Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Spiced Beef & Tahini
These quinoa stuffed peppers with spiced beef and tahini dressing are hands down delicious. It's a recipe you can do on a weekend when you have friends over.
Equipment
9x13 inch (23x33cm) baking dish
10-inch (25cm) non-stick skillet
Medium saucepan with lid
Small mixing bowl
Paring knife
Aluminum foil or baking dish lid
Ingredients
Stuffed Peppers Ingredients
1 cup quinoa - uncooked, 170g
4 ounces ground beef (minced beef) - 113g
½ medium yellow onion - finely diced
2 tablespoons olive oil - 30ml
1 tablespoon butter - 14g- 1 teaspoon seven spice (baharat)
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon paprika
2 cloves garlic - smashed and minced
1 tablespoon pine nuts - toasted, 10g
3 medium yellow bell peppers (yellow capsicum)
2 tablespoons tomato paste - 30g
1 ½ cups water - warm- ½ teaspoon seven spice (baharat) - for the tomato broth
2 tablespoons cilantro (coriander) - fresh ; for garnish
Tahini Dressing Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic - finely minced or grated
2 tablespoons lemon juice - fresh ; about 1/2 medium lemon- 3 tablespoons olive oil - 45ml
3 tablespoons tahini - 45g- 1 pinch salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon dried thyme- ¼ teaspoon cilantro (coriander) - ground
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F / 175°C (180°C fan-forced). Slice the tops of your peppers and remove seeds. Cut the rounded bottom of peppers so the peppers can stand up in the baking dish.3 medium yellow bell peppers (yellow capsicum)
- Add ½ cup of water to the bottom of the baking dish and bake peppers for 30 minutes.3 medium yellow bell peppers (yellow capsicum)
- Cook quinoa according to box directions.1 cup quinoa
- Add olive oil and onions to the heated frying pan and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 medium yellow onion
- Add the ground beef, seven spice, paprika, and smashed garlic. Break the beef into small pieces with a wooden spoon and cook until no pink remains, about 4-5 minutes.4 ounces ground beef (minced beef), 1 teaspoon seven spice (baharat), 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 2 cloves garlic
- Add the cooked quinoa and butter to the beef mixture. Stir to combine, then fold in the toasted pine nuts. Set aside.1 cup quinoa, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon pine nuts
- Remove peppers from the oven and fill with the stuffing.3 medium yellow bell peppers (yellow capsicum)
- In a small bowl or measuring jug, dissolve 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and ½ teaspoon of seven spice into 1 cup (240ml) of warm water. Pour this broth into the bottom of the baking dish around the stuffed peppers.2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon seven spice (baharat), 1 1/2 cups water
- Cover and bake peppers for 15 minutes.
- While the peppers bake, prepare the tahini dressing by whisking together the tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and ground coriander until smooth. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water if needed to reach a drizzleable consistency. Spoon the tomato broth from the baking dish over the peppers, drizzle generously with tahini dressing, and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.3 tablespoons tahini, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 clove garlic, 1 pinch salt, 1 pinch ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/4 teaspoon cilantro (coriander), 2 tablespoons cilantro (coriander)
Notes
Storage: Refrigerate stuffed peppers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Store tahini dressing separately. Reheat peppers covered at 350°F / 175°C for 15-20 minutes.
Freezer-friendly: Freeze stuffed peppers (without dressing) for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Make-ahead: Cook the quinoa and beef filling up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. Let it come to room temperature for 15 minutes before stuffing.
Substitution: Ground lamb is the best swap for beef and pairs naturally with seven spice. For poultry, cook to 165°F / 74°C.
Pro tip: Don't skip the tomato broth step — it steams the peppers from below and reduces into a concentrated sauce. Spoon it over each pepper before adding the tahini dressing.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 536kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 15gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 722mgPotassium: 710mgFiber: 5gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 703IUVitamin C: 171mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 4mg
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