply

Something to say? Leave a comment.

Thai Stuffed Peppers Recipe By OhMyVeggies.com (2024)

FAQs

Do you need to boil peppers before stuffing? ›

I definitely suggest par-cooking the bell peppers first, just a little bit before stuffing them. Not only does this help to soften the bell peppers, but it also cuts down on your cook time. As the bell peppers are cooking you can make the filling, shaving off about 20 minutes from your total cook time.

How do you keep stuffed peppers from getting soggy? ›

How to Prevent Watery Peppers
  1. Pre-cook Peppers. When you bake peppers that are not pre-blanched or cooked, it is normal that they release their natural water – which can be easily avoided by pre-cooking beforehand. ...
  2. Use Leftover Rice. Does this tip sound familiar to you? ...
  3. Save Cheese for the Topping.

Why do my stuffed peppers taste bland? ›

Seasoning. Peppers can be quite bland on their own so seasoning the inside of the cavity with salt is very important. Be sure to taste your stuffing prior to filling the peppers and make any adjustments there as well.

Why do my stuffed peppers fall apart? ›

The problem stems from the common practice of boiling the peppers to start. The goal is to tenderize them before they're stuffed and baked, but generally the poor fellas are over-boiled, which results in their tendency to fall apart and, as noted, be flavorless.

Are you supposed to cook the stuffing before putting it in? ›

Give stuffing a head start by heating it up before placing inside the turkey. Like the turkey, stuffing needs to reach the 165 degree mark. If the bird is done before the stuffing, remove stuffing from the cavities and continue to cook in a baking dish.

How long do you boil peppers to soften them? ›

To boil bell peppers: Cook peppers, covered, in a small amount of boiling salted water for 6 to 7 minutes or until crisp-tender. To sauté bell peppers: Heat a skillet with 2 to 3 tablespoons of cooking oil over medium-high heat. Carefully add bell peppers and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes.

What sides are good with stuffed peppers? ›

18 Side Dishes to Serve with Stuffed Peppers
  • 02 of 18. Quick & Easy Sautéed Broccolini. ...
  • 05 of 18. Charred Sugar Snap Peas with Sesame-Chili Sauce. ...
  • 08 of 18. Easy Cilantro-Lime Rice. ...
  • 11 of 18. Chitrannam (Lemon Rice) ...
  • 14 of 18. Zucchini & Mushroom Sauté
Nov 3, 2023

How do you get stuffed peppers to stand up? ›

To easily stuff bell peppers and keep them upright during baking, arrange and then bake them in a Bundt, tube, angel food, or muffin pan (spray with nonstick spray first). The peppers stay upright, freeing your hands for assembly.

Why are my stuffed peppers hard? ›

If the peppers aren't tender when the cheese is melted, and the filling is hot, simply tent the pan with foil and continue baking until they are. Cut the Pepper in Half from Stem to End. When making stuffed peppers in the oven, I find splitting them from top to bottom best.

How do you get the most flavor out of peppers? ›

Filleting a pepper is the best way to easily separate the seeds and pith from the flesh. Doing this allows you to get the most pepper flavor possible with the least amount of heat.

What cancels out the taste of pepper? ›

Sour cream, yogurt, ghee, butter and milk can all neutralize the pepper flavor, depending on the dish. Mix in a small amount of a dairy and see if you taste a difference. Cream or milk helps balance out broth-heavy dishes, as well as a variety of other recipes.

Why are my stuffed bell peppers watery? ›

First and foremost, it's essential to precook your peppers. Bell peppers contain more than 90% water, much of which is released during the cooking process. If you cook your stuffed peppers in one fell swoop, that moisture will release and end up in the final dish.

How do you make peppers firm again? ›

Peppers are a tricky bunch, with their ability to bounce back depending on the type of pepper and the thickness of the skin. If they've lost their crispness and you want them for salads, you can slice them up and try a 10 minute ice bath in a bowl. You can also pickle the peppers, even in their limp state.

Is it better to parboil peppers for stuffed peppers? ›

ANSWER: Some recipes call for blanching the peppers to soften them slightly; others do not. Green peppers at a local store were stuffed with a raw ground meat mixture and looked as though they were not boiled or blanched. If you bake peppers this way, they will take longer to cook and will hold their shape better.

Do you have to cook peppers before canning? ›

Instructions for Canning Sweet Peppers: The skins of bell peppers or sweet peppers are more tender, so they generally do not need to be blistered and peeled (thank goodness). Simple quarter or roughly chop bell peppers and cover them with water in a pot. Boil for 3 minutes, then transfer to pint or half-pint jars.

Should you cook or raw bell peppers? ›

Eating them raw provides maximum vitamin C content, but cooking bell peppers can increase the availability of other nutrients.

How to par boil peppers for stuffing? ›

In a large pot of boiling water, parboil the peppers until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and dry on paper towels. In a large saute pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.

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