Stuffed Spanish Piquillo Peppers with Rice and Herbs

Spanish piquillo peppers are filled with rice, parsley, and mint for a light, colourful tapas dish. Served warm or cold, they add freshness to a spread of chickpeas, green beans, or potatoes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine European, Mediterranean, Spanish

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword pepper tapas, piquillo peppers, rice peppers, Spanish peppers, stuffed peppers

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Servings Servings

Calories 198

Author Spooning and Forking

Ingredients

8 Piquillo peppers roasted, drained
150 g Rice cooked
2 tbsp Olive oil extra virgin
2 cloves Garlic finely chopped
1 Onion small, finely chopped
2 tbsp Fresh Parsley chopped
1 tbsp Fresh mint chopped
50 g Manchego cheese grated
Sea salt to taste
Black pepper freshly ground, to taste

Instructions

Olive oil is warmed in a frying pan, onion and garlic are sautéed gently until soft, then rice is stirred through along with parsley, mint, and Manchego if using. The mixture is seasoned well and left to cool slightly.
Each piquillo pepper is carefully filled with the rice mixture using a spoon, then arranged on a serving plate. They can be served immediately at room temperature or warmed in a low oven for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Piquillo peppers are usually sold in jars or tins, already roasted and peeled. If unavailable, you can substitute roasted red peppers, though they’re larger and sweeter. Their flavour is milder, so they lack the slightly smoky edge of piquillos.

The rice should be cooked and cooled before stuffing. Long-grain varieties hold together well, while short-grain types give a creamier filling. Herbs bring brightness, with mint cutting through the richness of olive oil and cheese if used.

Nutrition