Easy Stuffed Bell Peppers With Ground Beef And Brown Rice
By Rena | Published on January 2, 2022| Updated on March 3, 2022
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Cheesy and savory, easy Stuffed Bell Peppers are made with flavorful ground beef and fluffy brown rice for a healthy recipe! These stuffed bell peppers are the best because they can be made with either lean ground beef, sausage, turkey, chicken, or vegetarian ingredients. You will enjoy these stuffed peppers because they are made with homemade tomato sauce, cheddar cheese, garlic, onions, paprika, and juicy tomatoes.
Deliciously easy stuffed bell peppers are the best. Why? This healthy stuffed peppers recipe is made with tender and well-seasoned ground beef and mixed with fluffy rice to create a hearty satisfying meal filled with protein!
You can easily make this stuffed bell peppers recipe keto by substituting brown rice for cauliflower riceor just make these peppers with no rice. Its that easy! Enjoy healthy and cheesy flavors that taste so savory and delicious with classic southern ingredients like salt, pepper, oregano, tomatoes, etc.
This easy recipe for stuffed bell peppers is great for whenever you need new inspiration when it comes to dinner ideas. Family-friendly and the perfect mix of fresh veggies mixed with filling ground beef, these healthy stuffed peppers are ideal for dinners at home when you need something prepared in about 30 minutes.
How To Make The Best Stuffed Peppers
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook rice according to package instructions.
- Meanwhile, trim about 1/4-inch from tops of bell peppers and then remove stems, ribs and seeds. Fill a baking dish just large enough to fit peppers with about 1/2-inch of water.
- Place peppers upside down in water, cover tightly with foil and bake 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over-medium high heat.
- Add onion and saute 3 minutes. Move onions to one far side of the skillet.
- Add beef in chunks, season with salt and pepper then let sear until browned on bottom, about 2 3 minutes.
- Break up beef and toss with onions and continue to cook 2 minutes, add garlic and cook until beef is cooked through about 1 minute longer.
- Remove from heat, drain off excess fat .
- Stir in tomatoes, half of the tomato sauce , cooked rice, parsley, Italian seasoning and season with salt and pepper to taste.
The Best Type Of Peppers For Stuffing
Todays selection of peppers comes from a mix of grocery store varieties and ultra local farmers market for a rainbow of sweetness begging to be stuffed.
If you prefer green peppers, for sure go for it and use them instead.
I went back to the memory of my moms recipe with ground beef and rice in a tomato based sauce, and embellished it with chunks of mushroom and fresh cut corn and a sprinkle of herbs and red pepper flakes.
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Best Peppers To Use For This Recipe
The sweet red, orange, and yellow bell peppers you can find at the market or grocery store this time of year are the best.
If I had to choose, Mexican stuffed yellow peppers are my favorite, but I like to use a combination of colors to give it that special eye appeal. By all means, use any color combination that suits you!
PRO TIP: If you are on a budget, green bell peppers are always a good choice since they are usually cheaper at the market or grocery store.
Can You Freeze Stuffed Peppers
Shockingly, YES! Stuff the bell peppers with the meat filling and prepare as directed. Reserve the tomato sauce mixture and freeze separately.
To Freeze stuffed peppers: stuff each bell pepper with a heaping mound of the rice and beef mixture. Place into a disposable 13×9 baking dish. Double wrap with aluminum foil and keep frozen for up to 3 months.
To Reheat Stuffed Peppers: thaw the sauce and stuffed peppers completely in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Before baking pour the tomato sauce mixture over the peppers and bake for up to 2 hours.
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Ingredients For Healthy Stuffed Peppers
- Bell peppers: You will need seven bell peppers. You can use any colored bell pepper such as green, yellow, red, or orange. Fresh bell peppers are loaded with vitamin C, fiber, and other great nutrients. Be sure to remove the tops, cores, and seeds from the bell peppers before starting the recipe.
- Cheese: Shredded cheddar cheese makes these stuffed peppers cheesy and delicious. Feel free to switch the cheeses up.
- Parsley: Fresh parsley is used for garnishing the peppers right before serving. The fresh parsley adds a hint of fresh flavors to the peppers and is highly recommended!
How To Meal Prep
If you need to jazz up your meal prep routine, add these stuffed peppers to your menu. After youve made the recipe above, store them in airtight containers for upto 5 days in the fridge. You can also freeze them for up to 2 months.
To re-heat, you can place the frozen peppers directly in the oven and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10-15 minutes, or microwave them for about 3-4 minutes. If you thaw them overnight in your fridge first, it will reduce the time needed to re-heat by a couple of minutes.
