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 cooked 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 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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Very good and very delicious!
This was amazing! I’m not usually a huge cooked peppers fan, but this will definitely be in my rotation for dinner. I did have lots of filling left over, but I did have small peppers so maybe that was me. I didn’t drain the grease from the beef, but easily could’ve for something a bit healthier. I loved this recipe and will definitely make it again!
My husband and I loved it. Deeelisious. Try it you’ll love it.
DH
My first time making stuffed peppers last night and the family loved them. I cook low sodium so I didn’t use the salt and baking soda and the meat was tender. Made garlic green beans on the side.
This is the best stuffed peppers recipe I’ve used, by far! I wanted to eat all 6. I’m tossing out the others and this will be my go to recipe from now on.
Used small green peppers picked from our garden this morning. I did like the technique of this recipe but found the meat mixture bland. I added a packet of spicy taco seasoning and it was just the boost needed. overall easy and delicious.
Hi, I grew up on these. We used to blanch the peppers first. I like the idea of roasting first. Less clean-up and I imagine better flavor. I’ve never heard of adding baking powder, what’s the purpose? Seems like it would add an unpleasant aftertaste?
Hi Carla, I hope you enjoy if you make them! And the recipe calls or baking soda (not baking powder). 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).
Excellent recipe! I do mix 1/2 spicy Italian sausage and 1/2 gr beef. FYI – they freeze great! For two of us I make the full recipe and then serve half for dinner and freeze the other half for a quick meal in the future.
I haven’t tried these yet, they look delicious. But do you also have a recipe for vegetarian version? 2) of my favorite dishes, Eggplant Parmigiana ive made yours 3 times and its amazing and Greek stuffed peppers “gemista” but can’t seem to find a good recipe.
I don’t have a vegetarian version of these, but you could try this with vegetarian crumbles. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Thankyou, i meant more stuffed with vegetables rather than a meat substitute. Its my favorite item on a Greek menu but whenever I make it it always tastes a little bitter, i think its my courgette or aubergine and I just can’t find the right recipe. The hunt continues. In the meantime this weekend we made thin chocolate chip cookies and 5 star beef stew. Delicious as always.
We made these tonight with fake meat crumbles, it was absolutely the best tasting stuffed peppers I have ever had.
My daughter is a vegetarian and I usually use a mixture of sweet potato, black beans, and quinoa as a substitute for ground beef. It has worked out nicely with some dishes I have cooked (moussaka and pastitsio which are both greek dishes).
Super easy to make, kids loved it, no leftovers 👌 tried many stuffed pepper recipes but this one’s our favourite! 😊
I prefer the old fashion way assemble and bake. Pan frying the meat leaves chunks no matter how hard one chops the meat in the pan. The spices in this recipe weren’t enough. Also I’d prefer a fatter meat so there’s more flavor.
You should adjust the seasonings as necessary. And also season the sauce. Skill issue. This recipe was amazing — my only complaint, STRAIN THE BEEF for a more heart healthy recipe!
This was wonderful as all your recipie are. Anyone that says different doesn’t know how to cook or likes food wayyyy too condimented. I love your recipie Jenn! Thanks for another great one!
Great tasty but easy recipe, loved the crunchy peppers cooked in the oven.
I also will use the meat tenderizing tip from this recipe for other recipes.
Thanks,
Does the rice or grain have to be cooked before adding?
Yep 🙂
Delicious! Will be one of my go to weeknight dinners.
I’m now a superhero. Thank you! My first time making stuffed peppers, I doubled the recipe, and every bit is gone. Absolutely delicious!
EASY AND DELICIOUS, 5 STARS
Delish! I forgot a grain, so went without and it still worked wonderfully (I used really lean beef). We served with a slice of my sourdough bread and a glass of sangovese – brilliant and satisfying early fall dinner. Thank you!!
Amazing! Made exactly as written. Like comfort-food from my childhood but so much better! Loved the spices as written as it’s just a savory, well-seasoned, balanced dish. I personally don’t want a southwestern taco meat type of flavor for this, so I wouldn’t increase anything unless that’s what you’re going for. Can’t wait to make again!
This recipe is the best I have ever tried I left the peppers whole with top off . Blue ribbon in my opinion thanks for this recipe.
Loved this stuffed peppers recipe and so did my husband
Best I’ve ever had. Sometimes stuffed peppers are bland but these were so flavorful. The spice mix was spot on. Thank you!!
I made these using sweet Italian peppers from my garden. I split 4 peppers lengthwise and followed as directed. I did not have chili powder so I used Ancho Chili Powder (a little stronger, I think). I also had mozzarella cheese instead of cheddar. And, I added a cup of corn to the mix. They were delicious! Next time, I might add some cubed zucchini to it, too.
Used a 15 ounce can of tomato sauce, adding half to meat mixture and remainder over peppers. I baked for 20 minutes, then added last 3/4 cup of cheese and baked another 4 minutes to melt. Perfect!
These are so delicious! They will become a regular in our house!!
Jenn you mentioned some liquid might accumulate while roasting. Should that be drained before stuffing the peppers?
Chris
Hi Chris, no need to drain it. Hope you enjoy the peppers!
Used a 15 ounce can of tomato sauce, adding half to meat mixture and remainder over peppers. I baked for 20 minutes, then added last 3/4 cup of cheese and baked another 4 minutes to melt. Perfect!
Delicious! Another winner for our family. We used ground turkey instead of beef. Will try to pair with cornbread next time!
I was not a big stuffed peppers fan until I tried this recipe. Now I want to make them for myself and others! I didn’t make any changes to the recipe and used brown rice.
