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Updated on Jun 25, 2023
See my guide on how to use an Instant Pot.
These Stuffed Peppers are filled with seasoned ground beef, rice and tomato sauce. They’re a healthy dinner idea, perfect for any night of the week!
If you love stuffed bell peppers try one of these stuffed peppers recipes next: Quinoa Stuffed Peppers, Stuffed Pepper Soup and Unstuffed Bell Pepper Skillet.
Best Stuffed Peppers Recipe
Classic stuffed peppers are a comforting meal that the whole family will love. The hearty and flavorful filling is stuffed into fresh bell peppers, topped with cheese and baked until hot and bubbly. With meat, rice and veggies, stuffed peppers can be a meal on their own or you can serve a salad or garlic bread on the side.
These were delicious and definitely something I’ll be making again!
Maranda
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Rice: I like to use brown rice to sneak some healthy whole grains into the meal, but white rice works well, too. You can replace the brown rice with protein-packed quinoa, or use cauliflower rice for a low-carb option.
- Bell Peppers: Use any color of bell peppers that you like in this stuffed pepper recipe. I like to use a mixture of colors so that everyone at the table can choose their favorite.
- Onion and Garlic: For flavor.
- Ground Beef or Ground Turkey: Use whichever you prefer.
- Diced Tomatoes & Tomato Sauce: Adding tomatoes to the filling brings out the Italian flavors.
- Seasonings: You’ll need Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper for this Italian stuffed peppers recipe.
- Cheese: Use shredded mozzarella or cheddar, or a combination of the two. Half of the cheese is mixed into the filling and the other half is melted on top of the peppers.
How to Make Stuffed Peppers
This easy stuffed peppers recipe requires just a few simple steps.
Cook the rice. See my recipes for How to Cook Brown Rice, How to Cook White Rice, Instant Pot Brown Rice and Instant Pot Rice.
Prep the bell peppers. Use a knife to cut the tops off of the peppers. Use your fingers or a small knife to remove any membranes and shake out the seeds.
Make the stuffed pepper filling. Sauté the onion in olive oil, then add the ground beef and cook until browned. Add the garlic, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and the seasonings to the skillet. Simmer for 5 minutes, just to get the flavors blending together. Stir in the cooked rice and half of the cheese.
Spoon the filling into the bell peppers, then top with more cheese.
Bake. Pour 1/2 cup of water into the baking dish and then add the peppers. Bake, covered with foil for 30 minutes. The water will create steam which will help to soften the peppers. The steam will also keep the peppers and filling from drying out. Then uncover and bake for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is lightly browned.
Do you need to pre-cook peppers for stuffed bell peppers? No, the peppers will cook and soften enough as they bake with the filling in the oven. There is no need to partially cook your bell peppers before stuffing them.
Instant Pot and Crockpot Instructions
- Crockpot: Add 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the slow cooker. Then add the stuffed peppers, cover and cook on low for about 6 hours or high for 3 hours.
- Instant Pot: Try this Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers recipe.
Make Ahead and Freezer Instructions
If you’re wondering if you can freeze stuffed peppers, the answer is yes! I tested this recipe as a freezer meal and it worked well. The only difference that I noticed is that the filling of the frozen peppers had a bit more liquid in it after baking. This recipe is perfect for meal prep!
- To Freeze: Prepare the stuffed peppers as directed in the recipe card below, but do not bake. Let them cool completely and then place them in a baking dish in the freezer. Freeze for 1-2 hours, then transfer to a zip-top plastic freezer bag (or other airtight container) and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Before cooking, thaw the peppers in the refrigerator for 24 hours and then bake as directed in the recipe.
- To Refrigerate: You can assemble the peppers, cover the dish, and then refrigerate them for up to one day before baking and serving.
How to Store and Reheat
Once baked, stuffed peppers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat them in the microwave (I find that cutting the peppers in half helps the filling to heat through better) or in a covered dish in a 375° F oven, until steaming hot.
Like this recipe? Pin it to Pinterest!
5 from 12 ratings
Stuffed Peppers
Servings: 6 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes mins
Cook Time: 35 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
These Stuffed Peppers are filled with rice, ground beef or turkey, tomato sauce and Italian seasonings. They're a healthy meal that's make ahead and freezer-friendly.
