These stuffed bell peppers are loaded with seasoned ground beef, rice, tomatoes, and melted cheese. A classic comfort food dinner that is hearty, satisfying, and easy to make.
Stuffed bell peppers are one of those dinners that never goes out of rotation in my house. They look like you put real effort in, they smell incredible coming out of the oven, and the leftovers might actually be better than the original.
The filling is the familiar combination of ground beef, rice, canned tomatoes, and cheese that most people grew up eating, but it's the seasoning and the technique that make the difference between a stuffed pepper that tastes flat and one that tastes genuinely good. Well-seasoned beef, the right amount of sauce in the filling so it stays moist during baking, and a generous layer of cheese that melts and browns on top.
I've been making these for years and the recipe hasn't changed much because it doesn't need to. It works.
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Bell peppers. Six medium peppers in whatever colors you like. Red, orange, and yellow peppers are sweeter and more mild. Green peppers have a slightly more bitter, grassy flavor that not everyone loves but some people specifically prefer. A mix of colors looks beautiful in the pan and on the plate.
Ground beef. 80/20 for the best flavor. Leaner beef works but the filling can be slightly drier. Brown it well and drain the fat before adding the other filling ingredients.
Cooked rice. About a cup and a half of cooked white rice. Leftover rice from a previous meal is perfect here. If you're cooking it fresh, start the rice before you begin the filling so it has time to cook. Brown rice works too, just note it takes longer to cook.
Canned diced tomatoes. One can, drained slightly but not completely. The tomato juice adds moisture to the filling that keeps it from drying out during the long bake time. Fire-roasted diced tomatoes add extra depth if you can find them.
Tomato sauce. A few tablespoons stirred into the filling and more poured around the peppers in the baking dish before they go in the oven. The sauce in the pan steams the peppers from the outside as they bake and keeps them from drying out.
Garlic and onion. Both cooked with the beef. Don't skip them. They build the flavor base of the filling and make the difference between something that tastes seasoned and something that tastes like beef and rice.
Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper. The seasoning mix for the filling. Simple and effective. Taste the filling before stuffing the peppers and adjust.
Worcestershire sauce. Just a small splash added to the beef filling. It adds a savory depth that makes the filling taste more complex without adding an identifiable flavor.
Shredded mozzarella and parmesan. Mozzarella for the melt and stretch. Parmesan for the sharpness and browning on top. Use both.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove the seeds and membranes from inside. If the peppers don't stand up straight on their own, slice a very thin piece off the bottom to create a flat base, being careful not to cut through so the filling stays in.
Arrange the peppers upright in a 9x13 baking dish. Pour about half a cup of tomato sauce around the base of the peppers in the dish. This keeps the bottoms from scorching and adds steam that helps cook the peppers evenly.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up, for about 6 to 8 minutes until fully browned. Drain the fat.
Add the diced onion and cook for 3 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Stir in the Italian seasoning, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Add the drained diced tomatoes and a few tablespoons of tomato sauce. Stir everything together and cook for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the cooked rice and half the shredded mozzarella. Taste the filling. It should be well seasoned and slightly saucy. If it seems dry, add a splash more tomato sauce.
Spoon the filling generously into each pepper, pressing it down slightly to pack it in and filling all the way to the top. Mound it slightly above the rim if you have extra filling.
Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and the parmesan over the top of each pepper.
Cover the baking dish loosely with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly and the peppers are tender when pierced with a fork.
Let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.
These peppers are filling enough on their own but they pair really nicely with the cucumber tomato onion salad as a simple fresh side that cuts through the richness of the beef and cheese filling. The homemade coleslaw is another natural pairing if you want something cool and creamy on the side.
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Season the filling well and taste before stuffing. Once the peppers are filled and in the oven, adjusting seasoning is impossible. Taste the beef and rice mixture before it goes into the peppers and get it right at this stage. It should taste slightly more seasoned than you'd want to eat on its own since the pepper itself is bland and will balance it out.
Don't skip the sauce in the bottom of the pan. The tomato sauce around the base of the peppers creates steam during baking that helps cook the peppers evenly from the outside while the filling cooks from the inside. Without it the bottoms of the peppers can dry out or scorch.
Cover with foil for most of the bake time. The foil keeps the filling from drying out and helps the peppers cook through before the cheese on top gets too dark. Removing it at the end gives you the golden bubbly cheese you want.
