Best Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Tender bell peppers stuffed with a zesty ground beef, sausage, rice, and tomato filling. Top this stuffed pepper recipe with cheese and bake until bubbly.

Bell Peppers filled with a zesty filling are a recipe that everyone loves! They take a little bit of time to make but are easy to make.

I usually cut my peppers across the top but you can also cut them top to bottom to make smaller portions (like in these Taco Stuffed Peppers).

While you don’t have to precook the peppers, they will be quite crisp if you don’t pre-cook them. We much prefer the flavor when they’ve been cooked a bit before filling them.

Stuffed peppers should be cooked at about 350°F for about 45 minutes. Be sure to cover with foil during the initial 30-35 minutes to ensure they do not dry out. Uncover and top with cheese and bake for the remaining 10 minutes or so until brown and bubbly.

These are a full meal on their own but we love to serve them with crusty bread or homemade rolls for sopping up any sauce in the bowl.

Absolutely! We love stuffed peppers because they’re delicious but they also freeze beautifully. Since the filling is cooked these can be frozen either before or after baking. To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight and cook for 30-40 minutes or until heated through.

This easy stuffed peppers recipe can frozen either before or after baking. To Freeze Stuffed Peppers prepare as directed below and freeze in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Thaw in the fridge overnight and bake for 30-40 minutes or until heated through.

Once baked, leftovers can be frozen individually or together in a baking dish. To reheat, simply thaw in the fridge overnight and bake in a 350°F oven until heated through.

Bell peppers are great added to sauces, soups, stews and more! Here are a few of our favorite bell pepper recipes!

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

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Stuffed Peppers

These classic stuffed peppers take easy, healthy weeknight dinner to a whole new level.

Prep: 20min

Total: 20min

Yield: 6 serving(s)

Nutrition Facts: calories 427 Calories, Fat 26 g, Saturated Fat 10 g, Trans Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 70 mg, Sodium 773 mg, Carbohydrate 22 g, Fiber 5 g, Sugar 8 g, Protein 21 g

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. uncooked rice
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 6 bell peppers, tops and cores removed
• 1 c. shredded Monterey jack
• Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish

Instruction:

1. Preheat oven to 400°. In a small saucepan, prepare rice according to package instructions. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Cook onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 6 minutes. Drain fat.
2. Return beef mixture to skillet, then stir in cooked rice and diced tomatoes. Season with oregano, salt, and pepper. Let simmer until liquid has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes.
3. Place peppers cut side-up in a 9″-x-13″ baking dish and drizzle with oil. Spoon beef mixture into each pepper and top with Monterey jack, then cover baking dish with foil.
4. Bake until peppers are tender, about 35 minutes. Uncover and bake until cheese is bubbly, 10 minutes more.
5. Garnish with parsley before serving.

Easy Stuffed Peppers

Tender bell peppers are stuffed with a zesty beef & rice filling with tomato sauce, then baked until golden & bubbly!

Prep: 20min

Total: 85min

Yield: 6

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 385 kcal, Carbohydrate 29 g, Protein 18 g, Fat 21 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Cholesterol 64 mg, Sodium 922 mg, Fiber 4 g, Sugar 11 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 6 bell peppers
• ½ pound lean ground beef
• ½ pound Italian sausage
• 1 small onion (diced)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 can small diced tomatoes (14 ½ ounces, with juice)
• ½ cup white rice (uncooked)
• 1 ¼ cups water
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• salt & pepper (to taste)
• 2 ½ cups marinara sauce (divided)
• ½ cup mozzarella or cheddar cheese (shredded, optional)

Instruction:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Cut the tops off the peppers (reserve the tops), remove and discard the seeds and membranes. Chop tops of the peppers to add to the filling.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook peppers for 5 minutes or cook the peppers in an air fryer at 400°F for 5 minutes. Remove and drain well if simmering.
4. In a large skillet, brown beef, sausage, onion & garlic over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Drain any fat.
5. Stir in the diced tomatoes with juice, rice, water, diced pepper tops, Worcestershire sauce, and Italian seasoning. Add salt & pepper to taste.
6. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cover. Cook 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender. You can add more water if needed. Stir in ½ cup marinara sauce.
7. Place 1 ½ cups of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 pan and place peppers cut-side-up in pan. Fill each pepper with the rice mixture. Spoon remaining marinara sauce over peppers.
8. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil, baste peppers with any sauce in the bottom. Top with cheddar and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and peppers are tender.

Stuffed Peppers

Classic stuffed peppers filled with ground beef, rice, tomato sauce, and cheese make an easy weeknight supper.

