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.
Prep time: PT15M
Cook time: PT35M
Total time: PT50M
Rating
4.97 stars (206 reviews)
Keywords
bell peppers, ground beef
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
Categories
Main Course
Cuisine
American
Steps
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.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 534 kcal
Carbohydrates: 29 g
Protein: 30 g
Fat: 33 g
Saturated Fat: 13 g
Trans Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 103 mg
Sodium: 419 mg
Sugar: 9 g
Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
Reviews
Valentina Seraphine on 2026-11-10 (5 stars): Has anyone tried not preroasting the peppers? Making it for the second time and prefer them a little firmer but concerned the’ll release too much moisture if not preroasted 🧐 Should I halve the time or just skip it entirely?
Sarah McCormick on 2026-11-05 (5 stars): Such great flavors! I added the Worchestershire sauce and it really elevated the dish. I also used Italian seasoning rather than basil as thats what I had on hand. I used basmati rice and it held up nicely without turning to mush. Love this recipe! Thank you!
Kim on 2026-11-05 (5 stars): This sounds so good I’m going give it a try. The only thing I will do different is that I top my peppers with mashed potatoes and omit the rice. I have done many of your recipes and none of them have disappointed me!!
James Reynolds on 2026-11-02 (5 stars): Great! Brought back good memories of growing up. Nice twist on it. Made it exactly as written but usef fire roasted sauce instead of tomatoes. Thanks!
Diana on 2026-10-28 (5 stars): Really excellent as is..I used a spoonful of Costco's amazing pesto and a couple of cut up pineapple slices I had lying around. I have tried it with pork and beef and much prefer the pork.
Virginia on 2026-10-27 (4 stars): This was easy and delicious.
Ginny on 2026-10-25 (5 stars): Great recipe, just the right consistency and melding of flavors. everybody enjoyed it very much. Kudos! Mahalo!
