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by Mike Hultquist · · 117 Comments · Jump to Recipe
This is the quintessential stuffed bell peppers recipe I grew up on, with bell peppers stuffed with seasoned ground beef, rice, and melty cheese, so good!
Stuffed Peppers Recipe
Do you love stuffed peppers? Stuffed bell peppers are the perfect easy-to-make dinner that can be made inexpensively, and are always a crowd pleaser. They're such a nutritional powerhouse, ready for your endless creativity, and they're always on the menu in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen.
The thick, succulent flesh and hollow insides of the peppers make them the ideal vessels for stuffing and baking with all manner of foods, from ground meats, cheeses, grains, spices, even leftovers.
I grew up on stuffed green peppers, something my mother made regularly. Her stuffed peppers with rice and ground beef is the inspiration for this recipe, which I've adapted to include a flavorful balance of herbs, spices, rice, meat, cheese, and fire roasted tomatoes that I'm sure you'll love.
It's dinner time, my friends! I'm ready to get cooking!
Let's talk about how to make stuffed peppers, shall we?
Stuffed Peppers Ingredients
The full ingredients list with measurements is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Bell Peppers. Use any color bells – green, yellow, red, orange. You can also use other larger peppers, like Italian sweet peppers or poblano peppers.
- Olive Oil. For cooking.
- Ground Meat. I am using ground beef today, but you can use ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork, ground Italian sausage, or a combination. Ground turkey or chicken are great low-calorie options.
- Vegetables. Onion, jalapeno (optional, for spicy), garlic.
- Fire Roasted Tomatoes. Use canned. You can use diced tomatoes or tomato sauce as well, but I recommend the flavor boost of fire roasted tomatoes.
- Shredded Cheese. I love spicy pepperjack cheese, but shredded cheddar or shredded mozzarella are great for stuffed peppers. I used mozzarella today. Try a combination of cheeses for a variation.
- Seasonings. Paprika, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Try this with a blend of your favorite Italian seasonings.
- Cooked Rice. Use white rice, brown rice, or wild rice. I used white rice here.
- For Garnish. Fresh chopped parsley, red pepper flakes.
How to Make Stuffed Peppers - the Recipe Method
Oven and Pot. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and bring a large pot of water (enough to cover the bell peppers) to a boil.
Prep the Bell Peppers. Wash the bell peppers, slice off the tops of the peppers, and scoop out the insides (seeds and membranes). You want the inside to be nice and hollow to accommodate your stuffing mixture.
If needed, slice a small part off the bottom of the peppers so they will stand upright.
TIP: Don't throw away those pepper tops! I like to toss the stems, but chop up the tops to cook with the onion later. Nothing goes to waste, and it's a great flavor builder.
Soften the Peppers. Blanch the bell peppers for 5 minutes to slightly soften. Alternatively, you can roast the peppers for 20 minutes to soften.
Set the softened peppers into a lightly oiled baking dish.
Cook the Vegetables. Heat the oil in a large pan to medium heat and add the onions, chopped pepper tops, and jalapeno (if using). Cook for 5 minutes to soften.
Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, or until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Cook the Meat. Add the ground beef and cook 5-6 minutes, breaking apart as you go, until cooked through.
Tomatoes, Rice, and Spices. Add the fire roasted tomatoes, seasonings, and cooked rice mixture. Stir together and remove from heat.
Cheese. Stir in 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese until incorporated. You can add in a bit more if you'd like it more cheesy.
Stuff the Peppers. Stuff each pepper with the meat filling mixture, then top each with the remaining shredded cheese.
Roast the Peppers. Roast the stuffed peppers for 15-20 minutes, or until the peppers are tender to your preference, and the cheese is nice and bubbly. So good topped with cheese! This is a pretty forgiving recipe, so you can usually bake them longer if you want the peppers extra softened up.
Cool slightly, garnish, and serve.
Boom! Done! Your stuffed peppers are ready to serve. Don't they look gorgeous? I love the vibrant colors of the bells. I'm ready to dig in!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Feel free to use other ground meats for your stuffed peppers, including chicken, pork, turkey, sausage, or others. Use tofu for a vegetarian version.
- You can easily adjust the spices to your preference by using your favorite blends, like Cajun seasonings or a nice Italian seasoning. Worcestershire sauce is a popular addition.
