Welcome to my kitchen! If there is one dish that screams “comfort food” in the Dulcia household, it’s this one. Today, I am sharing my absolute favorite way to make stuffed bell peppers recipe. There is something magical about colorful peppers acting as their own little edible bowls, holding a savory treasure of meat, rice, and melted cheese.
I have tried dozens of variations over the years, but I always come back to this classic version. It is hearty, simple, and honestly, it just tastes like a warm hug after a long day. Whether you are meal prepping for the week or looking for a show-stopping Sunday dinner, this recipe delivers every single time.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Recipe
The secret to my Classic Ground Beef Stuffed Peppers lies in the texture. Have you ever had a stuffed pepper that was still crunchy while the filling was mushy? Or worse, a pepper that collapsed into a watery mess? We are fixing that today.
By using a quick blanching step, we ensure the peppers are perfectly tender-crisp. Plus, the filling is robust and flavorful, not dry. If you are a fan of savory beef dishes like my Reuben Sliders Delight, you are going to fall in love with this filling.
Ingredients You Need
- Bell Peppers: 4-6 large ones. Use any color – green, yellow, red, orange – for a vibrant dish.
- Olive Oil: 1 tablespoon for sautéing.
- Ground Meat: 1 lb ground beef (450g) is classic, but feel free to use ground turkey, chicken, pork, sausage, tofu, or other similar options for variety.
- Aromatics: 1 medium chopped onion, 1 chopped jalapeño pepper (optional, for a spicy kick), and 5 cloves of chopped garlic for incredible flavor.
- Tomatoes: 14.5 ounces fire roasted tomatoes (canned) – or use diced tomatoes or tomato sauce.
- Cheese: 1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, or a blend – I LOVE pepper jack for myself!).
- Seasonings: 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Rice: 1 cup cooked rice (white, brown, or wild rice). If you want a spicy kick, you could even swap this for my Zesty Mexican Rice Delight.
- For Garnish: Fresh chopped parsley, red pepper flakes.
Step 1: Prepare Your Peppers
First, preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and bring a large pot of water (enough to cover the bell peppers) to a boil. Wash the bell peppers thoroughly. Cut off the tops and carefully scoop out the insides. If needed, slice a small part off the bottom of the peppers so they will stand upright in your baking dish. (NOTE: Chop the extra bell pepper tops to cook later with the onion – discard the stem.)
Step 2: Blanch the Peppers to Soften
This is a crucial step for tender peppers. Carefully blanch the hollowed bell peppers in the boiling water for 5 minutes to slightly soften them. Alternatively, you can roast the peppers for 20 minutes to soften them before filling. Set the softened peppers into a lightly oiled baking dish. This ensures your final dish has the perfect bite without being overly crunchy or mushy.
Step 3: Sauté Aromatics and Cook Meat
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions, chopped bell pepper tops, and jalapeño (if using) and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Then, add the chopped garlic and cook for just 1 minute more, or until the garlic becomes fragrant. Next, add the ground beef (or your chosen meat) and cook for 5-6 minutes, breaking it apart as you go, until it’s cooked through. Ensure the meat is browned for depth of flavor. For ground beef safety tips, refer to USDA Ground Beef Safety.
Step 4: Create the Filling Mixture
Once the meat is cooked, add the fire roasted tomatoes, paprika, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and pepper to the pan. Stir everything together until well combined. Then, stir in the cooked rice. Let this mixture simmer together for a couple of minutes to allow the flavors to meld beautifully. This savory meat filling is the heart of your stuffed bell peppers recipe.
Step 5: Incorporate Cheese & Stuff the Peppers
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in half of the shredded cheese into the meat and rice filling until it’s just incorporated. This adds an extra layer of richness and helps bind the filling together. Now, spoon the flavorful meat mixture generously into each softened bell pepper, packing them full. For extra health benefits of bell peppers, check out Health Benefits of Bell Peppers.
Step 6: Top with Remaining Cheese & Roast
After stuffing, top each pepper with the remaining shredded cheese. Place the baking dish into your preheated oven. Roast the stuffed peppers for 15-20 minutes, or until the peppers are tender to your preference and the cheese on top is wonderfully nice and bubbly and golden brown. You can learn more about bell peppers on Wikipedia.
Step 7: Cool, Garnish, and Serve
The Best Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe: Juicy, Cheesy & Easy!
- Total Time: 55
- Yield: 4–6 stuffed peppers 1x
Description
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.
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
1. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and bring a pot of water (enough to cover the bell peppers) to a boil.
2. 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.)
3. Blanch the bell peppers for 5 minutes to slightly soften. (Alternatively, you can roast the peppers for 20 minutes to soften.)
4. Set the softened peppers into a lightly oiled baking dish.
5. 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.
6. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, or until the garlic becomes fragrant.
7. Add the ground beef and cook 5-6 minutes, breaking apart as you go, until cooked through.
8. Add the fire roasted tomatoes, seasonings, and cooked rice. Stir together and remove from heat.
9. Stir in half of the shredded cheese until incorporated.
10. Stuff each pepper with the meat filling mixture, then top each with the remaining shredded cheese.
11. Roast the stuffed peppers for 15-20 minutes, or until the peppers are tender to your preference, and the cheese is nice and bubbly.
12. Cool slightly, garnish, and serve.
Notes
You can swap the ground beef for ground turkey, chicken, pork, sausage, or tofu.
For softer peppers, increase the roasting time slightly until they reach your preferred tenderness.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 35
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed pepper
Keywords: stuffed bell peppers recipe, classic stuffed peppers, ground beef stuffed peppers, easy stuffed peppers
Once roasted to perfection, carefully remove the baking dish from the oven. Allow the stuffed peppers to cool slightly before serving; this helps the flavors set and prevents you from burning your mouth! Garnish generously with fresh chopped parsley and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for a pop of color and a hint of heat. Enjoy your delicious, homemade stuffed peppers!
Serving Suggestions
These peppers are a meal in themselves, but they pair beautifully with a crisp green salad or some garlic bread. If you are hosting a dinner party and need a fun appetizer to go alongside, try my Cheesy Potato Stack Bites—they are always a crowd-pleaser!
For those who love Asian flavors, it might seem unrelated, but the principles of browning beef in my Beef and Broccoli Ramen Stir Fry actually apply here too—high heat and good seasoning make all the difference. Enjoy your delicious, homemade stuffed peppers!