Stuffed Peppers
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Classic stuffed peppers filled with ground beef, rice, tomato sauce, and cheese make an easy weeknight supper.
Almost every cuisine has a version of stuffed peppers, or hollowed bell peppers filled with meat, tomato sauce, vegetables, rice and cheese. In the US, the dish undeniably retro – in fact, the most popular internet recipe comes from the one and only 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 complement the sweetness of the bell peppers perfectly. That said, the recipe is endlessly versatile; you can change up the meat, spices, grain, or cheese to give the dish a whole new spin. This version goes nicely with cornbread.
The peppers need to be par-cooked before filling so that they cook through. Many recipes call for boiling the peppers first, but I prefer to roast them – more flavor and less cleanup! The best way is to slice the peppers in half from the stem end down through the base, remove all the seeds and membranes, and then roast the halves until they’re tender-crisp.
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
Tenderize the beef: In a medium bowl, add the beef, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the baking soda.
Use your hands to mix until evenly combined, and let the mixture sit for 20 minutes while you continue with the recipe. As it rests, the baking soda raises the pH of the meat, helping to lock in moisture and making the beef tender. (I use this tenderizing technique in many ground beef recipes, including beef enchiladas, beef chili, and shepherd’s pie.)
Slice the peppers in half from the stem end down through the base.
Remove all the seeds and membranes.
Place the peppers, cut side up, in a 9×13-inch baking dish; drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and sprinkle with the remaining 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.
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, 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 3/4 cup of the cheese.
Stir until melted and 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 3/4 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.
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Video Tutorial
Stuffed Peppers
Classic stuffed peppers filled with ground beef, rice, tomato sauce, and cheese make an easy weeknight supper.
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 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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I can always depend on a recipe that you kindly share, being delicious. These stuffed peppers were a big hit for our dinner. The prep is very different from other stuffed pepper recipes I have made and I think that is why they are so good. This will become a regular on our dinner menu now. Thank you Jenn. I’m a faithful follower of your site and always share your site with others.
Best stuffed peppers ever! I had a 21 oz package of ground beef so needed to scale up the seasonings and other ingredients, including using a 14 oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes instead of tomato sauce which I think was a good change. I loved the innovation of roasting the peppers instead of parboiling them.
“This is unbelievable,” says my husband.
Once again you have created a dish that is delicious and easy to prepare. I’ve made this a few times and always get rave reviews!
Used ground turkey, didn’t have to salt meat beforehand.
Absolutely delicious!
I’m a huge fan of your recipes
THX
I made this tonight for the first time and they were delicious. My son agreed. I liked the idea of roasting the peppers first to soften them. I will definitely make again. Your recipes never disappoint.
Very very good and easy. I will use this recipe again. Also will pass it on to others.
My Wife is a pain in the butt to cook for but this recipe was simple, and with few ingredients, I figured there was less for her to complain about. I was right. These stuffed peppers are awesome. I made 8 of them thinking I would have left overs for lunch the next day. I was wrong she ate them all, and shes a small eater. Thanks onceuponachef.
The absolute best stuffed peppers I’ve ever eaten! My guests agreed. I loved roasting the peppers beforehand and I could eat the meat by itself and did!
I don’t know exactly what made these so good but every ingredient goes together and creates a masterpiece!
Any adjustments for using ground turkey? Had some in my freezer and thought I’d use for this recipe. Thanks!
Hi Carolyn, With turkey, you don’t need baking soda. Just add the meat and 1 tsp salt directly to the pan. Please LMK how they turn out!
Turned out perfectly with the ground turkey – everyone loved it! Thanks!
So glad to hear it — thanks for taking the time to follow up!
I have not cooked it all the way through yet but think before I do, I need to add some diced tomato and Worcester sauce. The meat itself doesn’t taste great yet but hopefully with a little doctoring up it will 🙂 I love all of your recipes!