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How Long To Cook Stuffed Peppers
- Reduce oven temperature to 350. Turn par-baked peppers upright and fill with beef filling.
- Pour remaining tomato sauce over peppers. Cover with foil and continue to bake 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle with cheese, return to oven and bake until peppers have reached desired tenderness, about 10 20 minutes . Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm.
Tips For Stuffed Peppers
- Look for bell peppers that are about the same size to make sure that each of the peppers takes the same amount of time to cook.
- If a pepper does not stand up on its own, cut a thin slice off of the bottom of the pepper to make the bottom level.
- Feel free to use different colored bell peppers. The cooking process is the same for each of the colors and the dish will be more vibrant.
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We don’t know about you, but we can’t think of an occasion where stuffed peppers of any kind would disappoint. After all, you can literally tailor them to fit any crowd.
Whether you’re looking for a classic stuffed peppers recipe, a healthy twist or a bite-sized version fit for a dinner party, the gang’s all here.
Can You Make Stuffed Peppers Ahead Of Time
Yes, you sure can! If you opt to make stuffed bell peppers ahead, you will follow the recipe steps but omit adding the cheese on top until youre ready to bake them.
Refrigerate the peppers until its time to cook them. Top with the cheese, and bake according to the recipe instructions, but add 10 minutes of cook time.
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Which Color Bell Pepper To Use
Have you ever wondered why bell peppers come in different colors and prices? All bell peppers start out green, and then change colors as they mature and ripen. Green bell peppers are always the cheapest as theyre picked under-ripe and have a slightly bitter taste to them.
If allowed time to ripen on the vine, green bell peppers turn into vibrant yellow, orange and red bell peppers. These versions are sweeter and have more nutrients. In fact, red bell peppers have twice the amount of vitamin C of green bell peppers. This gives them a higher price tag compared to the other two.
Freezer Friendly Stuffed Peppers
With a little prep work, these Freezer Stuffed Peppers make an amazing weeknight dinner! Have dinner on the table in 30 minutes without the fuss!
Who else hates the hassle of making stuffed peppers?
I mean, I honestly dont have a ton of patience when it comes to cooking dinner. I like just plain old cooking something- and if I have to cook something and THEN bake it well, we have a problem.
We like 30 minute dinners- how about you? Luckily, these stuffed peppers CAN only take 30 minutes if you turn them into a freezer meal!
See, making food ahead of time saves SO much time and sanity. Its so easy to pull a meal out of the freezer and cook it the next day. No extra prep work required!
And these stuffed peppers are no different. You can make one batch just to put in the freezer, or do a double batch so you can eat some first.
Do a little bit of work now so you dont have to panic when youre low on time for cooking. This is an EXCELLENT meal prep recipe you can make on a Sunday afternoon!
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How To Make This Stuffed Peppers Recipe
- Prepare bell peppers: First, cut the top of the peppers off and remove the seeds. Place open face up on a baking dish. Set the dish aside while you preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare the ground beef filling.
- Cook the beef: Next, heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add all the spices, tomatoes, whatever veggies you would like to add. If you are using rice, then add cooked rice. Want to make stuffed peppers without rice? Skip this part and keep it as healthy and low carb as you like.
- Simmer the tomato sauce: Cook the tomato sauce until it has thickened in texture. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stuff the peppers: Next, stuff the peppers with the cooked beef. Grate your cheese if you are using homemade grated cheese.
- Bake the peppers: Finally, bake the peppers for ten to twelve minutes. Remove the peppers from the oven, cover with shredded cheese, then bake for about five to seven more minutes. Top with fresh parsley and enjoy!
How To Prepare The Bell Peppers
To prepare bell peppers:
- Cut the tops of the peppers with a small paring knife and set aside. Remove the seeds and ribs with a large spoon and discard, as you will no longer need the insides.
- Lightly salt each pepper with a pinch of salt. Alternatively, you can brush the insights lightly with olive oil as well.
- Chop the remaining tops to use in the filling.
- Place peppers cut side up in a baking dish or cast-iron skillet, fitting in as many as you can .
Second, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and prepare the filling. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Place the chopped onions, peppers, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper in the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 5-7 minutes.
Stir in the ground meat, using a wooden spoon to break up any large pieces, and cook until everything is combined and meat is cooked, 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the diced tomatoes, black beans, and corn, put the lid on, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and let it cook for 3-4 minutes.
Taste the beef mixture for seasoning and adjust, if necessary. Off the heat, add the cooked rice and cilantro and give it a gentle toss.