- This recipe is great for any types of pepper, though it is ideal with thicker walled peppers that can hold up to the baking process. I often make this with large Italian peppers that I grow in my garden, like Carmen Italian or Marconi peppers. Try it with jalapenos for awesome poppers!
Storage
Leftover stuffed peppers will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. You can warm them in the oven to enjoy them again.
You can also freeze it for 2-3 months. See my post on How to Freeze Stuffed Peppers.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my stuffed bell peppers recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!
Cookbook Recommendation
If you enjoy spicy cooking, I hope you'll check out my cookbook! 75 easy recipes with big, bold flavor.
- The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook, by Mike Hultquist (affiliate link, my friends!)
Tools Used For This Recipe
Amazon Affiliate links, my friends!
HexClad 12 Inch Hybrid Stainless Steel Wok Pan with Stay-Cool Handle - I've been loving this wok, makes stir frying and clean up so easy.
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
- Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
- Crockpot Stuffed Peppers
- Taco Stuffed Peppers
- Stuffed Banana Peppers
- Stuffed Anaheim Peppers
- Stuffed Cubanelle Peppers
- Stuffed Poblano Peppers
- Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Stuffed Pepper Casserole
- See all of my Stuffed Peppers Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Classic Stuffed Peppers Recipe
This is the quintessential stuffed bell peppers recipe I grew up on, with bell peppers stuffed with seasoned ground beef, rice, and melty cheese, always a hit! They bring back so many memories.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bell peppers, ground beef
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
Calories: 534kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 4
Tap or hover to scale
4.98 from 43 votes
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Ingredients
- 4-6 bell peppers use any color – green, yellow, red, orange
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef 450g - you can also use ground turkey, chicken, pork, sausage, tofu, or other similar
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper chopped (optional, for spicy)
- 5 cloves garlic chopped
- 14.5 ounces fire roasted tomatoes (canned - or use diced tomatoes or tomato sauce)
- 1 cup shredded cheese cheddar, mozzarella, or a blend – I LOVE pepperjack for myself
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup cooked rice white, brown, or wild rice
- For Garnish. Fresh chopped parsley, red pepper flakes
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and bring a pot of water (enough to cover the bell peppers) to a boil.
Wash the bell peppers, cut off the tops, and scoop out the insides. If needed, slice a small part off the bottom of the peppers so they will stand upright. (NOTE: Chop the extra bell pepper tops to cook later with the onion - discard the stem.)
Blanch the bell peppers for 5 minutes to slightly soften. (Alternative, you can roast the peppers for 20 minutes to soften).
Set the softened peppers into a lightly oiled baking dish.
Heat the oil in a large pan to medium heat and add the onions, chopped pepper tops, and jalapeno (if using). Cook for 5 minutes to soften.
Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, or until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Add the ground beef and cook 5-6 minutes, breaking apart as you go, until cooked through.
Add the fire roasted tomatoes, seasonings, and cooked rice. Stir together and remove from heat.
Stir in half of the shredded cheese until incorporated.
Stuff each pepper with the meat filling mixture, then top each with the remaining shredded cheese.
Roast the stuffed peppers for 15-20 minutes, or until the peppers are tender to your preference, and the cheese is nice and bubbly.
Cool slightly, garnish, and serve.
Video
Notes
Bell pepper sizes can vary, so you may need more bell peppers for filling, or save any leftover filling for another use. It freezes nicely.
Worcestershire sauce is a nice flavor addition.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 534kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 30gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 419mgPotassium: 712mgFiber: 5gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 5233IUVitamin C: 162mgCalcium: 236mgIron: 4mg
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 6/28/24 to include new information and video. It was originally published on 8/14/23.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Diane says
Do you maybe adding some Chili powder and some Cumin could add to the taste.Reply
Mike Hultquist says
Diane, this is discussed in the Recipe Notes section. "You can easily adjust the spices to your preference by using your favorite blends, like Cajun seasonings or a nice Italian seasoning. Worcestershire sauce is a popular addition." Cheers!
Reply
Marilyn M says
Loved this recipe! Blanching the peppers was perfect.
I used plain, petite diced tomatoes & added a small can of chopped, fire-roasted green chiles.
