A recipe for irresistible poblano peppers stuffed with Cajun spiced shrimp, melty Manchego and goat cheeses, and basil, then baked or grilled, always a hit! Also try my Southwest Stuffed Poblano Peppers.
Cajun Shrimp Stuffed Poblano Peppers Recipe
Once again, I must extoll the wonderful virtues of the stuffed chili pepper. Stuffed peppers are easy to make, satisfy like no other, and allow for a nearly infinite level of creativity.
Practically anything you can conceive of can be stuffed into a chili pepper and made better.
You can grill your stuffed peppers or bake them, whichever you prefer. Or how about the crock pot? Today I chose poblano peppers.
I had a couple of these left in the fridge, some decent sized ones, and they were begging me to stuff them. "Please please!" They were calling my name.
And so was the shrimp. Cajun shrimp!
When working with shrimp, Cajun is such a tasty way to go. You don't often get to mix seafood with cheese in an effective way, but this is one of them.
The combination of Cajun shrimp with the mixture of Manchego and goat cheese, along with the basil and hot sauce -- it's just so good. It defintely belongs on both mine and Patty's favorite recipes lists.
Cajun Shrimp Stuffed Poblano Peppers Ingredients
- Poblano Peppers.
- Olive Oil.
- Onion. Chopped.
- Jalapeno Pepper. Chopped (or use a serrano pepper for more heat).
- Garlic Cloves. Chopped.
- Shrimp. Peeled and deveined.
- Cajun Seasonings.
- Goat Cheese.
- Manchego Cheese. Shredded.
- Basil Leaves. Shredded.
- Hot Sauce. If desired.
- Fresh Cilantro. Chopped, for topping.
How to Make Cajun Shrimp Stuffed Poblano Peppers - The Recipe Method
ONE: First, roast your poblano peppers (more on that below). Cool them slightly and peel off the skins. See: How to Roast Poblano Peppers.
TWO: Next, cook down some onion, jalapeno (or serrano) peppers and garlic in a pan until they are softened up and begin to caramelize. This will add a LOT of flavor. Scoop them into a mixing bowl.
THREE: Season the sear the shrimp in the same pan. I used a good Homemade Cajun Seasoning blend that I love, though you can use your own preferred blend.
FOUR: Chop the cooked shrimp and add them to the mixing bowl.
FIVE: Add in your goat cheese, Manchego cheese and fresh basil. If you want to add a bit of heat, splash in a tablespoon or two of your favorite hot sauce here. Mix it all up!
SIX: Slice open the poblano peppers and scoop out the seeds and any of the innards you want to remove. The peppers will be a bit floppy, so be careful not to cut through the back side.
SEVEN: Stuff the peppers with your cheesy-shrimp mixture, then bake them for 20-30 minutes, or until the cheeses are nice and melted through.
EIGHT: Remove, set them onto a serving plate, then garnish with some fresh chopped parsley and spicy chili flakes.
BOOM! DONE!
Good stuff! Having a good hot sauce on hand makes for a quick and easy recipe like stuffed peppers.
Roasting the Poblano Peppers
Roasting the peppers before cooking is not essential, but adds some great flavor to the finished recipe. You can learn how to roast chili peppers here, but here is a simple broiler method.
ONE: First, set your oven to broil. Slice the poblano peppers in half lengthwise and set them onto a lightly oiled baking sheet.
TWO: Broil them for about 10-15 minutes, or until the skins puff up and char and loosen from the pepper flesh. Flip them halfway through the process to get both sides.
Remove them from the oven and let them cool enough to handle.
THREE: Peel off the skins with your fingers. They should remove easily.
Ready for stuffing!
Recipe Variations and Cooking Tips
I like to roast the poblanos before stuffing, but you can make this recipe without the roasting. If you prefer, simply slice the poblano peppers in half and set them skin sides down on a baking sheet. Stuff them with the cheese-shrimp mixture, then bake them for 30-40 minutes instead of 20-30 minutes.
It helps to add a bit of water to your baking sheet or pan to help soften up the poblano pepper skins. They come out very good this way as well.
You can use your grill to bake these up. Just be sure to use some sort of a pan so the peppers don't fall apart or fall through the grates.
You can also vary up the cheeses. If you can't find goat cheese, cream cheese is a good alternative. I love manchego, but any melty cheese can work, such at colby jack or sharp cheddar.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- I prefer using a good Homemade Cajun Seasoning blend that I love for this recipe, but you can use your own preferred blend.
- When slicing open the peppers, note that the peppers will be a bit floppy, so be careful not to cut through the back side.
- Roasting the peppers before cooking is not essential, but adds some great flavor to the finished recipe.
Storage & Leftovers
Storing your Cajun Shrimp Stuffed Poblano Peppers in an airtight container in the fridge may allow to keep them for up to 3-4 days. To maximize the storage life, make sure to refrigerate the peppers promptly and reheat properly.
Check Out Some My Other Popular Stuffed Peppers Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I'm happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.
Cajun Shrimp Stuffed Poblano Peppers Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large poblano peppers
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 jalapeno pepper chopped (or use a serrano pepper for more heat)
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 8 ounces shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasonings or more to taste
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- 4 ounces shredded Manchego cheese
- 10 or so large basil leaves shredded
- 1 tablespoon or more of your favorite hot sauce if desired
- Fresh cilantro chopped, for topping
Instructions
- Roast the poblano peppers in an oven on BROIL, not too close to the heat source for 15 minutes, or until the skins puff up and char. FLip them halfway through to get both sides. Remove from heat, cool slightly, then peel off the skins.
- Slice the poblano peppers in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides. Set onto a large baking dish.