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Ingredients
- ¾ cups uncooked brown rice, or white rice, 1 ½ cups cooked
- 6 bell peppers, any color
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ¾ cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1 pound ground beef, or ground turkey
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 8 ounce can tomato sauce, ¾ cup
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, or cheddar cheese, 4 ounces, divided
Instructions
Cook rice according to package directions or your preferred cooking method. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400° F.
Cut the tops off the peppers and remove seeds and membranes.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it starts to soften, 2-3 minutes.
Add the ground beef (or ground turkey) to the pan and cook, crumbling, until browned and cooked through. Drain off any excess grease. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for 30 seconds.
Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the pan. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring for 5 minutes.
Remove pan from the heat and stir in the cooked rice and half of the cheese.
Pour ½ cup of water into a baking dish. Fill bell peppers with the meat and rice mixture and place in the baking dish. Sprinkle on the remaining shredded cheese.
Cover with a piece of aluminum foil that you have lightly sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Bake for 30 minutes, uncover, and bake 5 minutes more, until cheese is lightly browned and filling is hot. Serve.
Notes
- To Freeze:
- Prepare the peppers as directed in the recipe. Do not bake.
- Let peppers cool completely and then place them in a baking dish in the freezer. Freeze for 1-2 hours, then transfer to a zip-top plastic freezer bag and store in freezer for up to 3 months.
- To bake, thaw completely in the refrigerator (this will take about 24 hours). Then, bake as directed above.
- You can assemble the stuffed peppers and refrigerate them for up to one day before baking.
- Once baked, stuffed peppers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat them in the microwave (I find that cutting the peppers in half helps the filling to heat through better) or in a covered dish in a 375° F oven, until steaming hot.
Serving: 1pepper, Calories: 381kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 66mg, Sodium: 649mg, Potassium: 833mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 4111IU, Vitamin C: 164mg, Calcium: 165mg, Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Cuisine: Italian
Course: Main Course
Tried this recipe?Mention @kristines_kitchen on Instagram or tag #kristineskitchenblog.
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posted by Kristine Rosenblatt on Jun 22, 2023
43 comments Leave a comment »
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43 comments on “Stuffed Peppers”
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Karen — Reply
This is one of my favorite recipes! I’ve made these stuffed peppers several times and they are always so yummy. And I agree, it is difficult to get a good photo of them! 🙂
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James — Reply
These look excellent. Love the colors in the pics. I just made these recently, yours look alot better than mine!?
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Kristine — Reply
Thank you, James! You are too kind. 🙂
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Maranda — Reply
These were delicious and definitely something I’ll be making again!
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Kristine — Reply
I am so happy to hear that!
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Arlene T. Nem — Reply
Do you have to cook ground beef before you stuff the peppers my mom never did?
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Kristine — Reply
I find that the flavor is better when you brown the meat first, but you don’t have to. If you choose to skip the step of cooking the meat first, you should poke a few holes in the bottom of the peppers to let the juices drain out. You might need to increase the cooking time if using uncooked ground beef.
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Nancy — Reply
I made these with Minute Brown Rice and Quinoa to save time. They came out delicious!! They freeze so well too so you can have them again in a week ortwo ?
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Kristine — Reply
Yes! I love to freeze these for a quick dinner later on.
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steve servello — Reply
Just made these, wow really good, it’s been a long time since I had stuffed peppers. I retired Jan 3 and I Love to walk and cook and I hit the farmers market and got a good deal of peppers and corn. So my wife says what you are gonna do with all these peppers, And I say Stuffed Peppers I quess, and here We Are. Thank You ,My Wife says I make a good Wife hahaha.
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Kristine — Reply
Haha, I’m glad this recipe was a hit with you and your wife! Walking, cooking and going to the farmer’s market sounds like a great way to enjoy life!
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Evelyn — Reply
What degree to you bake the stuffed peppers at?
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Kristine — Reply
400 degrees F.
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J Williams — Reply
I made this tonight with ground turkey and white rice and then added an 8oz can of tomato sauce and 8oz water in bottom of the pan. Was delicious!
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Kira — Reply
Looks so yummy!! Is there a way to modify this to make it in an instant pot?
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Kristine —
Here is my Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers recipe. Enjoy!
