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
4.99 stars (134 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
Ed on 2025-12-29 (5 stars): Thank you so much. Even better than Mom used to make. I am going to make this with chorizo next time as suggested to try.
Raquel Buncie on 2025-12-23 (5 stars): Delicious recipe! My family loved it! I had to substitute the oregano and basil for Italian seasoning because that’s what I had and I used a muffin tin to bake. I also softened them in the oven before stuffing. Will definitely make again!
Leone on 2025-12-21 (5 stars): Best stuffed pepper recipe I've ever made, and I've made plenty. It is bursting with flavor and tastiness. I used all green peppers, as they were on sale, but I will do a mix next time for fun. Also, I used up a brown, wild, grain mix i had frozen for the rice and I'm happy to say it worked great. The odd little lentil popped out, so it was even more interesting. Thank you yet again for another 'The One' recipe.
I'm getting your new book for Christmas. My husband thinks its a secret, but...shhhh. 🤫🤭 I give good, clear hints. can't wait!
Ciao!
tom on 2025-12-18 (5 stars): 'Made 8 peppers, went heavy with garlic,on purpose, Jalapenos,chili flakes and mozzarella and jack cheese, tasty.
Mary Roscetti on 2025-12-18 (5 stars): Wonderful recipe! As others have mentioned, this is a different recipe than what I have traditionally used. Followed this recipe exactly (well, other than adding feta to combine with cheddar to make a whole cup) and it came out perfectly! Will be doing stuffed peppers this way from now on. Thank you!
Marina on 2025-12-12 (5 stars): Delicious recipe . I love the addition of a jalapeño and adding some cheese to the mix. I used smoked paprika and always add a splash of red wine, when there are tomatoes.
Thanks Mike
Vicki on 2025-12-10 (5 stars): Pretty tasty! I left out the rice to lower the carbs and they turned out great! I also substituted 505 Hatch green Chilies for the jalapeño.
Jeffrey B on 2025-12-04 (5 stars): Well I just tried out your recipe. Everything came out perfect. Although I only filled 4 peppers. The rest of the filling I used for sloppy Joe's. I followed the recipe exactly and my stubffed peppers were like, whamo.