Chili couscous stuffed peppers are the perfect lunch dish – quick, easy, and bursting with flavor. Make it as hot (or as mild) as you want by choosing the hot pepper of your choice. And the texture just adds to the eating enjoyment – grainy, smooth, and crisp all in one.
In our recipe, we’re using chopped jalapeños, but it could as easily be poblano peppers or something even milder. To spice things up, try using serrano peppers or add some fiery Sriracha sauce before oven baking to add a different dimension to the plate. Don’t try increasing the warmth through the paprika or black pepper in the recipe. Neither provide the same bang as a fresh chili pepper or hot sauce upgrade provides.
And for a gluten-free option, try replacing the couscous with rice, buckwheat, or even quinoa (an even healthier option.)
If you are a meal prep fan, it’s easy to prepare the stuffed peppers and wrap them in foil for another day. It’s the perfect solution for mapping out lunches for the week. Simply refrigerate them, then cook the stuffed peppers for 15 minutes until warmed through. Pair these couscous stuffed peppers with a fresh salad for a delicious midweek lunch.
Like this recipe? You’ll love these too:
- Stuffed Jalapeños With Bacon: A classic fiery appetizer.
- Cheesy Stuffed Cherry Peppers: These are tiny bites of pure joy.
- Jalapeño Popper Chicken Soup: All the things you love about poppers are here.
Explore the Scoville scale through our Up The Scale spice set, featuring medium heat jalapeño, extra-hot habanero, and fiery super-hot ghost powders.
Chili Couscous Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 cup couscous
- 1 red jalapeno pepper chopped
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 cups vegetable broth straight from boiling, or use chicken broth for more flavor
- 2 large bell peppers any color will do
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a small bowl combine the couscous, jalapeño, paprika, and ground pepper.
- Boil the vegetable broth (or chicken broth) and immediately pour it onto the couscous mixture, then cover with a plate or lid to seal in the heat. Set aside until ready to stuff the peppers.
- Prepare the bell peppers by cutting them in half and scooping the seeds and pith out from each side.
- Lay the bell pepper halves on a baking tray and divide the couscous mixture between the pepper halves.
- Divide the shredded cheese between the stuffed peppers, laying the shredded cheese atop each halve.
- Cook the peppers in the oven for 8 minutes or until the cheese turn golden.
- Remove from the oven and serve.