Chili and cornbread stuffed peppers are a tasty twist on a couple of classics. Hearty chili wrapped inside tender peppers stuffed with cornbread and cheese, yes please!
Why this recipe works
These chili and cornbread stuffed peppers are the love child of good ole stuffed peppers and homemade chili! I honestly wouldn’t have expected that the two could be any better than they already are, but when combined, they’re an unexpected masterpiece.
I first made this recipe back in 2011 and had rave reviews from everyone who tried them. A bell pepper makes a tender, flavorful vehicle for chili and cornbread and it’s a fun way to change up the regular stuffed pepper game.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
CHILI – We are using our favorite homemade chili here. In fact, this recipe is an excellent option to use up leftovers. Do note that you may have extra chili from this recipe depending on the size of your bell peppers. I like to grab 1-2 extra bell peppers in case of this, otherwise, you can enjoy it on the side or save it for later!
CORNBREAD – A single box of Jiffy cornbread mix is all you need. We add cornbread to both the bottom and the top of the stuffed peppers, so basically you’re sandwiching the chili in between. You can omit the cornbread mix on the bottom if preferred, though you will end up with extra batter left over. It’s worth noting that you can certainly use your favorite cornbread recipe in place of the boxed stuff if that’s what you prefer.
BELL PEPPERS – Try to choose bell peppers that are uniform in size, that way the cornbread mix at the bottom will cook at the same rate as each other.
HOT SAUCE – The hot sauce comes down to personal preference. You can add it if you like a kick of heat, or omit it if desired. I typically to use Tabasco on mine but any hot sauce you like will do the trick.
How to Make Chili and Cornbread Stuffed Peppers
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Cut the tops off the bell peppers. Carefully trim the bottom of the peppers so that they sit flat, but don’t cut all the way through. Just a sliver is enough. Empty the peppers of all seeds and use a knife to remove the excess white membrane. Be careful not to cut through the pepper or puncture the sides. Stand peppers in a 13×9 baking dish and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Prepare the chili. You can use your favorite chili recipe, or mix up a batch of my chili seasoning. First brown and drain the ground beef. Next, combine the ground beef, tomatoes, chili seasoning, water, kidney beans, and hot sauce to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Mix Jiffy cornbread batter according to package directions.
- Spoon two tablespoons of batter into each bell pepper.
- Using a slotted spoon to drain the liquids, add chili to each pepper, filling 2/3 full. Spoon the remaining batter on top of the chili in the bell peppers, leaving about 1/2 inch of space at the top. Sprinkle each pepper generously with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
The cornbread on the bottom of the peppers may be soggy due to the moisture from the chili liquids. I recommend using a slotted spoon to scoop your chili, allowing excess liquid to drain off before adding to the peppers. Another reason the cornbread on the bottom may be soggy or underbaked is simply due to the size of your peppers. Naturally, each bell pepper will vary in width. The size of your peppers can affect how the cornbread spreads out at the bottom, which in turn can affect the bake time needed to fully cook through.
Chili and cornbread stuffed peppers are best enjoyed right away. The cornbread will soak in the liquids from the chili as it sits in the refrigerator and may become soggy. However, you can still store leftovers in the refrigerator for a day or two if needed.
As you may already know, colorful bell peppers are actually the fully ripened version of a green pepper. On the flavor spectrum, it goes green – yellow – orange – and red, with green being the most “bitter” and red being the sweetest out of the bunch. It truly comes down to preference on which color bell pepper you use. They all taste great!
Serving Suggestions
These chili and cornbread stuffed peppers are really a meal all on their own. Sometimes I like to bake up an extra batch of cornbread on the side, but they are filling just as they are and don’t typically need a side to accompany them. Enjoy!
More Related Recipes
- Stuffed Pepper Casserole
- Enchilada Stuffed Peppers
- Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers
- Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole
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Chili and Cornbread Stuffed Peppers
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- homemade chili seasoning or 1 package premade chili seasoning
- 15 ounces red kidney beans one can, drained and rinsed
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes I throw mine in the blender
- ¼ cup water
- hot sauce such as Tobasco, to taste
- 8.5 ounce Jiffy cornbread mix plus ingredients needed to prepare
- Shredded cheddar cheese to taste
- 6 large green bell peppers
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- Try to choose bell peppers that are uniform in size, that way the cornbread mix at the bottom will cook at the same rate as each other.
- I typically add about a tablespoon of shredded cheese on top of each pepper.
- Do note that you may have extra chili from this recipe depending on the size of your bell peppers. I like to grab 1-2 extra bell peppers in case of this, otherwise, you can enjoy it on the side or save it for later!
