Stuffed Bell Peppers
Bell peppers filled with seasoned ground meat, rice, and tomatoes, baked until the peppers are tender and the filling is browned on top. Old-school comfort food that's actually a balanced meal in one dish. The key is partially pre-cooking the peppers — raw peppers stay crunchy and cold inside.
Prep Time
16 min
Cook Time
15 min
Servings
2
Calories
265 cal
🛠 Interactive Recipe Tools — Use them right here on this page
Smart Servings Scaler
- Bell Peppers½
- Rice¾ cups
- Carrot½ medium
- Bell Pepper½
- Onion½ medium
- Garlic1 ½ cloves
- Cheese½ cup
- Parsley½
- Oregano½
All quantities scaled automatically from 2 servings.
Ingredients
Makes 2 servings · Use the Servings Scaler above to adjust
- Bell Peppers0.5
- Rice0.75 cups
- Carrot0.5 medium
- Bell Pepper0.5
- Onion0.5 medium
- Garlic1.5 cloves
- Cheese0.5 cup
- Parsley0.5
- Oregano0.5
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Slice the tops off 6 large bell peppers and remove the seeds and ribs. Stand them in a baking dish that fits them snugly (tight peppers don't tip over).
- 2
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the peppers for 4 minutes (they should still be firm but starting to soften). Drain upside down on paper towels. This step is non-negotiable — skip it and the peppers come out crunchy and cold inside.
- 3
In a large skillet, brown 1 lb of ground beef (or turkey, lamb) with 1 chopped onion. Drain excess fat. Add 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper. Cook 2 minutes.
- 4
Stir in 1 cup of cooked rice (leftover rice is perfect), 1 cup tomato sauce, ¼ cup chopped parsley, and ½ cup shredded cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, or Monterey Jack). Mix well.
- 5
Stuff each pepper generously with the filling, mounding slightly over the top. Top with another sprinkle of cheese. Pour ½ cup of water or broth into the bottom of the baking dish (helps steam-cook the peppers from below).
- 6
Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove foil, bake another 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Let rest 5 minutes before serving — the filling is molten right out of the oven.
Watch how to make Stuffed Bell Peppers
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💡 Expert Tips
- 1.Blanch the peppers. Raw peppers don't soften enough in 35 minutes of baking. A 4-minute boil gives you tender peppers without losing their structure.
- 2.Choose squat, even peppers. Tall narrow peppers tip over and spill filling. Look for short, wide ones with a flat-ish bottom.
- 3.Cooked rice, not raw. Adding raw rice to the filling means it absorbs liquid and turns to mush in the oven. Always use already-cooked rice (leftover is ideal).
- 4.Don't skip the water in the pan. The peppers need some steam from below to fully soften. Without it, the bottoms stay tough.
🔬 Why It Works
Stuffed peppers are essentially two recipes assembled: tender cooked peppers and a savory filling, baked together so flavors marry. Blanching solves the eternal stuffed-pepper problem (raw inside the next morning) by partially cooking them before they go in the oven. The water in the baking dish creates steam that gently finishes the peppers from below while the filling browns from above. Using cooked rice means the filling stays moist instead of sucking up all the moisture and going dry.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 2 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 2 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
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