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
Rating
4.97 stars (192 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
Fay on 2026-09-23 (5 stars): So delicious! My husband loves it too. I make garlic baguette to go with and add in extra paprika, herbs and cumin.
Jennifer P on 2026-09-21 (5 stars): Recipe was phenomenal!I will definitely make it again. I did almost forget to add the seasonings because they were not listed in the break down instructions, so I just added them before stuffing the peppers, glad I remembered! So good!
Patricia Westbrook on 2026-09-20 (5 stars): These turned out amazing with my Alaskan caribou instead of beef and I added mushrooms too. Thank you so much for this awesome recipe!!
Martha on 2026-09-15 (5 stars): These were a perfect meal prep for the week! I love the low food waste in this recipe!
Chad Murphy on 2026-09-10 (5 stars): 👌🏼 excellent
Larry Stauch on 2026-08-31 (5 stars): This is the very best stuffed pepper recipe I have ever experienced. It is not just good, it is incredible. Every bite was more savory than the last. Thanks for making this recipe available. I just made it as described and then after letting it cool, my wife and I sat down to an unexpected eating experience. The pepper jack cheese puts it over the top.
Debbie Smith on 2026-08-26 (5 stars): Loved this recepie! I added Worcestershire sauce and smoked Paparika, cheddar and pepper
jack cheese. You will Thank me later if you try it this way. this is going on my weekly dinners
Wendy Dennis on 2026-08-23 (5 stars): Excellent! The husband wanted me to make stuffed peppers more spicy than usual. I was missing fresh jalapenos and fire-roasted canned tomatoes, but I substituted 2 teaspoons of Huy Fong Foods Sambal Oelek Ground Fresh Chili Paste for the jalapeno and added a 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika when I added a can of plain diced tomatoes.
Perfect balance of flavor! The fact that I was using just-picked peppers from a local farmer sure didn't hurt, either. Thanks! I will be checking out more of your website for sure!