- Add the shrimp to a mixing bowl and coat with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Toss with Cajun seasonings.
- Heat a pan to medium heat and add 1 teaspoon olive oil. Cook the onion and peppers about 5 minutes, softening them up.
- Add the garlic and cook another minute. Scoop the mixture into a large mixing bowl.
- Cook the shrimp in the same pan a couple minutes per side, until cooked through. Cool and chop. Into a mixing bowl they go.
- Add cheeses, basil and hot sauce (if using). Mix well.
- Scoop the mixture into the peppers and bake 20-30 minutes at 375 degrees F, to your preference.
- Top with fresh cilantro, spicy chili flakes, and serve with extra hot sauce! Serves 2.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
This recipe was updated on 6/14/18 to include new photos and a video. The original recipe was published on 7/15/15.
These photos are of the recipe made without roasting the peppers. Still delicious!
Cindi says
I have made these for the hubby MANY times as per your most amazing recipe. Tonight, however I will use some Swai, instead of shrimp (it's what I have at the moment lol) I've no doubt the flavors will be amazing!!! I honestly think the secret ingredient is the homemade cajun spice!
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent! Glad you're enjoying this recipe so much, Cindi! I love to hear it! Thanks for sharing. =)
Tracy says
Hello Mike! First of all, we absolutely love your recipes and always look forward to making them knowing that they will be our favorites. You can’t get “too hot” for us so we were so excited to find your amazing recipes. We were recently given an air fryer as a gift and have been hesitant to try it out much because we tend to do everything in oven or on grill. Have you tried this recipe in an air fryer? This is one of our all time favs (we use your Cajun seasoning literally on just about everything we make now) and don”t want to screw it up by trying it in the air fryer Thoughts? Thank you and again thanks for sharing your amazing spicy dishes!
Mike Hultquist says
Hi, Tracy. Thanks! I actually got a new air fryer/toaster oven a few months back and have been using it more and more for certain things. In this case, yes, I believe it would work nicely. You can even toast the peppers in the air fryer, then peel, stuff, place back in the air fryer and bake/air fry until the cheese is melty. You may need to adjust for time, but just keep an eye on them. Let me know how it turns out for you!
Sheri says
My new favorite recipe. My family loves it. I’ve already made it three times. I substituted the goat cheese with cream cheese and it’s delicious.
Mike H. says
Awesome - thank you, Sheri! Enjoy! =)
Joanna says
I found this recipe years ago and have been making it part of our Christmas Eve Feast of Seven Fishes every year since. This recipe is very forgiving. I increase the quantities for 8 peppers which I slice in half and par-bake with olive oil before I stuff them. I've used different spice blends, different cheeses and it's always a smash success. My family looks forward to it every Christmas eve. Thank you for a great recipe!
Mike H. says
Thank you for the feedback, Joanna. I am very happy to hear that!
Fred says
I'm looking at this recipe and your Rajas poblanas recipe.
You roast the poblanos 2 different ways. I think I've seen a recipe where you toasted peppers on the stove top.
Which is the best way?
Mike Hultquist says
Fred, I usually do mine on the stovetop over open flame when only doing a few. The grill is GREAT when I'm doing larger batches, though oven roasting is very easy. It just takes a bit longer usually, or oven broil. I don't have a preferred method, as they all work well. See my post on How to Roast Poblanos for more info: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/cooking-with-chili-peppers/how-to-roast-poblano-peppers/
Jennifer says
This recipe is absolutely incredible. We've made it a dozen times and love it more each time.
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you're enjoying it, Jennifer!
Cindi says
I have made these several times and I think I like them more each time I make them!!! Mostly because I tend to use different cheeses (whatever I have on hand lol) and I love to make up all your different chili pepper seasonings as it gives a new and exciting flavor profile!!! I've even substituted the poblanos (my grocery store doesn't always have them in stock) with hatch chilis, while we camped in New Mexico!!!
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome to hear, Cindi! Very happy you are enjoying the recipe! It's fun to experiment. I love it.
Ed Moder says
Can I give this 6 stars? WOW - we loved it. I think this might be tied with the shrimp fra diavolo for best recipe so far.
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We used poblanos that were from Connie's garden last year. She had already roasted them cored them and cut them, so this was an EASY recipe to make. lol
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Next I hope will be the breakfast stuffed peppers.
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Mike Hultquist says
Wow, Ed, I don't think I would have picked this as a favorite for you guys, but you never know! Glad you both enjoyed it! Don't tell me when you find a recipe you don't like! LOL.
Cathy says
These were delicious but we are trying to watch our salt intake. The Manchego seemed to taste very salty because we have cut back so much. Is there another cheese you could recommend
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Cathy. Glad you enjoyed it, but I understand the sodium issue. This can work with many cheeses, so look for low sodium options, like mozzarella or Swiss.
Dan True says
This is one of our favorites. We use more garlic and just slice it.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks for sharing!
Barry says
Thanks for the great recipe Mike, I actually had more filling than I needed, maybe my poblanos were a little smaller, so I used the remainder to stuff some large portabello caps and they were amazing as well, thanks again, I'll definitely be making this one again and again
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Barry. Yes, I love this as a mushroom stuffing. Perfect way to enjoy it as well! Thanks for sharing this.
Kelly says
Fantastic! I had feta cheese...so that is what I used. Roasted the jalapeño with the poblano pepper. Gotta use what ya have!
Mike Hultquist says
Yes! Glad you enjoyed it, Kelly!
Camille McClendon says
Can you make these and freeze them for later?
Mike Hultquist says
Yes, you can do that, Camille. Check out this page: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/cooking-with-chili-peppers/freezing-stuffed-peppers/