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KIM KURTZ — Reply
WANT TO PRINT OFF STUFFED PEPPERS RECIPE
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Kristine — Reply
Hi Kim, In the box with the recipe ingredients and directions, there is a green print button that will take you to a printer-friendly version.
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Danielle — Reply
These are the best stuffed pepper my husband and I have ever had! Thanks for the recipe. It’s goibg to be a go-to for us!
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Kristine — Reply
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. 🙂
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Meh — Reply
Anyone tried this using Ground chicken instead of turkey or beef?
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Suzy Tucker — Reply
If vacuum sealed will these last longer in the freezer?
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Kristine — Reply
Possibly, I haven’t tried using a vacuum sealer.
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Anita Lusk — Reply
Suzy, I used my seal a meal. I stuffed them, xcept for the cheese on top, used my seal a meal and froze them for months. They were as good as freshly made. Hope this helps. Enjoy!!!
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Jena — Reply
Holy guacamole! I made this dish with spicy rotel instead of regular diced tomatoes, and substituted cheddar cheese; what a wonderful and perfect dish. I can not wait to enjoy these stuffed peppers again! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
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Angelina — Reply
These Stuffed Peppers sound & look amazing! This might sound like a silly question, but I’m assuming that you drain the diced tomatoes before adding them in? Also, what would you suggest as a ‘binder’ other than rice – perhaps Barley? I’d use Brown Rice for us, but I’d like to make these for our friends who are going through a rough time, & they don’t eat rice. Thank you Kristine, for all of your lovely recipes. ?
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Kristine — Reply
I don’t drain the tomatoes. (I will always note in the recipe if canned tomatoes should be drained.) Barley may work as a binder, but I would also suggest trying quinoa. I use quinoa in my Quinoa Stuffed Peppers and it works perfectly! Enjoy!
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Joseph — Reply
Thanks for the easy stuffed peppers recipe. It’s going to be a go-to for us!
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Jesse — Reply
What do you recommend substituting for cheese in recipes like this? Thank you in advance, and great job on this website!
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Kristine — Reply
I would probably just leave it out without substituting in a recipe like this one. You could also try a dairy free shredded cheese, such as Daiya.
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Lori — Reply
These stuffed peppers were delicious and I will definitely be making them again!
Instead of Italian seasoning I used Chili Powder and Cumin and Mexican style diced
tomatoes. Love your recipes and am always looking for new ideas! Thanks! -
Maricel — Reply
Great recipe.
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Maricel — Reply
It was simple and delicious. Thank you, Kristine.
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Nicole — Reply
These were awesome!! 😋
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Sarah Lumpkin — Reply
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I did do a couple of things differently, I used diced tomatoes and tomato sauce with Italian seasoning. So I cut back the actual Italian seasoning to 1/2 a tbsp. It turned out great and I’ll definable this again!
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Denise Minkler — Reply
I loved this! The only thing I did differently was to use stewed tomatoes instead of diced (juice drained)
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Isabel Milo — Reply
Definetly delicious however it needs to cook much longer than stated . The peppers were too crunchy for me .
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Drew458 — Reply
Shop for peppers that can stand up on their own.
While this is an Italian style flavor it would be super easy to make them Mexican or even Indian style too.
Thanks for reminding me of a taste from my childhood… oh so long ago.
PS any old spaghetti sauce in a jar will work and a can of diced tomatoes. Use the Rotel kind if going Mexican.
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Misty Eilert — Reply
used 1 lb ground turkey and Zataran’s dirty rice. Boiled peppers for 5 min before stuffing. Left out tomato sauce. used half Mozzarella and half chedder. Family loved it.
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Kayla — Reply
This was wonderful! Are the calories in kilocalories? Does that mean 1 pepper = 318000 calories?
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Kristine Rosenblatt — Reply
I’m glad you enjoyed these! What are commonly referred to as “calories” are actually kcals. So 381kcal would be what we commonly refer to as 381 calories.
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Aimee — Reply
These very super easy and oh so good. I substituted quinoa for the rice and used leftover Italian sausage. I also blanched the peppers and cut them in half before baking. Will make again.
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Melissa Giesbrecht — Reply
Delicious!! Added spinach for extra veggies but great recipe!
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