Taco Stuffed Pepper Casserole is a simple one pot casserole dinner recipe. This Mexican Unstuffed Pepper Casserole is like a deconstructed Taco stuffed Peppers - Ground Beef seasoned with Taco Seasoning, Pepper, Tomatoes & Rice, topped with Cheese.
After it gets baked, I top it with a dollop of Sour Cream and garnish with some fresh lime juice and cilantro.

You can also top with Doritoz or Tortilla Chips!
Feel free to replace with Ground Turkey or Shredded Chicken for leaner options.
Super Cheesy, bursting with Mexican flavors, Meaty, Zesty and Delicious this Mexican Unstuffed Pepper Casserole is as easy as it can get and also one of our favorite weeknight dinner recipes of all time!
Also try this Zucchini Taco Boats or Taco Salad or Mexican Shredded Beef Tacos (in slow cooker) or Crock Pot Pork Carnitas

Back to School nights are here and it one of the busiest times of the year. Getting back to the regular routine feels a little overwhelming in the beginning.
This is when I turn to these easy and quick one pot dinners for the family.
Why this recipe works
- Made with simple pantry staple ingredients
- Hearty and Comforting
- One Pot Dinner Recipe
- Super easy to make
- Gets ready real quick (under 30 min)
- Kid friendly
- Low Carb and healthy alternative to Tacos

Ingredients needed to make Taco Stuffed Pepper Casserole
- Bell Pepper - any color, diced
- Ground Beef - use lean ground beef. You can replace with ground turkey or shredded chicken
- Garlic and Onion - finely chopped
- Tomato Sauce - use low carb Tomato Paste or Tomato Sauce
- Diced Tomato - use a can of Diced Tomatoes with juices
- Taco Seasoning - its so easy to make at home. You can even buy it.
- Instant Rice - use minute rice. You can even use leftover cooked rice.
- Beef Broth
- Cheddar Cheese
- Cilantro, Green Onions, Sour Cream, Cherry Tomatoes, Lime Juice - for garnish
See recipe card for quantities. Also watch the video for a quick visual.
How to make Taco Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Brown the meat

- Heat Avocado Oil in a skillet
- Add the meat along with onion and garlic
- cook for 3-4 min or until the meat browns
Add Taco Seasoning & Peppers
- Add Diced Tomatoes, Tomato Paste, Taco Seasoning, Salt and Pepper
- Toss to combine
- Add the chopped Peppers, rice and broth. Toss to combine.
- Cook for 3-4 min over medium high heat, until most of the water has evaporated

Top with Cheese & Bake
- Transfer to a 9x13" casserole baking dish
- Top with shredded cheddar cheese

- Bake @350F (180C) for 30-35 min (or until the rice gets tender)
Garnish with cilantro & sour cream
- Serve in a plate
- Garnish with a dollop of sour cream, freshly chopped cilantro, green onions, cherry tomatoes and lime juice.
- Serve hot.

Stuffed Pepper Casserole with Cooked Rice
Taco Stuffed Pepper Casserole with cooked rice is a brilliant way to use leftover cooked rice.
All you have to do is just dump the rice along with meat and peppers in the baking dish. Top with cheese and bake.
Remember to skip the Broth if you're using cooked rice.
Stuffed Pepper Casserole with Cauliflower Rice
To make this Taco Stuffed Pepper Casserole even low carb and keto use Cauliflower Rice.
You do not even have to cook the Cauliflower Rice. Just dump Cauliflower Rice in the baking dish along with cooked beef and peppers. Top with cheese and bake
Cheesy Stuffed Pepper Casserole
To make this Stuffed Pepper Casserole extra cheesy, top with Pepper Jack cheese or Mexican Cheese Blend or Queso.
Substitutions
- Chicken- instead of Ground Beef, you can use Ground Turkey or Ground Chicken or shredded Chicken. This is especially a great way to use leftover Chicken or Turkey.
- Long Grain Rice - if you're using long grain rice then cook it in advance and then use it
- Leftover Rice - this Taco Stuffed Pepper Casserole is a great recipe to use leftover rice. Makes for a one pot hearty meal.
- Cauliflower Rice - if you want to make it low carb, replace Cooked Rice with Cauliflower Rice. You do not even have to cook it, just dump it straight from the packet to the skillet and then to the baking dish.
- Vegetarian - To make Vegetarian Version make Vegetarian Taco Meat.
Variations
- Spicy - add chopped Jalapenos to make this a bit spicy
- Salsa - you can add any spicy salsa of your choice to this Mexican Unstuffed Pepper Casserole
- Leftover rice - just add leftover ice to the baking dish and skip adding the broth.
Storage
Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can be stored for upto 4-5 days
Freeze - store leftover Taco Stuffed Pepper Casserole in an airtight container. It can be frozen for upto 3 months
Reheat - thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven until heated through.
More Casserole recipes to try
- Chicken Fajita Casserole Recipe (With Rice)
- Keto Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole {Make Ahead}
- Low Carb Pizza Casserole
- Quinoa Enchilada Casserole
- Cajun Chicken and Rice Casserole

Taco stuffed Pepper Casserole
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lbs Ground Beef lean
- 2 tablespoon Avocado Oil or Olive Oil
- 1 medium sized Onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon Taco Seasoning
- 3 medium sized Bell Pepper any color, diced
- 1 can Diced Tomatoes
- 8 oz Tomato Sauce
- 2 cups Instant Rice
- 1½ cup Beef Broth low sodium
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese
- Cilantro, Lime Juice, Sour Cream, Green Onions, Cherry Tomatoes for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add Avocado Oil to it. As the oil shimmers add the Ground Beef and cook until it browns. Add the chopped Onions and Garlic and cook until fragrant for about a minute.
- Add Taco Seasoning, Diced Tomatoes, Tomato Sauce, chopped Peppers and Rice. Toss to combine. Pour the broth over it. As the broth comes to a boil get it off the heat.
- Transfer to a baking dish. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and bake for 30-35 min.
- Serve in a plate. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream, chopped cherry tomatoes, green onions, freshly chopped cilantro and a generous squirt of Lime juice. Enjoy!
Notes
- Chicken- instead of Ground Beef, you can use Ground Turkey or Ground Chicken or shredded Chicken. This is especially a great way to use leftover Chicken or Turkey.
- Long Grain Rice - if you're using long grain rice then cook it in advance and then use it
- Leftover Rice - this Taco Stuffed Pepper Casserole is a great recipe to use leftover rice. Makes for a one pot hearty meal.
- Cauliflower Rice - if you want to make it low carb, replace Cooked Rice with Cauliflower Rice. You do not even have to cook it, just dump it straight from the packet to the skillet and then to the baking dish.
- Spicy - add chopped Jalapenos to make this a bit spicy
- Salsa - you can add any spicy salsa of your choice to this Mexican Unstuffed Pepper Casserole
Mer says
Excellent recipe!! So cheesy casserole