Stuffed Bell Peppers
This stuffed bell peppers recipe is a hearty meal that’s perfect for meal prep or for feeding a crowd.
More easy dinner ideas to try: Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken, Slow Cooker Chili, and Baja Fish Tacos.
Stuffed peppers are an excellent meal to serve no matter the season. Not only are they a delicious alternative to pasta-based dishes, they are also full of flavor and texture. We like to use both red peppers and green bell peppers to mix up the recipe and keep it fresh — you can use orange bell peppers, too.
In a pinch, dried onion can be substituted for the raw onion found in the stuffed bell peppers filling. You can also substitute ground turkey or chicken for the ground beef. Instant rice also helps speed up the assembly process.
Don’t forget to add the ketchup sauce before baking the stuffed bell peppers. That’s definitely a step you don’t want to skip!
If your family doesn’t like things spicy, simply forgo adding the Tabasco sauce to the ketchup mixture. Just a dash doesn’t add much of a kick but it still might be too much for folks who prefer dishes on the milder side.
Are you a fan of stuffed bell peppers? Let us know what you think of this recipe in the comments below! We love to hear about your cooking adventures.
What to Serve with Stuffed Bell Peppers
We like to serve simple green salads alongside these hearty bell peppers. But you can also soups or crusty bread with butter or olive oil.
Variations
- Vegetables: Try adding veggies to the meat mixture to sneak in some more nutrients. Wilted spinach, finely chopped broccoli, and shredded carrots all work well.
- Starch: While rice is the typical carbohydrate included in bell pepper recipes, you can experiment with using diced or shredded potatoes, too.
- Spice: Add some spiciness by including chipped chili peppers, jalapenos, crushed red pepper flakes, or cayenne.
- Heat: We like to roast these in the oven, but you could use your air fryer, too.
- Cheese: Top these stuffed bell peppers with shredded cheddar or mozzarella.
- Seasonings: Switch up the flavor profile by using seasoning blends like Italian seasoning or an herb like basil.
- Sauce: Instead of the ketchup-based sauce, use a seasoned tomato sauce.
- Size: Swap out the full-size peppers for the miniature version of orange, green, and red bell peppers to make a kid-friendly meal or an appetizer-sized portion.
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 red or green bell peppers
Filling
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 1/2 cups cooked rice (brown or white)
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- salt & pepper to taste
Sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 dash Tabasco
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut off top stems of bell peppers and de-seed, keeping the bell peppers in the shape of a bowl.
- Bring a pot of water to boil, add peppers, and keep submerged for 3 minutes.
- Remove peppers, drizzle or lightly spray the insides with olive oil, and place them in a baking dish ready to be filled.
- In a sauté pan, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and sauté the onion until it starts to become translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another couple minutes. Add cooked mixture to a large mixing bowl.
- While the onions sauté, in a small bowl mixing bowl combine the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and water to gather and set aside.
- In the large mixing bowl, add the cooked rice, tomatoes, ground beef, oregano and salt and pepper. Mix with a spoon or your hands until thoroughly combined.
- Stuff filling into the peppers and then drizzle the tops with the ketchup sauce.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
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