Instructions
- Cut the tops off the green bell peppers. Carefully trim the bottom of the peppers so that they sit flat, but don’t cut all the way through. Just a sliver is enough. Empty the peppers of all seeds and use a knife to remove the excess white membrane. Be careful not to cut through the pepper or puncture the sides. Stand peppers in a 13×9 baking pan and set aside.6 large green bell peppers
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
Prepare the Chili
- First, brown and drain the ground beef. Next, combine the ground beef, chili seasoning, red kidney beans, diced tomatoes, water, and hot sauce to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.1 pound ground beef, homemade chili seasoning, 15 ounces red kidney beans, 14 ounces diced tomatoes, 1/4 cup water, hot sauce
Assembly
- Mix Jiffy cornbread batter according to package directions.8.5 ounce Jiffy cornbread mix
- Spoon two tablespoons of batter into each bell pepper.
- Using a slotted spoon to drain the liquids, add chili to each pepper, filling 2/3 full.
- Spoon the remaining batter on top of the chili in the bell peppers, leaving about 1/2 inch of space at the top. Sprinkle each pepper generously with shredded cheddar cheese.Shredded cheddar cheese
- Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- The cornbread on the bottom of the peppers may be soggy due to the moisture from the chili liquids. I recommend using a slotted spoon to scoop your chili, allowing excess liquid to drain off before adding to the peppers. Another reason the cornbread on the bottom may be soggy or underbaked is simply due to the size of your peppers. Naturally, each bell pepper will vary in width. The size of your peppers can affect how the cornbread spreads out at the bottom, which in turn can affect the bake time needed to fully cook through.
- Chili and cornbread stuffed peppers are best enjoyed right away. The cornbread will soak in the liquids from the chili as it sits in the refrigerator and may become soggy. However, you can still store leftovers in the refrigerator for a day or two if needed.
Nutrition
This post originally appeared here on Feb 3, 2011 and has since been updated with new photos and expert tips.
Amanda Davis
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Shannon says
I made this tonight and it was AMAZING! The only thing that surprised me was that the cornbread was not cooked after 30 minutes….and was still not cooked all the way after one hour at 350 degrees. Not sure why there was such a problem with the cornbread not cooking?? Did you seem to have this problem, or was your meal finished in the 25-30 minutes as it states in the recipe? Thanks so much for this great recipe, though, it will definitely be put on the regular schedule in our house. :)
Amanda says
Hmm, the only thing I can think of Shannon is if the chili was packed in too tight on top of the cornbread it might not have had room to expand. Next time, try leaving out the bottom layer of cornbread, putting in the chili and just adding cornbread to the top. So glad that you liked it! :)
theravegan says
Ok. On the menu this week, veganized! I actually have some vegan chili in the freezer and some peppers in the fridge. If I put cheese on top for the omnis I, as the vegan, can eat pretty much the same thing. I'm looking forward to trying it.
Megan says
The red pepper looks so pretty and kind of festive! Looks great!
Kudos Kitchen says
These look and sound amazing Amanda! You hit all the bells and whistles for me on these. Great recipe!
Shelby says
I really love these!
Katrina says
I wonder if that would get my husband to eat/like chili and cornbread–he loves peppers.
MaryBeth says
My mom used to make stuffed peppers when we were kids, I love how you have taken this dish to the next level, outstanding job!
Sweet And Crumby says
These look fantastic! What a great weeknight dinner.
Andrea (Andreas Kitchen) says
This looks like a great recipe! It's also nice because I can just use my own gluten free cornbread recipe! Our tummies prefer red, yellow and orange bells over the green as well.
Lana @ Never Enough Thyme says
Cool recipe, Amanda! A nice twist on the usual pepper stuffing. Who would have thought of chili and cornbread in a pepper! Really brilliant.
Jennifer (Savor) says
yum yum Amanda!
K E says
Amanda,
This looks delicious. Can't wait to try it
RecipeGirl says
They look delicious. Always looking for new dinner recipes & this one looks like one my family would love!
Maria says
Looks like a very tasty recipe!
Amanda says
Thanks so much Kristen! I have had several people ask about the Eat sign and if I sell them. I've turned everyone down because i just don't think I could get the money to compensate the time it takes, know what I mean? I'd also be afraid to disappoint people since every piece of wood will be different and there's no way to replicate it exactly, every sign would be different. If I knew I could get decent money for it I probably would! :)
Kristen says
Those look delicious, Amanda! We love a little heat in our food too! Love stuffed peppers.
And by the way… I want your EAT sign. Do you sell those?