Hey got a question. WHY cut the peppers in half? You can easily cut the top off, gently take off the stem. Remove the seeds & membrane. Stuff them with whatever you want. Put your tops back on. I put parsley chopped tomatoes in the small hole where the stem was. I also put chopped tomatoes on bottom of my crock first then peppers. Use tomatoes & juice on the peppers on top of a bed of basmati rice. Cook on low for 4 hours in my large crockpot. They come out perfect. If you only are cooking 2 peppers I would back the time down. I cook 5-6 at a time. Depends on pepper size. You always want to get them same shape. No heating the stove & house up😊
I wanted to make these in the crockpot as well. That’s how I usually cook them. I don’t brown the meat first, just combine all the ingredients in a bowl like I’m making a meatloaf and then stuff the peppers with it. Is that how you cooked them?
Is this a review of the above recipe, or of YOUR recipe?
Made this for dinner tonight. Absolutely delicious! I used Monterey Jack and co Jack (added some extra!). And microwave basmati rice. So good!
I made these exactly as written and they were absolutely delicious! The chili powder is a really nice touch. Yet another excellent Once Upon a Chef recipe that I will be making for my family on the regular. Thank you, Jenn!
I’m still somewhat a novice in the kitchen, but made this today using the last of the peppers from the garden, and tomato sauce I made and froze a couple of weeks ago. Adjusted spices to taste — the cumin was a great addition! Because it’s the southern US, I topped each pepper with a 1/2 tsp of jalapeño pimento cheese.
Many thanks for this wonderful recipe and the easy to follow instructions! 🤗
This was a lot of work for just ok results.
The stuffed peppers I’ve had and enjoyed previously had more rice and sauce than this, which I prefer. I didn’t notice any difference in taste or texture by adding baking soda to the meat or preroasting the peppers.
I wanted to make stuffed peppers like my mother’s, but she doesn’t have a recipe, just a method and rough idea of ratios. She uses about the same amount of rice and meat, which seems better, doesn’t add cumin or chili powder (which we didn’t notice in this recipe anyway) and tops each pepper with sauce. Next time I’ll wing it using her instructions.
This was a very good twist I was looking for to use my homegrown green peppers ( I had green and red ones – I like the variety) and I wanted a little spicy recipe to use my cayenne peppers added the mix. I love the idea of roasting instead of boiling peppers (much tastier). And I liked tenderizing the meat — I noticed the difference.
Very good recipe. Even my husband that does not care for stuffed peppers very much, liked it and said we can have this again from time to time. I followed the recipe exactly, but omitted the cumin because I don’t like it. Definitely a keeper recipe!
Very tasty and easy! A recipe to keep!
I made these last night for my family and it was a hit. I had an ear of corn leftover from the other day, so I added that and a some chopped cilantro to the mix. My husband was eating the leftover filling straight out of the pan. It was delicious! This was also the first time I’ve done the baking soda trick with ground meat, and you can definitely tell the difference. I’ll definitely be making this again!
I love this recipe especially the 3 colored peppers (not green!) and the roasting of them first. I used tongs to drain the peppers before stuffing. I will make again.
Made this recipe and it was great. I did not add the Salt and Baking soda. Added the same spices but may have put a little more chilli powder. The only thing I did different is I added about 3/4 cup of frozen mixed vegetables. Roasting the peppers instead of using the microwave is worth doing for sure. Thank you for the recipe, best stuffed pepper recipe on the internet.
if I’m going to use ground chicken, would that still get tenderized?
No, you can skip that step with ground chicken. Please LMK how they turn out!
Made this tonight with my beautiful garden bell peppers and a couple poblanos for fun. Delicious! The flavors really came together well. They were a bit greasier than I like things, so next time I’ll cook the ground chuck first and drain it while I cook the onions and garlic, then add it back in and proceed with the tomato sauce, etc.
Hello….what is the purpose of the baking soda….
Hi, he baking soda raises the pH of the meat, helping to lock in moisture and making the beef tender. Hope you enjoy if you make the peppers!
Can you use mozzarella and Parmesan (already have) with these spices or should I tweak to make with more Italian seasonings ? Thanks!
The cheese you’ve got is fine to use and yes, I would tweak the spices to make them more Italian. Hope you enjoy!
Oven temp??!!
Hi Mary, the oven temp is 425°F/220°C.