So good and really pretty simple. I can always depend on your recipes!
Made these tonight and they were fabulous! Just the right amount of seasoning. I will definitely make these again. Everything I have made of Jenn’s has been delicious! I have tried other websites but always come back to Jenn’s recipes. They are easy to follow and I love the food science she adds in as a bonus!
Hi Jenn
I’ve made many of your recipes and you have quite a collection, so yummy! I can’t eat anything with tomato sauce and that is spicy. So I was thinking I would substitute the tomato sauce with broth? I’ll switch out some of the spices to basil, marjoram and oregano? Anything else you would suggest? Thx
Hi Marlene, so glad you like the recipes! I think you could get away with substituting broth for the tomato sauce. Hope you enjoy!
Hi, Jenn – Do you think it would be all right to substitute cauliflower rice for the regular rice in this recipe? Are there any adjustments you would recommend if I do so? Thank you for another terrific recipe!
Hi Laura, I haven’t tried it, but I think you could with no modifications. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
So delicious!!
Big Hit!
Love the flavors, great the next day too if there’s leftovers. Make some guacamole, heat up some beans, and roll a piece of stuffed pepper in a tortilla toasted on an open flame. Yum!
Our family enjoyed this recipe! If you have El Pato tomato sauce in your grocery store and like it spicy, sub in a can of El Pato tomato sauce for the plain.
i made these and the flavor was good, except they were to salty. How can I correct this?
Hi Prov, Sorry, you found them to be too salty! If you still have some leftovers, you can add more rice, tomato sauce, or diced sautéd vegetables. If you plan to make these again, feel free to cut back on the salt.
Was wondering if in your recipe, your measurements were for kosher salt or table salt.
Hi Sunny, When a recipe of mine says salt in the ingredient list, I am referring to regular/table salt. If it calls for something else like kosher salt, I will specify that in the recipe.
I agree, they were awfully salty, but probably made it worse because I doubled the recipe. I will skip tenderizing the meat if I make them again.
Hi again !
Do I need to roast the bell peppers first for 20 min? What would happened if I put peppers and the mix and just bake them?
Thanks Jenn!
Hi Celine, I would definitely roast them first. If not, the peppers won’t have softened up enough when you serve them.
Definitely! Made that mistake! I have never roasted in the oven, so I’m getting ready to try. That sounds interesting.
I’ve been wanting to try this for a while so I made it when I visited my boyfriend last week. He’s a picky eater but he absolutely loved this! And it was so filling too!!
Hi Jenn,
I am planning to make this stuffed peppers on sunday. My husband does not like beef and I bought ground turkey instead. Do I still need to add baking soda?
I love your cook books. I have 2 of them. I tried dozens of recipes so far!
Thank You!
Celine
So glad you like the cookbooks! 🙂
You can skip the baking soda step if you’re using turkey — hope you enjoy!
Thanks for making us love stuffed peppers. These are so good. I can’t wait to make them again!
Normally I don’t like stuffed peppers but these were the bomb! I used a cup of quinoa instead of the rice. My whole family loved them. A ton of flavor.
These were fantastic, the best stuffed peppers l have ever made. I didn’t have chili powder so l used Cajun spice
This is really good! My husband says he has only had stuffed peppers one time a loooong time ago that was his favorite EVER at a little diner in Tennessee that were as good as this recipe. It was quite easy. We LOVED it!
This was so good! My family loved it. They are already wanting to have it again. I’m wanting to try this with venison.
These were VERY greasy!! We ended up throwing out the leftovers, we couldn’t stomach eating than again 😞
So easy to fix, by using leaner ground beef, a bit less olive oil, less cheese.
I only had 80/20 beef, so after I sautéed the onions and garlic, I took them out of the pan, then did the beef, drained the excess fat, and threw everything back together and picked up from there. Not too greasy.
No surprise that these were delicious, as all your recipes are Jenn! My husband raved about them and said they were the best stuffed peppers he’s ever had! I’m especially grateful because my “non left over eating” husband is more than happy to have the two left over for tomorrow night’s dinner 🤣 The only slight change I made was I served them on a little bed of the same tomato sauce to use it up. Soooooo good!
Pretty good, but a couple of adjustments needed. Much more oregano and cumin is needed if you actually want to taste them.
Save some time and zap the peppers in the microwave, then the oven after they have been filled.
I cooked and cooked these damn peppers and they wouldn’t get done, I called my aunt and she told me about the microwave trick. I wish this recipe would of said something 😡
Wonderful! I used poblanos from my garden and they worked perfectly. Fast and easy with excellent directions.
This recipe is AMAZING. Easy to make & absolutely delicious.
Absolutely delicious. The best stuffed peppers I have ever had! I made it last week for my husband and he loved it so much that he asked me to make it for him again tonight 🙂 Even my mother in law loved it and she can be kind of picky. The first time I used red, orange, and yellow bell peppers. This time I just used the yellow and I think that tonight’s was even better than the first time I made them. Plus they are even better on the second day. Absolutely amazing!
My husband and I loved this! Only changes I made were I added some crimini mushrooms and frozen corn. Served with sour cream and salsa. This will be in our dinner rotation from now on. Directions were so easy to follow.
Excellent recipe! I always make a recipe as it’s written, the first time I make it but I was looking for something using turkey. I used this recipe since you’re one of my two “go-to” chefs. So glad I did. The whole family loved it and I’ll be making it again tonight. The only changes I made were using turkey and a bag of Trader Joe’s cooked rice…which comes out to about 1-1/2 cups of rice. It was absolutely perfect!!
Easy and quick! Very good!