The BEST Stuffed Peppers (Easy Dinner!) Recipe

I made Easy Healthy Stuffed Bell Peppers filled with seasoned ground beef, bright herbs and a secret ingredient that makes them perfect for weeknight dinners and easy meal prep.

I grew up thinking stuffed peppers were boring, then I made one that changed everything. Packed with savory ground beef inside sweet bell peppers it somehow tastes fancier than it is, like a small kitchen miracle.

I call it Easy Stuffed Peppers because it fits into my chaotic weeknights yet still feels worth photographing, tasting, bragging about. There is a tiny trick I won’t give away that keeps the filling juicy and bright, and it turned this into my go to when I want comfort food without the usual guilt.

Try it and see if it ruins your takeout habit.

Ingredients

• Bell peppers add sweet crunch, color, vitamin C and fiber, mild fresh flavor.
• Ground beef brings rich protein, savory fat, and deep meaty flavor, kinda hearty.
• Cooked long grain rice gives body, carbs for energy, gentle texture, soaks sauce.
• Yellow onion adds sweetness when cooked, plus aroma and subtle savory notes.
• Garlic adds punch, umami, slight heat, and big depth to tomato mix.
• Diced tomatoes, sauce and paste give acidity, tomato tang, moisture, bright flavor.
• Cheddar cheese adds gooey richness, salty tang, calcium and a melty top.
• Olive oil helps brown meat, adds healthy fats, sheen and subtle fruity notes.

Ingredient Quantities

• 6 large bell peppers (any color)
• 1 pound ground beef (about 80% lean for best flavor)
• 1 cup cooked long grain white rice
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or basil (optional)

How to Make this

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Slice the tops off the peppers, remove seeds and membranes, and stand them upright in a baking dish. If you want softer peppers, blanch in boiling water 4 to 5 minutes or roast for 8 to 10 minutes first.

2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes, then stir in the minced garlic and cook another 30 seconds.

3. Add the ground beef, break it up with a spoon and brown until no pink remains. Drain off most of the fat but dont remove every bit, a little left helps flavor.

4. Stir in the drained diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste, then add Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, kosher salt and black pepper. Let everything simmer a few minutes until the mixture thickens and the flavors marry, taste and adjust seasoning.

5. Remove the pan from heat and fold in the cooked rice and about 1 cup of the shredded cheddar, plus the chopped parsley or basil if using. Mix until evenly combined.

6. Spoon the beef and rice filling into each pepper, pressing down so they are nicely packed but not exploding.

7. Pour roughly 1/4 cup of water into the bottom of the baking dish to create steam while baking. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, until peppers are fork tender. If you preblanched peppers, check at 20 minutes.

8. Uncover, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar over the tops and return to the oven uncovered 5 to 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

9. Let the peppers rest 5 minutes before serving so the filling firms up. Garnish with extra chopped parsley or basil if you like.

10. Leftovers store in the fridge 3 to 4 days and reheat well in the microwave or a 350°F oven until heated through.

Equipment Needed

1. Ovenproof baking dish (9×13 or similar)
2. Large skillet or sauté pan
3. Cutting board
4. Chef’s knife
5. Wooden spoon or sturdy spatula
6. Mixing bowl
7. Measuring cups and measuring spoons
8. Can opener and colander for draining tomatoes
9. Aluminum foil (to cover the dish while baking)
10. Box grater or cheese grater for the cheddar

FAQ

The BEST Stuffed Peppers (Easy Dinner!) Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Ground beef -> Ground turkey, chicken, or plant based crumble. Use one pound of turkey or chicken but add 1 tablespoon olive oil while browning since they are leaner, and a pinch more salt and pepper cause they taste milder. Plant based crumbles work one to one, just brown and drain if watery.
• 1 cup cooked rice -> 1 cup cooked quinoa or riced cauliflower for a lighter option. Quinoa is a direct swap and adds nutty flavor, riced cauliflower needs about 1 to 1 1/2 cups raw and squeeze out extra water so the filling isnt soggy.
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste -> 3 tablespoons tomato sauce reduced or 1 tablespoon ketchup in a pinch. If you use tomato sauce, simmer it down a few minutes to concentrate the flavor so the filling stays rich.
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar -> Shredded mozzarella or pepper jack for different vibes. Mozzarella gives gooey stretch, pepper jack gives a little kick, use the same amount and top near the end of baking so it melts nice.

Pro Tips

1) Get the texture right by using day old rice or cold, well separated grains. Freshly cooked hot rice makes the filling mushy, but cold rice stays firm and the peppers hold together better. If you only have fresh rice, spread it on a tray to cool fast and fluff it up with a fork.

2) Prevent soggy peppers by draining the canned tomatoes really well and simmering the filling a bit longer than you think. Cook it until it’s thicker than you want, because it will loosen while baking. Also, leave a little beef fat in the pan for flavor but blot excess grease so the bottom of the peppers dont become greasy.

3) Make assembly easier and neater: trim just a tiny bit off the pepper bottoms so they stand steady, dont cut all the way through though or youll have leaks. Use the pepper tops as cute little lids if you want. Pack the filling firmly but not so tight it bulges open when baking.

4) For make ahead, freeze or refrigerate stuffed peppers after stuffing but before the final cheese topping. If freezing, flash freeze on a tray then bag them, you can bake from frozen adding about 20 to 30 extra minutes covered. To reheat leftovers, cover and warm in a 350 F oven until hot, then uncover and brown the cheese for a minute or two so it looks fresh again.