These stuffed peppers are a little tedious to make, at first, but after making them three times, I’m getting the hang of it. I would have never thought of roasting the peppers first. What I especially like about your recipes is, you walk us thru step by step. There is no way to fail. Thanks Again for a great recipe!
Excellent! I’ve tried a few different recipes for stuffed peppers over the years but I wasn’t pleased with any of them. But this recipe is great. The spice level is perfect and the blend of spices, and cheese with the peppers is very tasty! Thanks for sharing this recipe:)
I made this for the first time last night for my two teenagers. My son plowed through 2 1/2 of them (which is all I gave him) without pausing for breath. My daughter ate 1 1/2 and said “I’m still hungry but I want to save the other half because it’s so good I want it for lunch tomorrow”. Needless to say they were a big, big hit, and I may just be making them again tonight!
Very tasty. I followed the recipe exactly, and we loved the result. Much tastier than other stuffed pepper recipes I’ve tried.
I’ve made stuffed peppers a billion times but I was interested in trying your recipe because you incorporated several methods that that interested me. First, you didn’t blanch peppers but roasted them instead. I’d hoped that this might add additional flavor…but I don’t think it affected taste at all. The peppers are background to filling and either method produces the same results. I do think blanching saves more of the texture of the pepper. Also, you used cooked rice rather than adding additional liquid (canned tomatoes, etc.) and cooking the rice in the sauce That’s a good way to use up leftover rice but I’d rather cook rice in the meat sauce. I didn’t use your spices as I’m not fond of cumin. I added, instead, roasted green chili, olives (so I could use them up) and corn. I used Mexican tomato sauce (El Pato) in lieu of regular sauce and chili powder to add flavor and a spicy kick to an otherwise bland dish.
I know it isn’t fair to judge a recipe if you change it past recognition, which I sorta’ did, but I was more interested in trying your methods instead of the flavor of the finished dish. My additions might make it too spicy for kids, too.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Wow! These came out amazing! Substituted coriander for cumin and used less of it. Otherwise, kept the rest of the recipe exactly as posted! Everyone loved it! Can’t wait to make it again! Thank you!
Not a stuffed pepper fan usually, but my neighbor gave us a ton of green peppers from his garden and then I found this recipe. Delicious. Made these 2 weeks ago and my hubby loved them and asked today if I could make them again this weekend. I love the pre-roasting of the peppers and they come out nice and firm and not mushy. Never made them with cheese before & that was a nice addition.
I’ve been making peppers for a while now and tried many recipes but was never satisfied. Im so happy that I don’t have to look anymore. These are amazing and would not change the recipe at all. Thank you.
These are delicious.
I never really cared for stuffed peppers before as they seem kind of blah to me but my kids and husband love them. A neighbor gave me a bunch of peppers from her garden so I came looking for a new recipe and found yours. These got great reviews from my husand and kids, and even I liked them. This will be our go to recipe from now on. Thanks for sharing it.
Hi! Looks yummy and I will make this for my family this weekend. Can I omit the cheese from the meat mixture and just put cheese on top? Thanks!
Yep 🙂
Just because they are green does not mean bell peppers are unripe! Usually they are just the variety that is meant to be green.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.insider.com/are-all-peppers-the-same-plant-2018-9%3famp
Delicious!!
These came out awesome. I forgot about the 20 minute tenderizing step AFTER I started the rice and peppers, so I use 50% ground beef and 50% ground pork and came the meat combo was very tender.
Sprinkled chipotle chili powder on the top of the cheese before putting in the oven. As usual with these dishes, no leftovers and requests for the recipe.
I bought a 6 pack of tri-colored peppers at Sam’s so I needed a recipe for stuffed peppers. This one had great reviews so I gave it a try. It did not disappoint! My husband loved it and could have eaten more than his share. I loved how the spices and cheese played off the sweetness of the peppers. I also loved the step of precooking the peppers and then stuffing and cooking until the cheese was melted. This gave the peppers a more tender bite but not mushy. I prefer them soft and not crunchy like other recipes. I cooked them on a cookie sheet and after taking them out of the oven I placed a large Stab glass lid over them to keep them warm until everyone came in to eat. This caused the unplanned steaming of the peppers in which I was able to peel off the charred skins and discard. I plan to check out more recipes on this site in the future
These were GREAT. I used about 1/2 of the spice amounts listed. Will absolutely make again. My husband loved them.
