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Classic Stuffed Peppers

What is it about the smell of classic stuffed peppers that gets you right in the feels? It’s the best of simple ingredients–fresh beef, onions, tomatoes, and seasonings that come together in their own little portable, edible bowls. 

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one green pepper stuffed with meat on a small white plate with a baking dish full of green stuffed peppers in the background on a wooden cutting board

But here’s my secret:

While these classic stuffed peppers are really tasty, I’ve been ruined on them.

We ate them alot as a kid but with their basic ingredients, no fuss and no frills, they really are the best slate for you to experiment with.

I know you will enjoy them.

How to make these classic stuffed peppers

  • Make these stuffed peppers with any rice you like. I prefer brown but I only had white on hand so I went with it. It does need to be cooked before you put it in the peppers.
  • Ground turkey would also work well in place of the beef if you want a healthier stuffed pepper recipe. They are already fairly healthy, but you can lighten them further by changing the meat you use.
  • Remember that if your peppers won’t stand up in the dish, just cut a little bit off the bottom. Try not to cut into the pepper though. You don’t want to lose your filling. I used three very large peppers in this recipe. If your peppers are smaller you can probably fill 5-6 easily.
  • Swap the tomato sauce for pasta sauce and some fancy parmesan cheese for an Italian flare.
  • If you’re in to Mexican flavors, use salsa and pepper jack cheese mixed in. So many options! I have a great post on how to use leftover taco meat any extra filling would work great in.
a skillet with rice, tomato sauce and cooked pepper fillings

Why do you boil stuffed peppers?

Bell peppers are quite firm and may take longer to cook properly if they don’t get a bit of a jump start.

Cut off the tops and remove the seeds and any large ribs but try not to break the pepper. Place the pepper into boiling water for a minute or so then turn upside down to drain before filling.
The goal isn’t to cook them to the point of being totally soft–just softer than what they were so that they will finish cooking in the oven with the filling.

You could also pre-bake the empty peppers for 5 to 7 minutes before adding the stuffed pepper recipe filling, then finish baking for the full time in the recipe.

Save time and skip cooking rice with this trick

Unless you keep cooked rice on hand, waiting 20 minutes or more for a batch to cook can feel like one extra step in your day you just don’t have time for. Instead, cut right to the chase with Thrive Life freeze dried brown or white rice. Simply refresh the cooked rice by pouring over a bit of warm water and in just a few minutes it’s ready to go in your next recipe.

To make these stuffed peppers ahead:

Cook the filling, stuff the peppers and place them in a baking dish. Wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in the fridge till ready to bake, up to 2 days ahead.

A note on freezing: Don’t freeze the peppers stuffed or they will go soggy on you when they thaw. The filling freezes great though!

To reheat: You may need to cover them loosely with some foil for the first half of their bake time to keep them from drying out, then uncover them for the last half or until they are hot all the way through.

Can I pack the meat in raw?

I’ve had a few readers who have done this over the years and I just can’t support it. Where is all that grease from the beef going to go? And the cook time is going to be much longer while the dense filling cooks through. This isn’t a method I would recommend.

a stuffed pepper sliced open to show the filling

How to make stuffed peppers in one pan

You could also deconstruct this and brown the beef, drain and add the remaining ingredients. Dice the peppers and add them to the skillet then bake it up in in the oven. Easy stuff! And it would make ahead like a dream. Even better for busy nights.

What to serve with stuffed peppers

This stuffed pepper recipe is basically a meal in one but try these sides to round out your meal:

one green pepper stuffed with meat on a small white plate with a baking dish full of green stuffed peppers in the background on a wooden cutting board

Classic Stuffed Peppers

Classic stuffed peppers go the traditional route and deliver the familiar flavors you crave.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4
Author Rachel Ballard

Ingredients
  

  • 4 very large green bell peppers or about 5 small ones
  • 15 ounce can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 pound ground beef or turkey
  • 1/3 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup cooked brown or white rice
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions
 