Prep: 30min

Total: 1h15min

Yield: 4 to 6

Serving Size: One 1/2 pepper

Nutrition Facts: servingSize One 1/2 pepper, calories 381, Fat 24 g, Carbohydrate 17 g, Protein 24 g, Saturated Fat 9 g, unSaturated Fat , Sugar 6 g, Fiber 3 g, Sodium 646 mg, Cholesterol 74 mg

Ingredients:

• 1 pound 90% lean ground beef
• 1¼ teaspoons salt, divided
• Heaping ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 3 large red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, cut in half from the stem to the bottom and cored
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1½ teaspoons chili powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup cooked rice, quinoa, or any grain
• 1½ cups shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar Jack cheese

Instruction:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
2. Tenderize the beef: In a medium bowl, using your hands, mash the beef with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the baking soda. Let sit for 20 minutes while you continue with the recipe.
3. Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with aluminum foil for easy clean-up, if you like. Place the peppers, cut side up, in the baking dish; drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.
4. Roast the peppers for about 20 minutes, until slightly browned and tender-crisp. A bit of liquid will accumulate in the bottom of the peppers; that’s okay.
5. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more; do not brown. Add the ground beef mixture, chili powder, cumin, and oregano and increase the heat to medium high. Cook, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon, until the meat is browned and almost cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil; reduce the heat to medium low and cook, uncovered, until the meat is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and ¾ cup of the cheese, and stir until melted. Remove the skillet from the heat.
6. Remove the peppers from the oven and spoon the meat filling evenly into the peppers. Sprinkle with the remaining ¾ cup cheese and place back in the oven. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until the filling is hot and the cheese is melted and bubbling, and serve.
7. Make-Ahead Instructions: The peppers can be partially cooked and filled with the beef mixture up to 2 days ahead of time and refrigerated, or frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, defrost overnight in the refrigerator if frozen, cover the dish with foil, and bake in a 425°F-oven for about 15 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and remove and discard the foil. Top the peppers with the cheese and place back in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until the filling is heated through and the cheese is melted.

Stuffed Peppers

How to make the best stuffed peppers with ground beef, rice, and cheese. A quick and easy stuffed pepper recipe you can make ahead. Healthy!

Prep: 10min

Total: 50min

Yield: 8

Serving Size: 1 pepper half (of 8)

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 pepper half (of 8), calories 201 kcal, Carbohydrate 14 g, Protein 18 g, Fat 8 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Trans Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 49 mg, Fiber 3 g, Sugar 4 g, unSaturated Fat 4 g

Ingredients:

• 4 large bell peppers (any mix of colors you like; red is our favorite)
• 1 pound lean ground beef (or swap for ground turkey or ground chicken)
• 1 small yellow onion (diced)
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups roughly torn fresh spinach
• 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juices ((15 ounces))
• 1 cup cooked brown rice (or farro, quinoa, cauliflower rice, or orzo (if using orzo, undercook it slightly))
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese (or additional cheddar)
• For serving: chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Instruction:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Slice the bell peppers in half from top to bottom down through the stem. Remove the seeds and membranes, then arrange cut side up in the prepared baking dish.
2. Heat a Dutch oven or similar deep, wide skillet over medium-high. Add the beef and onion. With a wooden spoon or spatula, break the meat into small pieces. Cook and stir until the meat is browned and fully cooked and the onion is tender, about 7 minutes. Drain off any excess fat.
3. Stir in the Italian seasoning, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Let cook for 30 seconds.
4. Stir in the spinach a few handfuls at a time, cooking until it wilts down; this will take between 1 and 2 minutes.
5. Pour in the can of diced tomatoes along with the juices. Let simmer for 1 minute.
6. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the rice (or your grain of choice), 1/4 cup of the cheddar, and 1/4 cup of the pepper jack. Taste and add additional salt and/or pepper as desired.
7. With a spoon, mound the filling inside the peppers, then top with the remaining cheeses. The peppers will be very full.
8. Pour a bit of water into the pan with the peppers—just enough to scantly cover the bottom of the pan. I like to put the water in a liquid measuring cup, then carefully pour it around the outside (be careful not to pour it into the peppers themselves).
9. Bake the stuffed peppers uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the peppers are tender and the cheese is melted. Top with parsley or cilantro. Serve hot.

How To Make Easy Stuffed Bell Peppers | Chef Jean-Pierre

FAQ

Should peppers be boiled before stuffing?

How do you soften peppers before stuffing?

Should I blanch bell peppers before stuffing?