I also used a brown, red, wild rice + quinoa mixture.
This is game-day main dish tomorrow. Everyone will love these wonderful stuffed peppers.
Thank you!!Reply
Mike Hultquist says
Boom! Thanks, Marilyn!!
Reply
Christine T says
Recipe is very good. love the idea of softening the peppers bc I would normally add some tomato juice for them to cook in. Only thing I didn't do was add cheese as I treated these like stuffed cabbage - there is no cheese there. Thanks!Reply
Mike H. says
Happy you've customized it to your preference, Christine. Thanks!
Reply
Richard LaPointe says
This is a great easy to follow recipe that tastes great! It allows for your own creativity to embellish the flavors to your liking. There’s beauty in its simplicity, you don’t have to be a fantastic chef to make something that everyone will love. I prefer a softer pepper so I blanched them for about 8 minutes instead of the suggested 5. I strongly recommend this recipe!
Reply
Mike Hultquist says
Great! Thanks so much, Richard! Glad you like them!!
Reply
Ingeborg Davies says
hi love the recipe I did add mushrooms and it was lovely thank you .Reply
Mike H. says
Happy to hear it, Ingeborg. Thank you!
Reply
Janice says
Continued from previous message.Have you ever made the stuffed peppers with raw hamburger.? Cook the veggies and the rice and add to the uncooked hamburger. Probably take longer to cook.
I am following your recipe to a T but going to add raw hamburger.Janice
Reply
Mike Hultquist says
Janice, I prefer to make this with cooked ground meat, as it will be sure to cook through properly. But let me know how it turns out. You may need more cooking time, and the peppers might potentially get too soft, but let me know.
Reply
Janice says
Hi Mike, Just to let you know the link to your cookbook did not work. I don't think trying from Canada should make a difference. I tried with and without VPN.
Regards Janice.........Off to make your stuffed peppers.
Reply
Mike Hultquist says
Janice, I think you need to check the Amazon.ca store. Let me know. I hope you enjoy the peppers!!
Reply
Slimbo says
I cut the core out of the pepper and use it as a top. I also get my smallest pepper and stuff it in next size than I just progress with sizes and stuffings try to get 5 different peppers when garden going
Reply
Mike Hultquist says
Boom! Nice!!
Reply
Angela says
Best recipe for Stuffed Bell peppers, compliments were Best I've ever had, so Flavorful
and easy to prepare.
thanks for a Great recipeReply
Mike Hultquist says
So great to hear! Thanks, Angela!
Reply
Susan says
Absolutely loved this recipe!!!Reply
Mike Hultquist says
Great!!! Thanks, Susan!
Reply
Shaza says
Enjoyed your recipe, thank you. I followed it pretty much to the letter, but adding Italian spice, several tomatoes and hot peppers from my garden. Was tasty and rather spicy. Think my Mexican friends would have enjoyed it. ❤️Reply
Mike Hultquist says
Great to hear! Thanks so much, Shaza!
Reply
Monica Martino says
what would you suggest as an accompaniment? fruit of some kind? salad of some kind? another vegetable?
Reply
Mike Hultquist says
Monica, I think a nice simple salad on the side would be perfect, or some sliced tropical fruits. Let me know how you wind up serving! Enjoy.
Reply
Michael says
Made these last night for my husband, and he loved them. I changed up the ingredients a little bit, because he doesn't like spicy foods, but I do. Cut back the amount of spices, left out the jalapeño and used 2 cans of regular diced tomatoes. I cooked the rice in beef broth separately, but next time I will add the rice and broth after the meat mixture is fried up and cover the skillet for 20 to cook the rice before I stuff the peppers. Also, I didn't blanch the peppers, but I will cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil next time. This is how my Mom cooked stuffed green peppers.Reply
Mike Hultquist says
Glad it was enjoy, Michael. Thanks!!
Reply
Doug MacDonald says
The best stuffed peppers recipe I've tried so far. My only suggestion would be to add an 8 ounce can of tomato sauce.Reply
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Doug! Glad you enjoyed it! Extra sauce for me, too!
Reply
Liam says
Mixed this with gochujang and Korean red pepper flakes, it took it to the next level. Love it. <3Reply
Mike H. says
Happy to hear it, Liam. Enjoy!
Reply
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