Table · field guide
Stuffed Bell Peppers
When the bell peppers come in thick and glossy, this is the dinner that uses four at a time. You hollow them out, pack them with a beef and rice filling, and bake until the tops brown. It is a full meal in one pan, and it freezes well for a night you do not want to cook.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. We only point to seeds and gear we would use ourselves. See our full affiliate disclosure.
Why this one works
A stuffed pepper is a whole meal that stands up on its own. The pepper is the bowl, so there is nothing else to wash. The filling is forgiving. If you are short on beef, stretch it with more rice or beans and no one will notice.
Pick peppers that sit flat or close to it. A pepper that tips over spills its filling, so choose ones with a wide, steady base.
Pick and prep the peppers
Use firm, glossy peppers with thick walls. A wall you can barely dent with a thumb holds its shape in the oven. Thin, soft peppers slump and go watery.
Slice off the tops, pull out the seeds and white ribs, and rinse the insides. If a pepper will not stand up, shave a thin slice off the bottom, but do not cut through to the inside or the filling leaks out.
Make it your own
The filling takes swaps well. A few that work:
- Swap ground turkey or Italian sausage for the beef.
- Go meatless with a can of black beans and an extra half cup of rice.
- Add a handful of chopped garden zucchini or tomato to the filling.
- Top with a spoon of salsa instead of tomato sauce for more heat.
Save the extra
Stuffed peppers freeze well, which makes a double batch worth the effort. Let them cool all the way, then wrap each one and freeze on a tray before bagging so they do not stick together.
Reheat from frozen in a 350F oven for about 40 minutes, or thaw overnight in the fridge first. One honest note: the pepper softens more after freezing, so it will not be as firm as the day you made it. The flavor holds fine.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large bell peppers
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
Method
- Heat the oven to 375F. Slice the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds and ribs.
- Brown the beef with the onion and garlic in a skillet over medium heat, about 7 minutes. Drain the fat.
- Stir in the cooked rice, diced tomatoes, half the tomato sauce, salt, pepper, and oregano.
- Stand the peppers in a baking dish and spoon the filling into each one.
- Pour the rest of the tomato sauce over the tops and cover the dish with foil.
- Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncover, add the cheese, and bake 10 more minutes until the peppers are tender.
- Let them rest 5 minutes before serving so the filling sets.
Questions, answered straight
No. Baking covered for 30 minutes softens them fully. If you like a very soft pepper, boil them for 3 minutes first, but it is not needed.
Yes. Assemble them, cover, and refrigerate up to a day. Add about 10 minutes to the covered bake time since they start cold.
Any color works. Red, orange, and yellow are sweeter because they ripened longer. Green peppers are firmer and a little sharper.