This is how you make foil packet stuffed peppers on the barbecue or over a campfire! Easy vegetarian dinner stuffed with lots of vegetables or with ground beef and rice for a heartier meal. One of our favorite foil packet meals.
My family loves grilled stuffed peppers. During the summer we like to do them on the barbecue!! This foil packet meal is a great one for a weeknight meal or if you have company over. If you loved our baked stuffed green peppers recipe, but want to cook outside this is how to do it. (affiliate links present)
They are easy and can be made vegetarian if you prefer too. There’s just enough spice to them and are quite a healthy barbecue meal packed with lots of flavor Don’t these just look heavenly??!!
Well there is a lot of versatility to this recipe depending on what you like inside your stuffed peppers. We have made them with cream cheese and sausage like our stuffed mini sweet peppers. For this one the base is white rice.
Ingredient Notes
I will start with the seasonings I typically add no matter what the other mixture is such as; garlic, just a bit minced, olive oil is best, or avocado works, cayenne powder just for a bit of heat and some salt and pepper to taste.
Poblano Peppers
First you will need as many poblano peppers as you think you will need (2 per person I would average). We use these vs. others because you can find them quite large so one filled can be a decent size for dinner. Grilled the skins soften up nicely too.
With Ground Beef
I have added ground beef into the mixture from time to time but it is your choice. This one is a bit different because it is cooked on the grill in a foil packet and is meatless….but nontheless incredible!! Spicy ground sausage can be precooked and added into the mix too for a more intense heat.
With Rice
A rice cooker is helpful just to speed up the process, if you don’t have one I use mine all the time and it’s still going after 10 years. Another option is to use your pressure cooker to make until fluffy like our Ninja Foodi rice. An alternative to this is to make pressure cooker quinoa instead.
Vegetables to Add
We like to add some peeled and diced carrots into the mix, small enough to get tender with everything else. Add some onion diced, yellow or white work well. Some small peas pods are optional as well as halved cherry tomatoes.
If you have a pressure cooker you could follow our timing for Instant Pot stuffed peppers. Start your rice first and if you want to include any meat you need to precook and drain that so you have your ingredients all prepped. Combine together and fill so that once your barbecue is warm you can set them on top
Tips
When you cut the tops off, remove the seeds and membranes as that is where the heat is. If you want medium heat leave a bit remaining vs. mild everything should be taken out before stuffing.
If you want to ensure they come out really tender you can blanch peppers at the beginning but that is not necessary as they essentially steam because they are wrapped tight.
You’re going to want to dice your veggies and spices fairly fine and about the same size, in regards to the carrot, tomatoes, pea pods, and onion so that they cook evenly inside your grilled stuffed peppers. Add everything including your brown rice (you could use white) into a bowl and mix well so everything is coated in goodness and then create your foil packets.
It is best to wrap them all in aluminum foil so the heat is even and your fillings don’t fall out and make a mess. Ideally you want to grill peppers on top of cooled coals that have died down.
Grilled Stuffed Peppers Recipe
Equipment
- 1 barbecue
- 1 Bowl
- 1 rice cooker
Ingredients
- 2 poblano peppers
- 1 carrot , diced
- 1 onion , diced
- 1/4 cup pea pods , diced
- 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup rice, white or brown, cooked first
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 tsp cayenne, optional
Instructions
- Pre heat the grill to medium high. Combine the cooked rice with the vegetables, seasonings, pinch of salt & pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Stuff the peppers with the rice mixture. Lay out a large rectangle of aluminum foil, place pepper in the middle. Drizzle with Olive oil. Wrap loosely. Place the peppers on the grill and cook for 5 minutes. Flip and cook for another 5 mins.
- Reduce heat to low and allow to cook for an additional 10 minutes. Be very careful when opening, the steam is extremely hot.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Do you have to peel the skin off?
You don’t have to but typically it is easier to cut and chew if you don’t ingest that part. Once it is done and you unwrap it from the foil the skins will be quite loose. You can then gently slice at the bottom and pull it up and off. If you want to remove beforehand, lay on the grill over the flame to char on all sides. Put into a closed paper bag for 10 minutes, remove, and then stuff.
Are poblano peppers good for grilling?
Yes!! Not only do they have wonderful flavors but they are larger than bell peppers so they fit more goodies inside. They lay flat nicely so the size is better as far as grilling is concerned so you can sit other side dishes on the grate as well if you wanted to.
How Long to Grill Stuffed Peppers
20 minutes is about right but timing depends on the size you’re using. Aluminum works great for cooking anything on your Traeger. We use the same technique for grilling shrimp in foil packets too. Generously stuff your peppers. If you are making more than 2 then just double or triple the recipe.
If you want to add meat, brown about 1/2 lb. and add that to your mixture too. The steam inside the foil packets will steam everything really well so even the peppers will get nice and soft. Grilled stuffed peppers are just as good as our baked stuffed peppers but you can keep your house cool this way.
Grilled pork chops with dry rub are killer too if you want to cook meat separately with these for dinner.
What to make with leftovers
We have had leftovers at times and I hate wasting food. Best way ever to use the outsides up is to chop them up and throw them into our Chicken Poblano Soup for a meal the next day!!
Grilling makes everything taste better doesn’t it? These peppers looks so yummy!