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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Best stuffed peppers I’ve ever had!!!!! 👏🏻
This is a super easy & delicious recipe. I made with ground chicken and used green lentils as my grain, and sheep’s feta for cheese. I also subbed red onion for flavor & doubled the cumin. I added shredded zucchini, chopped cilantro, and diced jalapeno for a kick. I cooked on 400 degrees (not 425) and everything came out perfect with the times listed. Jenn, I love your recipes and will be making many more.
Jenn
Made this for my parents. It was awesomely delicious! I just printed it for future use. I have your cookbook and I do not think you make anything unless it is wonderful!
Thanks for sharing.
Kathy
These are literally the best stuffed peppers I’ve ever made! I had to make a small substitution as I swore I had tomato sauce but NOPE. Used tomato paste and water with a big spoonful of salsa and I threw in some corn. YUM
Made with the equally delicious cornbread muffins. Gonna need more cornmeal hahaha
Another winner!! I made these about a month ago, we ate two (there’s only two of us) and then froze the remaining four. A couple days ago I pulled two out a little early in the day to defrost and then baked per Jenn’s instructions. Just as good as the freshly made ones. The peppers do soften a bit more with freezing but not enough to mar the dish. I serve with a tossed salad and Jenn’s corn muffins (which almost steal the show!!). I use the corn muffin recipe instead of the cornbread (which is her suggested accompaniment, but same ingredients) because I can easily halve it to make 6 muffins. This is such a a great dinner with little very little effort!!
Best stuffed peppers I’ve had. Will add to my favorite recipes. I used a can of hunts meatloaf sauce instead of the tomato sauce. Delicious.😋
Hi Jenn,
Fun to make, and the timing with first baking your cornbread was perfect! I do have a question – after the time for roasting the peppers, they had liquid inside of them – I just turned them over to empty it out, but wondered why that happened? I had them cut side up. I’ve put them back into the oven while I’m writing this. Will be interested to hear your thoughts. I couldn’t find anyone else who had that happen to them. Thanks, Jenn!
After the time it took to write, the peppers now look great!
Hi Sandra, it’s normal for a little bit of liquid to accumulate in the bottom of the peppers as they release their juices when they heat up. No need to pour it out next time. BTW, I added a note about that to the recipe in case others are concerned about it as well. Hope you enjoyed them!
Thanks so much, Jenn! I’m all set to make this dish again for tonight’s dinner – my husband got a huge smile on his face when he saw the ingredients sitting on the counter! I’ve shredded hot pepperjack cheese again – loved that the first time!
Going to try your cornbread this time as muffins. I saw that another of your fans had cut the recipe in half, and I’m trying that.
Thanks again for your help!
I made these tonight and they were delicious. I love all of your recipes, so I knew this would not disappoint. The flavour of the filling and the cook on the peppers is perfect. A very satisfying meal. These will go into rotation.
So good! The whole family gobbled these up. They made excellent leftovers as well. Made exactly as recipe stated. A+
These were so delicious! I didn’t have the full amount of cumin, and I used less chili powder than called for to appease my kids. But the adults LOVED it! I love the idea of cutting the peppers in half, and even with using large peppers, there was plenty of filling. My six year old ate the insides, but not the pepper. I will definitely be making these again!