Too greasy for me.
I ended up throwing the meat away after those seasonings. Lol i added a small amount and then added more but wasn’t more then the recipe. It tasted horrible. I actually had more hamburger, thank god. But all i do is simple ingredients. Next time I know. Also needs a small spoon of sauce on top. + Cutting peppers in half made them pretty flimsy + small. Won’t do that again. Red and orange peppers are best. Not sure after roasting them first seems like they made them too wet lol. I didnt like this recipe unfortunately. Next time i will do small tweaks. Maybe im just not a fan of cumin or chili powder together. Tasted very bad. Maybe i did add too much. I did just enough to cover all the meat. But not completely. Did i do something wrong? Im new to cooking.
Hi Katie, I’m so sorry you didn’t enjoy the peppers! Based on what you’ve written, I’m not sure if you added more spices than the recipe calls for? If so, that may have accounted for it not testing great. Same goes for if you added less than the recipe required. The last option is that perhaps you just don’t like those flavors. Please let me know if I can help in any other way!
Great recipe! Tasted delicious. I subbed ground chicken, olive oil spray, and fat free cheese, then added a little extra rice. It was sooo good.
WOW! This baby cook found this recipe incredibly easy to make. It’s cheap, it’s easy, it’s healthy, and my boyfriend and I both LOVED IT! I found myself with more filling than the peppers could really hold, but who ever turned their nose up at extra? 10/10 would recommend!
Despite my mistake SO good. Grabbed chipotle chili powder from my spice rack instead of the plain and was worried about the extra heat. Didn’t think that I could handle it, boy was I wrong. My market only had prepacked Monterey jack, so I used a Colby jack. Looked beautiful and tasted even better. Big change from my stuffed peppers with Madeira wine in the meat and a marinara sauce. These were so much better. Will find the right cheese for next time and am torn about which Chili powder to use. Will I be sorry if I don’t use the Chipotle? Your thought on this one. Thanks, Jenn, for another great meal
So glad you liked them, Carol! I think if you enjoyed them this way and you were able to tolerate the heat, I’d stick with that! (Going with the old saying of “Why fix what’s not broke?”) 🙂
I tried this recipe tonight and it’s a keeper! My husband and I both loved it. Such a depth of flavor! Best stuffed peppers I’ve ever had. I’ll definitely be making this again, and often.
I have never made stuffed peppers before. But my husband always talked fondly about growing up having these for dinner. I totally trust your recipes because everything you publish is amazing! These stuffed peppers did not disappoint! So so good and my husband even said they were better than the ones he grew up eating!
These peppers were delicious! I made them exactly as the recipe stated. Love your recipes Jenn!
these were fantastic, keen to see how they fare after freezing. didn’t alter the recipe at all.
have the first cookbook and second, LOVE the recipes, definitely my go to.
Made these stuffed peppers for dinner tonight. Absolutely the best recipe I’ve ever had!!!
Hi Jenn. These look delicious. Would they still taste good without the cheese? (We don’t eat cheese, unfortunately…)
Sure, I think they will still be good. Hope you enjoy!
Made these today. Turned out delicious. We’re low carb so I substituted cauliflower rice for the cooked rice and also added in some broccoli slaw for extra fibre. 😀 Yum!
Jenn, I lived many years in Middle East, and I love this dish. Now a proud US Citizen as a *practical* Engineer, you got to publish my comments: First, use GREEN peppers, they have strong taste, instead of rainbow-color=salad types. Second, Microwave for 3-4 minutes on HIGH. Then cut them half, exactly U say, fill with cooked rice and ground meat, pour tomato sauce and olive oil, oven at 400 for 30 minutes. YES, I do add tabasco to meat mix, besides some Wurchester. No other spices needed. Cheddar slices when out of oven. Lotsa RED wine, maybe even DRIZZLED on beef, before oven. My recipe is 2 paragraphs. Simple.
I used this recipe to make empanadas and now it is my go to recipe for them. I used only half the cheese though.