Do you ever stroll by the bins of brightly colored peppers at the farmers market and marvel at their beauty...then wonder what you should make with them? Wonder no more! Make these delicious Shrimp Stuffed Peppers with Smoky Romesco Sauce.
Hungarian wax peppers usually carry a little heat, although the level of heat can vary. They are the perfect size for stuffing with meat or cheese or seafood, baking, and serving to party guests. If you can't find Hungarian wax peppers, a variety of peppers can be substituted (see the FAQ section below).
The smoky Romesco echoes a similar flavor profile as the peppers, with a fruity, smoky, slightly spicy sauciness. Perfect to use as a dip or creamy bed for your Hungarian stuffed peppers.
What you'll need to make this recipe:
Before we get to the step by step directions, a few notes about the ingredients:
Peppers: the recipe calls for Hungarian wax peppers, but almost any type of pepper of a similar shape would be a good substitute, depending on your tolerance for heat. Anaheim peppers, cubanelle peppers, hot banana peppers, sweet banana peppers or even red or green bell peppers or the mini-mixed peppers. Very hot peppers like serrano or habaneros will overwhelm the more delicate flavor of the shrimp filling.
Manchego cheese: Parmesan, Monterey Jack, cream cheese or even sharp cheddar are good substitutes, or omit the cheese for a dairy-free recipe.
Bread crumbs: the recipe calls for dry bread crumbs. I used homemade crumbs, but substitute panko or even seasoned regular bread crumbs.
Vinegar: the recipe calls for red wine vinegar, but sherry vinegar is an authentic option for the romesco sauce!
Full ingredient list and measurements included in the printable recipe card below.
Step by step instructions:
1. Cook aromatics
To begin, preheat your oven to 400℉.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until fragrant and tender, about 4-5 minutes.
2. Prep stuffing mix
While cooking, combine diced raw shrimp, breadcrumbs, shredded cheese, cilantro, lemon juice, egg, cornstarch, salt and smoked paprika in a bowl.
Once the onions and garlic have finished cooking, let them cool for about 5 minutes, then add the sautéed vegetables to the shrimp mixture and stir to combine.
3. Stuff and bake peppers
Cut the top off each wax pepper and pull out the membrane and seeds. Stuff peppers with the shrimp mixture, pushing the paste as far into the pepper as possible, while leaving a little room at the top for the stuffing to expand (so don't fill it as much as I did here!)
Lightly drizzle a baking sheet with olive oil. Lay the stuffed peppers onto the sheet pan and drizzle olive oil over the top. Bake the stuffed peppers for about 20 minutes - until the top of the peppers are nicely golden brown and tender to the touch, and the filling is cooked through.
4. Make Romesco sauce
While the peppers are baking, Combine all sauce ingredients in food processor. Pulse until mostly smooth, adding an additional tablespoon of olive oil or warm water, if needed, to thin the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Plate and serve
To serve, spread a layer of Romesco across the bottom of your serving plate.
Arrange shrimp stuffed Hungarian wax peppers over the top of the roasted pepper and tomato sauce. Garnish with additional toasted almonds and cilantro, if desired.
Looking for more seafood appetizers?
- Crispy Shrimp in Hot Honey Lemon Pepper Sauce
- Seafood Stuffed Potatoes
- Mediterranean Charcuterie Board (Mezze Platter)
FAQ’s and Serving Suggestions:
Almost any type of pepper of a similar shape would be a good substitute - just depending on your tolerance for heat. Anaheim peppers, cubanelle peppers, hot banana peppers, sweet banana peppers or even red or green bell peppers. Very hot peppers like serrano or habaneros would overwhelm the more delicate flavor of the shrimp filling. But if spicy food is your jam, go for it!
Mozzarella is a lovely melty cheese to add into this stuffing. It is less flavorful than manchego, so you may want to create your own cheese mixture of mozzarella with a little parmesan cheese. Monterey jack, cream cheese or sharp cheddar could also work.
Absolutely - the flavor will be modified, but walnuts or hazelnuts would work.
You can leave them out and add a little extra cheese, or use gluten free bread crumbs or cracker crumbs as a substitute.
Fresh parsley is a great option, and fresh basil would also work.
You can make the filling and stuff the peppers the day before you bake them. Just keep them in the refrigerator and well chilled until baking.
Leftover stuffing can be used in cabbage rolls, mushroom caps, or just sauteed as shrimp meatballs and added to soup or pasta for your main meal.
To store, transfer cooked stuffed peppers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to two days.
Shrimp Stuffed Peppers with Romesco Sauce
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 (appetizer portions) 1x
Ingredients
For the stuffed peppers:
12 Hungarian wax peppers (or similar)
¾ cup onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, diced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cups raw shrimp, diced fine
½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
½ cup manchego cheese, shredded
¼ cup cilantro, diced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 egg
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
For the Romesco Sauce:
3 roasted tomatoes, or 1 cup canned fire roasted tomatoes
¾ cup roasted red peppers
½ cup toasted almonds, sliced or slivered
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste
¼ teaspoon of smoked paprika
Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Heat tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until fragrant and tender, about 4-5 minutes. While cooking, combine diced raw shrimp, breadcrumbs, shredded cheese, cilantro, lemon juice, egg, cornstarch, salt and smoked paprika in a bowl. Once the onions and garlic have finished cooking, let them cool for about 5 minutes, then add the sautéed vegetables to the shrimp mixture and stir to combine.
- Cut the top off each wax pepper and pull out the membrane and seeds. Stuff peppers with the shrimp mixture, pushing the paste as far into the pepper as possible, while leaving room at the top for the filling to expand as it bakes.
- Lightly drizzle a sheet pan with olive oil. Lay the stuffed peppers onto the sheet pan and bake for about 20 minutes - until the peppers are nicely golden brown, tender to the touch and the filling is cooked through.
- While the peppers are cooking, make the smoky Romesco sauce. Combine all sauce ingredients in food processor. Pulse until mostly smooth, adding an additional tablespoon of olive oil or warm water, if needed, to thin the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sample and adjust seasoning.
- To serve, spread a layer of Romesco across the bottom of your serving plate. Arrange shrimp stuffed Hungarian wax peppers over the top of the roasted pepper and tomato sauce. Top with additional diced cilantro and toasted almonds.
Notes
Substitute parsley or chives for cilantro, if needed.
Mozzarella is a lovely melty cheese to add into this stuffing. It is less flavorful than Manchego, so you may want to create your own cheese mixture of mozzarella with a little parmesan cheese. Monterey jack, cream cheese or sharp cheddar could also work.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 35
- Category: Easy Recipes
- Method: Stove Top, Oven
- Cuisine: American
Sharon
Made this with banana peppers and they turned out great. The red pepper sauce was to die for. I was eating it with a spoon by the end of the night. Will make again!
Christina Jolam
Banana peppers are a great choice! So glad you loved the recipe. Thanks for coming back to leave a helpful review, Sharon!