{"id":44388,"date":"2025-10-14T16:40:59","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T20:40:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/omnivorescookbook.com\/?p=44388"},"modified":"2025-10-14T16:41:00","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T20:41:00","slug":"chinese-stuffed-peppers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/omnivorescookbook.com\/chinese-stuffed-peppers\/","title":{"rendered":"Chinese Stuffed Peppers (\u9752\u6912\u917f\u8089)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

My stuffed peppers recipe is a Northern Chinese version, featuring juicy and tender pork stuffed peppers, pan fried until blistered, then finished with a rich brown sauce. It is quite easy to put together and perfect for making ahead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Chinese<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Stuffed peppers are a very popular dish across China, and each region has their own version and flavor profile. Some of the most well-known stuffed peppers are from Cantonese dim sum, usually using a smooth shrimp or fish filling to stuff the bell peppers, finished up with a black bean sauce. In this post, I want to share a Northern Chinese stuffed pepper recipe. Different from the Cantonese version, my recipe uses ground pork for the filling, with water chestnuts for texture. The peppers are pan grilled, then briefly braised in a garlicky brown sauce for a rich flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The finished dish is satisfying and hearty. It\u2019s easy enough to put together on a weeknight, and impressive enough for a Sunday dinner centerpiece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ingredients<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What type of pepper to use?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Cubanelle<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My favorite pepper for this dish is Cubanelle pepper<\/strong>, or Cuban pepper. It is a mild, sweet pepper with a little heat. It is not too big to cook with and yet not too small to stuff. The skin is thin, very similar to the type of pepper we use in China. Alternatively, Anaheim pepper<\/strong> is another great option that is quite similar to the Cuban pepper. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When picking Cuban peppers, try to use the ones on the smaller side with a straight shape. So it will have a nice pepper-to-filling ratio and be easier to stuff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I prefer not to use bell peppers since most that I\u2019ve found in the US are quite large and have thick skin. If you want to use bell peppers for this dish, I would slice the peppers into shallow boats (a little smaller than half of a bell pepper) that\u2019s about 1\u201d deep. So it achieves a similarly sized stuffing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stuffing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Ingredients<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In Northern China, ground pork is the default filling for stuffed pepper. My recipe uses Shaoxing wine and soy sauce for umami, and ginger and scallion for fragrance. I also add minced water chestnuts for a crunchy crispy texture. The egg and cornstarch work as a binder and tenderizer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sauce<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I use a simple brown sauce to braise the peppers. It is chicken stock based, with soy sauce and oyster sauce for flavor. The dark soy sauce adds a nice deep brown color to the sauce. Sugar is used as a hidden flavor to balance out the saltiness, and garlic is added for fragrance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to make<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mix all the filling ingredients together. Make sure to beat the filling in one circular direction until it becomes sticky. This helps ensure that the filling binds together and doesn\u2019t fall out of the peppers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mixing<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To stuff the peppers, cut off the tops and remove the seeds as thoroughly as you can using a paring knife. Use a small spoon with a long handle to stuff the filling. Make sure to pack in as much filling as you can. If you don\u2019t have enough filling to stuff the final pepper, simply cut off the ends of the unfilled pepper. This will ensure better browning later on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"How<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Grill the peppers in a hot pan until the surface is blistered. To char the peppers properly, first make sure to dry the pepper surface as thoroughly as you can to prevent splatter. Cook the peppers in a hot pan and do not move them. Let them cook for at least two minutes before checking, and it usually takes three minutes to brown each side. If the pan starts to smoke heavily, turn to medium heat. Blister all sides to create a nice texture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pan<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Once all sides of the peppers are charred, brown the meat stuffing side. Nicely shaped Cuban peppers can usually stand up by themselves in the pan. If they don\u2019t, use a pair of tongs to char one pepper at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pan<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Pour in the sauce and cover the pan. Braise for 5 minutes, until the filling is cooked through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cover<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then transfer the peppers to a serving plate. Add the cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Reduce<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Pour the sauce over the plated peppers to finish up the dish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Chinese<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How to serve <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You can serve these stuffed peppers as a main course by itself, but I really like to serve it with steamed rice. It\u2019s also great to serve the dish as a centerpiece of a larger meal, along with an appetizer, soup, and sides. Here are some pairing suggestions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n