Let them rest before serving. Five minutes out of the oven lets the filling set slightly and makes them easier to serve cleanly. They're also very hot straight from the oven and the rest time lets them cool to an edible temperature.
Use cooked rice not raw. Raw rice does not cook through properly inside a stuffed pepper in the time it takes to bake them. Always use already-cooked rice in the filling.
Use ground turkey or chicken. The same filling with ground turkey instead of beef. Season it more generously since poultry has less natural fat and flavor. The turkey meatballs use a similar seasoning approach if you want to see how well-seasoned ground turkey can taste.
Make them Italian style. Use Italian sausage instead of ground beef, add fresh basil to the filling, and top with fresh mozzarella slices instead of shredded. A more intensely flavored version that works beautifully.
Make it vegetarian. Skip the meat entirely and use a combination of black beans, corn, diced zucchini, and extra rice in the filling. Season it well with the same spices and add extra cheese. Hearty and satisfying without any meat.
Use quinoa instead of rice. A higher protein grain option that works well in the filling. Cook the quinoa first the same way you would rice and use it in the exact same quantity.
Add cream cheese. A couple tablespoons of softened cream cheese stirred into the warm filling before stuffing adds a creaminess that makes the whole thing feel more indulgent. A good variation for when you want something a bit richer.
Ground beef can be replaced with ground turkey, ground chicken, or Italian sausage. A half-and-half mix of beef and sausage makes an especially flavorful filling.
White rice can be replaced with brown rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice for a lower-carb version, or farro. Any cooked grain works here.
Canned diced tomatoes can be replaced with fire-roasted tomatoes for more depth, or fresh diced tomatoes in summer when they're at their best.
Mozzarella can be replaced with pepper jack for heat, cheddar for a sharper flavor, or Monterey Jack for something milder. Any melting cheese works.
Tomato sauce can be replaced with marinara, salsa for a Tex-Mex direction, or even a small amount of enchilada sauce which takes the whole dish somewhere completely different and very good.
Stuffed bell peppers store really well. Let them cool completely then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. They reheat well in the microwave in 60 to 90 second intervals, or covered with foil in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes.
To freeze, cool completely and wrap each pepper individually in plastic wrap before placing in a freezer bag. They freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. The texture of the pepper softens slightly after freezing but the filling is completely unchanged.
Make ahead: Assemble the stuffed peppers fully, including the cheese topping, cover the baking dish tightly, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. Pull them from the fridge 30 minutes before baking and add about 10 minutes to the covered bake time since they're starting cold.
Do I need to pre-cook the bell peppers before stuffing?
You don't have to and this recipe doesn't require it. The peppers cook through during the 45 to 50 minutes of baking time. If you prefer a very soft pepper, you can blanch them in boiling water for 3 minutes before stuffing, which shortens the baking time slightly. Most people prefer the texture of peppers baked without pre-cooking.
Why is my stuffed pepper filling dry?
The filling needs a certain amount of sauce to stay moist during the long bake time. Make sure you're adding enough tomato sauce to the filling mixture and also pouring sauce around the peppers in the baking dish before they go in. Covering with foil for most of the bake also helps retain moisture.
Can I make stuffed peppers without rice?
Yes. Leave the rice out entirely for a lower-carb version, or replace it with cauliflower rice, quinoa, or extra beans. The filling will be looser without the rice as a binder, but it still works and tastes good.
How do I know when the peppers are done?
Pierce the side of a pepper with a fork or small knife. It should go in with very little resistance. The pepper should feel tender, not crunchy. The cheese on top should be melted and starting to turn golden. If the peppers still feel firm at the 45-minute mark, give them another 10 minutes covered.
Can I use mini peppers instead of full size ones?
Yes. Mini stuffed peppers make great appetizers. They don't need to be hollowed out in the same way, just cut in half lengthwise and spoon the filling into each half. Bake at 375°F for about 20 to 25 minutes. Great for parties.
These stuffed bell peppers are loaded with seasoned ground beef, rice, tomatoes, and melted cheese. A classic comfort food dinner that is hearty, satisfying, and easy to make.
Servings 6
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Taste the filling before stuffing the peppers and get the seasoning right at that stage. Once they're in the oven there is no fixing a bland filling.
Pour sauce around the peppers in the baking dish before they go in the oven. It creates steam that cooks the peppers evenly and keeps the bottoms from drying out.
Cover with foil for most of the bake time then remove at the end. This keeps the filling moist while still giving you a golden bubbly cheese topping.
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