Stuffed Bell Peppers are a family favorite recipe in the United States. What you stuff them with can vary widely, but most frequently you will find them stuffed with a ground meat and rice mixture. Sometimes you may find them seasoned with Tex-Mex flavorings, or you may even see them with Italian flavorings. The possibilities are endless!
Why Our Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: Uses everyday items you likely have in your pantry.
- Kid-Friendly: Loved by adults and kids alike for its colorful presentation and tasty filling.
- Perfect for Any Occasion: Ideal for a weeknight dinner, potluck, or special family gathering.
Ingredient Notes
- Bell Peppers: try to pick out evenly sized bell peppers that are a suitable shape to serve as containers. You can use any color.
- Ground Beef: use a lean option for this one with either 85/15, or 93/7 fat ratios.
- Onion and Garlic: all about that flavor. You can skip onions if you aren’t an onion person.
- Diced Tomatoes: fresh diced tomatoes can also be used.
- Rice: use white or brown rice. Quinoa is a great alternative.
- Corn: Adds a sweet crunch; frozen peas or diced carrots are also great options.
- Worcestershire Sauce: once again, all about that flavor. You could also use soy sauce, but it’s not as flavorful.
- Cheese: try different cheeses like cheddar or mozzarella for variation.
Frequently Asked Questions
While all the colors of the bell peppers can come from the same plant, there are differences. The biggest difference is the taste and nutrition between colors. Red peppers are the sweetest, followed by orange then yellow, then ending on green. All the bell peppers have similar mild heat. Any color of bell pepper can be used for stuffed bell peppers. Which you choose is a matter of personal preference.ย
This recipe is written in a way that renders the pepper tender-crisp, meaning it still has a crunch to it. if you like your bell peppers to be softer instead of tender-crisp, cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the aluminum foil and bake an additional 20-30 minutes until the cheese on top is bubbling and starting to brown.
Alternatively, you can also parboil them before stuffing them. Prepare the bell peppers as directed, but before stuffing, boil them in a pot of water for 5 to 10 minutes before stuffing and baking.ย
Substitute rice with cauliflower rice for a low-carb version.
Yes, you can, but you’ll need to return the skillet to the heat and cook until the corn is heated through and the ground beef is completely cooked through.
Tips From the Chef
- Choose the Right Peppers: Opt for bell peppers that are large, firm, and have a flat bottom. This ensures they hold more filling and stand upright easily in the baking dish.
- Let the Cheese Crisp Up: For an extra tasty topping, allow the cheese to crisp up slightly in the oven. This can be achieved by broiling the stuffed peppers for the last few minutes of cooking time. Keep an eye on them to prevent burning.
Make Ahead Instructions
Filling Preparation: The filling can be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
Partial Baking: Bake the peppers without the cheese topping, cool, and refrigerate. Add cheese and reheat before serving.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Freeze individual peppers for up to 3 months. Wrap each pepper in foil and place in a freezer bag.
Reheating: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Reheat in the oven at 350ยฐF until warmed through, about 20 minutes.
More Delicious Dinner Recipes
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Super easy recipe. Very tasty and cooks up fast for dinner. Great way to use up all my bell peppers out of the garden.
Great recipe! Delicious!
I grew up hating stuffed bell peppers. I made them tonight at the request of my wife and daughter and these were delicious!!! Thank you for this recipe!
Made these peppers tonite, used green, yellow and orange peppers. Best stuffed peppers I’ve ever had. Delicious!
Loved this recipe, easy to make and delicious thanks for sharing and keep up the good work
MY HUSBAND WENT CRAZY OVER THESE!!!!
This is a wonderful recipe!
Thanks!
I am doing a quick update since my family, including a sister and niece, and myself had supper going by your recipe. It was the best stuffed bell peppers I’ve ever made or maybe even had besides the ones my dad used to make us when alive. I think my hubby was very surprised that I was able to pull it off in my own way because some of the ingredients I did make alterations such as leaving out the garlic and using ground beef sirlion instead of lean ground beef but it was90% to 10% as well. Next time I think I will use steak strips and shrimp with rice. mmmmm that sounds so good. Are there any recipes for an easy meal like that on here?
Best stuffed peppers , ever ! I used much more minced garlic , red pepper flakes and no salt. I also used jasmine rice. Hands down family fave!
My husband loved these. A Sunday dinner for sure. Easy and reasonable price on a cold winter day here in NewEngland. Get that oven going.