Chinese Stuffed Peppers – 夾餡菜椒

Stuffed Peppers with Black Bean Sauce - 夾餡菜椒. A Dim Sum Recipe

These Chinese Stuffed Peppers, or 夾餡菜椒, use a common Dim Sum Recipe. They are stuffed with Pork and Shrimp and served in a Black Bean Sauce.

This version of Stuffed Peppers with Black Bean Sauce features pieces of three different colored bell peppers stuffed with a seasoned mixture of shrimp and pork, then fried briefly before being finished in a sauce containing oyster sauce, rice wine and Chinese Salted Black Beans. It can, depending on the portion size, be served as a dim sum offering, a more substantial appetizer, or a side dish as art of a Chinese meal.

Ingredient Notes for Chinese Stuffed Peppers

The Recipe Card below calls for Chinese Salted Black Beans. You can certainly take a shortcut and use one of the many pre-made, commercial Black Bean Sauces available, but I counsel you to not do this, and to make the sauce from scratch. I do not find the flavor of any commercial sauces to be nearly as good as home-made.

How to Make 夾餡菜椒

The Filling Mixture for 夾餡菜椒

Finely chop the shrimp, mashing them almost to a paste but leaving some chunky pieces. Now combine this with the pork, ginger, chives, salt and pepper, and mix until nicely smooth. Place it in the refrigerator and allow the flavors to blend for a couple of hours.

Chinese Stuffed Peppers before cooking

Slice up the peppers to produce slightly curved pieces about 1 ½ inches in greatest dimension. Dust the inside of these with the cornstarch and then fill with the shrimp-pork mixture, pressing it in well and smoothing it attractively.

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Making the Black Bean Sauce for use in a Dim Sum Recipe

Chop the salted beans very coarsely and mix them together with the rice wine, sugar, oyster sauce and sesame oil. Set this aside for the moment.

Cooking the Stuffed Pepper Pieces for 夾餡菜椒

When you are ready to cook, heat a little oil in a pan over a medium flame and add the stuffed pepper pieces, stuffing side down. Allow to brown on the underside and then add a ¼ cup or so of water. Let this bubble and steam away to cook the filling thoroughly.

Finishing the Stuffed Peppers with Black Bean Sauce

When the water has evaporated, turn the pieces over and pour in the sauce. Let this heat through and then remove the pepper pieces to a serving dish or dishes. Spoon over the sauce and serve your 夾餡菜椒 hot.

Variations for Chinese Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers using  Dim Sum Recipe
Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers

In addition to the bell pepper pieces, I also stuffed some Jalapeno Peppers for a different, more spicy effect. You can also change the ratio of Pork and Shrimp in the filling mixture, omit either of them, or substitute some other meat or seafood. For an interesting kick, you might also try chili paste, or Sichuan Pepper in the sauce.

Your Recipe Card for this Dim Sum Recipe:

Stuffed Peppers with Black Bean Sauce – 夾餡菜椒

These Stuffed Peppers with Black Bean Sauce use a filling of Shrimp and Pork and are served in Oyster Sauce with Rice Wine and Salted Black Beans
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Dim Sum
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: Peppers, Pork, Salted Black Beans, Shrimp
Servings: 4 as an Appetizer
Author: John Thompson

Ingredients

  • 3 small Bell Peppers one red, one yellow and one green;
  • 6 – 8 medium shrimp peeled and deveined;
  • ½ cup ground Pork;
  • 1 tsp. minced Ginger;
  • 1 tbsp. chopped Chives;
  • 1 pinch each Salt and White Pepper;
  • 2 tbsp. Cornstarch;
  • ¼ cup Shaoxing Wine;
  • 2 tbsp. Oyster Sauce;
  • 1 tbsp. Sugar;
  • 2 tbsp. Salted Black Beans;
  • 1 – 2 drops Sesame Oil;

Instructions

  • Finely chop the shrimp, mashing them almost to a paste but leaving some chunky pieces. Combine this with the pork, ginger, chives, salt and pepper, and mix until nicely smooth. Place the mix in the refrigerator and allow the flavors to blend for a couple of hours.
  • Slice up the peppers to produce slightly curved pieces about 1 ½ inches in greatest dimension. Dust the inside of these with the cornstarch and then fill with the shrimp-pork mixture, pressing it in well and smoothing it attractively.
  • Chop the salted beans very coarsely and mix them together with the rice wine, sugar, oyster sauce and sesame oil. Set this aside for the moment.
  • When you are ready to cook, heat a little oil in a pan over a medium flame and add the stuffed pepper pieces, stuffing side down. Allow to brown on the underside and then add a ¼ cup or so of water. Let this bubble and steam away to cook the filling thoroughly.
  • When the water has evaporated, turn the pieces over and pour in the sauce. Let this heat through and then remove the pepper pieces to a serving dish or dishes. Spoon over the sauce and serve hot.

3 Comments

  1. Hi John,
    Great food.
    I grew up eating stuffed peppers, which my Mom prepared deliciously 🙂
    Cheers !

Comments, questions or suggestions most welcome!