Stuffed Peppers
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Classic stuffed peppers loaded with savory ground beef, rice, tomato sauce, and melty cheese—comforting, crowd-pleasing, and easy enough for a weeknight.
Almost every cuisine has its own version of stuffed peppers—bell peppers filled with some combination of meat, tomato sauce, vegetables, rice, and cheese. In the U.S., the dish is undeniably retro (the most popular recipe online is still the one from Betty Crocker!). Here, I’ve given the classic recipe a little update by quickly tenderizing the beef before cooking and seasoning it with Southwestern spices, which pair perfectly with the sweetness of the bell peppers. That said, the recipe is endlessly flexible—you can switch up the meat, spices, grain, or cheese to give it a whole new twist. I like to serve this version with cornbread.
The peppers need a head start in the oven so they cook all the way through. A lot of recipes call for boiling them first, but I prefer roasting—more flavor, less cleanup! Just slice the peppers in half from top to bottom, scoop out the seeds and membranes, and roast until they’re tender-crisp.
“These stuffed peppers are so good I was asked to make them for dinner twice in one week! And there were leftovers in between!”
What You’ll Need To Make Stuffed Peppers
When selecting bell peppers, look for peppers that are bright, shiny and firm. They should not have wrinkled skin, soft spots, or moldy stems. I prefer red, orange, or yellow peppers; green peppers are unripe and have an unpleasant, somewhat bitter taste. (If left to fully ripen, green peppers will eventually turn another color, and the flavor will become increasingly sweet.) Bell peppers keep for up to a week in the refrigerator crisper drawer.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Tenderize the beef. In a medium bowl, combine the beef with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the baking soda. Mix it with your hands until it’s evenly combined, then let it sit for 20 minutes while you prep the rest of the recipe. The baking soda works its magic during this time—it raises the pH, which helps the beef stay tender and juicy as it cooks. (I use this tenderizing technique in many ground beef recipes, including beef enchiladas, beef chili, and shepherd’s pie.)
Step 2: Prepare the peppers. Slice the peppers in half from top to bottom, then scoop out the seeds and membranes with your hands or a small knife.
Step 3: Pre-roast the peppers. Place the pepper halves cut side up in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and sprinkle with the remaining salt. Roast for about 20 minutes, until they’re just starting to brown and are tender but still holding their shape. Don’t worry if some liquid collects in the peppers—that’s totally normal.
Step 4: Make the filling. 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.
To the skillet, 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, about 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 cooked rice and 3/4 cup of the cheese.
Stir until melted and remove the skillet from the heat.
Step 5: Fill the peppers. Take the peppers out of the oven and spoon the meat filling evenly into each one. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining ¾ cup of cheese.
Step 6: Bake. Return the filled peppers to the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the filling is hot and the cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve warm and enjoy!
Video Tutorial
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Stuffed Peppers
Hearty, comforting, and always a hit—these stuffed peppers are easy to make, great for leftovers, and freezer-friendly too.
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
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- 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.
- Line a 9x13-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.
- 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.
- 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 cooked rice and ¾ cup of the cheese, and stir until melted. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- 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.
- 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.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Serving size: One 1/2 pepper
- Calories: 381
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Sodium: 646 mg
- Cholesterol: 74 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Comments
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How could I have not made stuffed peppers for so long? This recipe is just like my mother’s. I think I will make it Sunday, maybe with a few adjustments. Thanks for the inspiration.
We love stuffed peppers and I never thought to roast the peppers rather than parboil. Great idea and I cannot wait to try this recipe.
If I use 93% lean ground turkey, do I still need to tenderize with the baking soda? Or is that step only needed when using beef?
Nope – only with beef 🙂
Hi Jen,
When you say to tenderize the meat and let it sit; is that at room temp or back in the fridge? Thanks!
Hi Turtle, It’s only 20 minutes, so you can leave out or put it in fridge. Hope that clarifies. 🙂
Thank you! Would it be possible to get a little list of the other variations if/when you have time? It says that you can change up the spices and I was curious to try making those as well. I have some big stuffed pepper fans here! 🙂 Thanks as always! Your recipes are always a big hit!
Hi Turtle,
You could replace the cumin and chili powder with a few tablespoons of chopped fresh basil and replace the cheese with mozzarella and Parmigianno-Reggiano for an Italian twist. Another delicious version I’ve made is with ground chicken (skip the tenderizing with baking soda), fresh basil, diced tomatoes (instead of the sauce), and smoked mozzarella (there’s a recipe for this on Cook’s Illustrated).
It was a HUGE hit! They liked it better than Chef John’s stuffed peppers, which has been our go-to recipe. And it was so easy! Thanks for another great recipe! I’m eager to try the Italian version next!
