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 (184 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
Christine I Gallagher on 2026-08-03 (5 stars): The very best I promise you. Absolutely amazing recipe, my family went crazy over this. I'll add this into the rotation. I wish I can share a photo of it. Yummm!!
Erin on 2026-07-28 (5 stars): Absolutely delicious, i'll be adding this to our rotation and following you !
Angela S.Harrison on 2026-07-23 (5 stars): This recipe is a new addition to my kitchen, it is absolutely amazing. Thanks
Sue on 2026-07-20 (5 stars): The recipe was wonderful!!! Everyone (5) enjoyed the ingredients!
Anne Hamilton on 2026-07-14 (5 stars): These were awesome - I made a vegetarian version for me & made my husband your recipe without changing a thing - he ate 3 whole peppers himself in a sitting!!!
Robyn Seaboldt on 2026-07-11 (5 stars): I made these today and they came out perfect! I guess my peppers were on the smaller side because I had enough filling for 12 peppers! Now I don't have to cook for a few days!
Cindy on 2026-07-04 (5 stars): I have been making these for years. So delicious. I use 2/3 ground beef and 1/3 ground pork. I also use beef Rice-A-Roni instead of white rice. And, I pour marinara over them when I bake them because I have to have that sauce on top. Don’t forget to sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top.
Gail on 2026-06-30 (5 stars): It took me several days to get everything cooked and prepped but this morning I put the peppers together and now they're in the oven. Great recipe and easy to follow. I slice my peppers in half lengthwise so I get a little more for each serving I think. I've been wanting to make stuffed peppers for a while so I'm happy that I finally did it.