  • Cut the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds. Place the peppers in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and cook 3 minutes, just until the peppers are slightly soft. Drain, rinse with cool water and set aside on paper towels to drain.
  • In a skillet, heat the ground beef and onion and cook until no pink remains. Drain.
  • Add the salt, pepper, rice, garlic powder and half of the tomato sauce.
  • Stir well and spoon into the peppers.
  • Top with the other half of the tomato sauce.
  • Bake in an ungreased dish at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 376kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 16gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 257mgPotassium: 745mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 670IUVitamin C: 106.4mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 3.3mg
Tried this recipe?Tag us on Instagram @feastandfarm and hashtag it #feastandfarm
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword how to make stuffed peppers, stuffed pepper recipe

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275 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This is my mom’s exact recipe! I make them exactly the same. No changes needed!! Really good with fresh garden tomatos and cottage cheese on the side! Great summer dinner. Making them right now! ?

  2. 5 stars
    Very good flavor. I used frozen green pepper halves from our abundant garden harvest last year and they were delicious. I used a jar of Ragú spaghetti sauce, so I doubled the recipe and added more salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I also added 3/4 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves.
    Precooking the burger and peppers and rice really saves on oven time. Plus the grease from the burger can be drained off.
    I added some water to the remaining half jar of Ragú before pouring it on the stuffed peppers so that there would be “gravy” for my mashed potatoes.

    1. I have made stuffed green peppers for years, but I never add rice into my mix. That is the way Americans make it. My family eats this dish over rice. Its always great tasting the way I made mine. I’m German and prefer to make it the way I was taught by my mother. I have made it before with the rice in the mix, but what do Americans eat this with? Just the stuffed Peppers?
      Patti, your comment says you pour the gravy over mashed potatoes. To me it don’t taste that great eating it with mashed potatoes. I have tried that, but my family likes this dish eating it over rice.

    2. Rachel, I’m not trying to tell anyone that my recipe is better then the way you cook yours. Not being a American, I thought I would only like to tell how I cook mine. No offense intended.
      Gigi Hammer, that is my nick name, since no one can pronounce my German name correctly.

    3. No offense taken Gigi. One thing I like to remind all of my readers is that just because we know a recipe to be one way doesn’t mean that other ways of enjoying those flavors are wrong and that our way is the only right one. We do eat these just stuffed and we use a knife and fork to cut chunks and enjoy it. Maybe you can give it a shot sometime. 🙂 –Rachel

  3. 5 stars
    To bake with raw ground beef cut a cross in bottom of green pepper. All the grease will drain out of the pepper into bottom of your dish.

  4. 5 stars
    Amazing recipe!!! I added cheese on top and served the delicious peppers with mashed potatoes. YUM!!!!

  5. I cook these on the stove in tomato juice. Normally 4-5 hours. You asked where the grease goes? Stays in the juice to make gravy when peppers are done.

    1. Peppers for 4 to 5 hours? Aren’t they mush? No gravy for me and no grease for me either but if you like it that’s a-okay with me! –Rachel

  6. Try mixing cooked rice and all raw ingredients stuff peppers then cook for 1 hr. Works well
    Good recipe

    1. People are welcome to try that if you choose but keep in mind that’s not my recipe if you do. I have no idea where the grease goes if it’s baked raw? That seems terrible to me. –Rachel

  7. Good morning. What is the best way to soften the peppers? Should I bake first or boil first? Thanks.

  8. 4 stars
    I also added a 1/8 tsp of celery seed and a 1/2 tsp of dried parsley flakes. Lastly one “dash” of Worcester Sauce. Three more layers of flavour. Mmmmmm!

    1. I make these like my mum used to. We always serve topped with sour light cream, never cheese. I use cooked, cooled rice with raw minced beef and finely chopped onion, plus mustard powder, Worcester sauce, tomato sauce, celery salt, smoked paprika, some oregano, beef stock powder, and just whatever flavours I feel like at the time. Mix it all together and stuff peppers with it. Pour tomato soup over and extra sauce if you like. Cook covered in moderate oven for an hour. Top with sour light cream. ?

  9. I just made it just like the recipe and it was wonderful! Tasted just like I thought it should taste except even better than I imagined.

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About the Author

Rachel Ballard, RN, BSN brings more than 20 years of professional nursing expertise to Feast and Farm. With a love for nutrient dense foods that support wellness, she works to distill complex health information and current trends into recipes that fuel the best version of yourself. Read more about Rachel here.