Hi Jenn,
I’m going to make the Italian version that you mentioned, but with hot Italian sausage. Do I still add the oregano? Also, do I skip tenderizing it? Thanks!
You could probably skip the oregano and can definitely skip the tenderizing. Please LMK how they turn out!
I tried the Italian version using mild Italian sausage, a pinch of oregano, parmigiana and mozzarella cheese. I also added fresh basil as you suggested. So far this is my wife’s favorite version! I love how you can change up this recipe so many ways! Tomorrow I’m making your individual meatloafs from the new cookbook!
So glad it came out well — thanks for reporting back! 🙂
Haven’t cooked this yet, but it was so fun to see this recipe that was very much a part of summer meals from my childhood. My mom used peppers and tomatoes right from the garden (though the tomatoes don’t hold up nearly as well as the peppers). I’m looking forward to trying this (though I’ll probably lean more to Italian spices that I enjoy most) and reliving a great memory! Thanks for adding it to your site.
I made this recipe tonight. Thanks, Jenn. As usual, your recipe did not disappoint. Very flavorful. I used shredded Mexican cheese which is what I had on hand. The peppers were delicious! What a great idea to roast them. Also, I never thought to try red, yellow and orange peppers since my usual stuffed pepper recipe calls for green peppers so that’s all I’ve ever used. What a nice sweet taste vs the bitter taste of the green peppers. I used to eat the filling but not the pepper. Tonight I enjoyed it all! I didn’t have chili powder so I substituted red pepper flakes. The meal was absolutely delicious and what a nice presentation! Mouth watering to look at and the kitchen smelled divine. Thanks for another delicious recipe. You are my amazing culinary goddess!
Delicious and easy. I substituted riced cauliflower (used store bought frozen) and ground turkey for a lower carb/fat version. Both worked great. Had leftovers for lunch. Yum!
Hi Jenn,
Looking forward to making these tomorrow night. I’d like to double the recipe and freeze some. Should I cook them before I freeze? Then do I cook them when frozen?
Thanks!
Kelly
Hi Kelly, I would prepare them up to point where they are filled and topped with cheese, then freeze. When ready to eat, thaw them overnight in the fridge and then follow the make-ahead instructions in the recipe to heat. Hope that helps!
My husband doesn’t like rice. I dice some zucchini and mix that in with the meat, cheese mixture.
Hi Jen: Monterey Jack and Cheddar Jack cheese are hard for me to find. Can I use cheddar and if so should it be a strong cheddar or a milder one?
Thank you for all your good recipes.
Sure, Susanna, that’s fine and I’d probably go with a sharp Cheddar. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jen: Do you think barley would work in this recipe? I made it as is and it was great, but I have some barley and considered using it
Sure, Audrey, barley is fine to use here. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn, this dish looks delicious! Would it still work if I substituted ground chicken or Turkey for the beef?
Yep, I’ve tried it; just skip the baking soda and tenderizing step and add 1 tsp salt to the meat in the pan. 🙂
Hi Jen,
If I use ground turkey for this recipe do I still tenderize the meat? This sounds delicious and I am anxious to try it out. Thanks
Hi Tammy, With turkey you would not need the baking soda. Just add the meat and 1 tsp salt directly to the pan. Please LMK how it turns out!
Good Morning Jen!
You have listed on the recipe that Prep time is 30 hours and cook time is 45 hours!!!
I think you may want to correct that since we wouldn’t want to be in the kitchen for that long!!!!
Sara D
LOL – fixed 🙂
Baking soda ? Use to tenderize chopped meat?? No need to do this or to bother precooking the rice OR roasting the peppers or using of all things —- baking soda! Why are you complicating a simple recipe I’ve made for years using RAW ground beef or turkey, RAW rice and RAW peppers. Baked in tomato sauce all come out cooked, succulent and delicious.
I’ve tried the baking soda trick and it does make the meat a gentler chew, hard to describe but it helps something you didn’t know could be improved make for a better finished dish anytime cooked ground beef if needed. I used to put the filling for stuffed peppers in raw ones but I prefer the tenderness (not mushiness) and flaor of partially baked green peppers.
Wow….way to be kind, Nancy! How about no need to comment on this recipe when you obviously have a different way of making it. Just no. As a reader, I find your comment to be non-constructive. I feel for you as you must be dealing with something difficult in your life to feel you have to be insulting.
Nancy,
You might consider making the recipe first as written and then offering your comments. It is certainly more helpful for all the readers on this site to learn from other cooks who have made the recipe and can then offer a constructive opinion.