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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, or bell peppers filled with some combination of meat, tomato sauce, vegetables, rice, and cheese. In the U.S., the dish is undeniably retro (one of the most popular recipes online comes from Betty Crocker!). My stuffed peppers recipe gives the classic a little update with tender, juicy ground beef seasoned with Southwestern spices that pair beautifully with the sweetness of the bell peppers. Add a simple green salad and side of cornbread, and you’ve got a comforting, satisfying dinner.
One of the things I love most about stuffed peppers is how endlessly adaptable they are. Feel free to switch up the meat, spices, grain, or cheese depending on what you have on hand or what you’re in the mood for. It’s the kind of recipe that’s easy to make your own.
“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.
How To Make Stuffed Peppers
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 while you prep the rest of the recipe.
Prep and roast the peppers: Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and membranes. Arrange them cut side up in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Roast until tender-crisp and lightly browned. Don’t worry if some liquid collects in the peppers; that’s totally normal.
Make the filling: While the peppers roast, sauté the onion in olive oil until softened, then add the garlic. Stir in the beef and spices, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Add the tomato sauce and simmer until the beef is cooked through. Finally, stir in the rice and cheese until everything is well combined and the cheese is melted.
Stuff and bake the peppers: Spoon the beef mixture evenly into the roasted pepper halves and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Return to the oven and bake until the filling is hot and the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Pro Tips
Don’t skip the baking soda: It may seem like an unusual ingredient, but there’s a little science behind it. Baking soda raises the pH of the beef, helping the proteins retain moisture as they cook. The result is a more tender, juicy filling. If you’re substituting ground turkey, chicken, or pork for the beef, I recommend leaving out the baking soda.
Pre-roast the peppers: 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!
Use cooked rice: Be sure to cook the rice before adding it to the filling. Uncooked rice won’t have enough time or moisture to cook properly once the peppers are stuffed.
Make-Ahead, Storage & Freezing
These stuffed peppers are great for making ahead! You can partially cook the peppers and fill them with the beef mixture up to 2 days in advance, then store them in the refrigerator. You can also freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to enjoy them, thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake at 425°F (220°C) for about 15 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle the peppers with cheese, and return to the oven for another 5 minutes, or until the filling is heated through and the cheese is melted.
Video Tutorial
Stuffed Peppers Recipe (Beef & Rice)
Ingredients
- 1 lb 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 (220°C) 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 9 x 13-in (23 x 33-cm) baking dish with aluminum foil for easy clean-up. 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 (90 g) 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 (90 g) cheese.
- Place the stuffed peppers back in the oven and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until the filling is hot and the cheese is melted and bubbling, and serve.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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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My wife can’t believe the way I have been cooking. All because of you and your fantastic recipes . Thank you for this stuffed peppers dinner idea.
What could I substitute the rice and cheese with???
Hi Lou, I think you could just omit the cheese (I can’t think of an appropriate substitute). The mixture won’t bind together as well, but it should still be tasty.
Can these be prepared a day ahead?
Yes, they can be partially cooked and filled with the beef mixture up to two days ahead. See the bottom of the recipe for specific make-ahead instructions. Hope you enjoy!
Hi, sorry no stars yet as I haven’t yet tried the recipe but will add some in due course! I’d like to make these with minimal carbs. Could I get away with, perhaps, half the amount of rice or half a cup of breadcrumbs? 🙏
Sure, you can get away with half the amount of rice. You could also replace the rice with black beans. While they still have carbs, they’re definitely lower in carbohydrates than rice.
Thank you for your quick reply! I’ll try it with half of the rice.
Just loved it. I made this today with chicken, and used only 300 gms of chicken plus rice as given to fill 8 capsicum halves. Four halves were on the smaller side. Forgot to add oregano. Added extra chilli powder. Still these are so yummy. My very first attempt at making stuffed capsicums and this really hit the nail on the head.
How long do you suggest cooking the peppers for when freezing ahead?
Hi Christene, you’ll go through all the steps of the recipe up until filling the peppers with the meat mixture. Hope that clarifies!
I don’t leave comments on recipe websites, but here I am! My family loves these stuffed peppers. There are hundreds of recipes online, this is the one you should use! It is easy and well seasoned. I make one small change. I blanch the peppers, which allows me to reduce the roasting time. (I saw this tip on America’s Test Kitchen.) Thanks for this great recipe!
This is my go-to stuffed pepper recipe. I’ve been using it for years! It is so delicious. Since I’ve made it a bunch of times I also have tweaked it. I skip the tenderization in the ground beef and I sometimes add black beans instead of cooked rice. And just one more thing- I have made this recipe countless times, and 3 peppers is not enough for how much mixture there is. I used 4 peppers today and it was much better. Unless you’ve got some crazy extra large bowling ball sized peppers, I would do at least 4! 🙂
I found the same thing. there was too much rice for meat so I held some back and still had leftover rice and meat. just put in a container for another quick meal for lunch 🙂
Loved these! Instead of the spices I added a packet of taco mix and instead of tomato sauce added a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes with chillies. Yum!
I have made stuffed peppers many times, but this was the best they’ve ever come out. From the consistency to the flavor, everything was just right. I thought to myself these are the best peppers I’ve ever had. Then I thought maybe I was being over the top. Then my husband ate them and also said they were the best he’s ever had. Definitely a saver. I used what I had in the house, the only deviation was cheddar cheese in the filling and Mexican on top. So good!