Finally, assemble the peppers. Divide the filling amongst the peppers, filling each pepper as evenly as you can, and top each pepper with a generous amount of shredded cheese.
Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!
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How To Make Stuffed Peppers
My friends often ask me how to make stuffed bell peppers and my response is always the same its so easy! While these may look difficult, if you follow these easy steps, you will have perfect stuffed peppers every time!
I usually cut my peppers across the top but you can also cut them top to bottom to make smaller portions .
Do You Have to Pre-cook the Peppers Before Stuffing Them? No you dont have to precook the peppers, but they do stay quite crisp if you dont pre-cook them. I think theyre better if you pre-cook them a bit.
A Few Helpful Expert Tips For Success:
- Want to up the nutrition? Replace the cooked white rice with cooked brown rice instead.
- Got bigger or smaller bell peppers? Keep in mind that the baking time might be slight shorter or longer depending on the size of your bell peppers.
- Want spicy stuffed peppers? Add ¼½ tsp Cayenne Pepper when you add the cumin and coriander.
- Looking for an extra crispy topping? When the peppers are fully cooked, remove from the oven, uncover, and set your broiler to HIGH. Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown. just make sure to keep a close eye on it!
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How To Freeze Stuffed Peppers
In the event that you have leftovers after dinner, portion your stuffed peppers into individual servings and place them in air-tight containers.
Store in the freezer and enjoy them for up to 3 months.
When youre ready to reheat your stuffed bell peppers, you can heat them in the microwave for approximately 2 minutes.
You can also bake them covered in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
What To Serve With Stuffed Peppers
These Mexican stuffed bell peppers are a meal in itself and dont really need anything else, but a nice crisp side salad would round out the dinner nicely. Some of our favorites include this Simple Side Salad, Cucumber Tomato Salad, or a Three Bean Salad.
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe be sure to give it a review below! Also dont forget to follow Belly Full on,,, and !
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Cook The Meat Before Filling
When making stuffed peppers, a popular question is, Do I have to cook the meat before stuffing the peppers? The answer is, yes. Adding juicy, browned meat adds loads of flavor to this dish, so be sure not to miss this step. Brown the meat before adding the vegetables, where they will soften and gain flavor, and add the seasoning afterward to simmer and meld the flavors.
Old Fashioned Stuffed Bell Peppers
I just cant pass up the box of beautiful green bell peppers at the farmers market for only a couple dollars. My little Sam, who is getting ready to turn five, eats one to two bell peppers by himself on the days he is home with me.
So I stock up, but I still have too many green peppers on hand.
To remedy the situation, I searched for a quick and easy stuffed green pepper recipe in my cookbooks. I hit the jackpot when I opened up my Amish Cook Book.
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Can I Make This Recipe Ahead Of Time
Yes! These Mexican stuffed bell peppers with black beans and corn can be prepped 1-2 days in advance. Follow the recipe up to assembling the peppers, but do not add the water or top with the cheese. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.
Once ready, remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking. At this point, you can preheat your oven, add the water to the bottom of the pan, and top with the cheese. Cover and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until completely warmed through.
Ingredients To Make The Best Stuffed Peppers
- Bell Peppers- this recipe fills 6 large bell peppers or 2 lbs of mini bell peppers.
- Beef- ground beef, pork, or sausage can be substituted. Adjust seasoning to taste if using seasoned meats.
- Rice- Uncle Bens brown rice or white rice can be used.
- Tomato Sauce- dilute 1 cup of water with canned tomato sauce! Use any tomato product like spaghetti sauce, V8 tomato juice, crushed tomatoes, or diced
- Veggies- carrots and onions.
- Seasoning- basic spices like salt and ground black pepper are the main spices although steak seasoning adds more flavor!
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How To Make Them
- Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Cut the tops off of your peppers and pull out the seeds and membranes, creating a nice cavity inside.
- Dip the peppers into the boiling water, letting them cook for just 2 minutes, then pull them out and drain on paper towels.
- Meanwhile, brown the ground beef and onion in a skillet, then drain any fat.
- Add in the garlic and stir until fragrant. Next, toss in the cooked rice, half of the tomato sauce , diced tomatoes, shredded zucchini, Italian seasoning and salt.
- Spoon the ground beef and rice mixture into each of the prepared bell peppers.
- Top the stuffed peppers with the remaining tomato sauce, then cover casserole dish with foil.
What To Serve With Stuffed Bell Peppers
Since this meal is on the hearty side, stuffed peppers are best paired with something light.
You could make a simple side salad full of mixed greens and your favorite toppings. Sauteed greens, such as spinach, kale, or collard greens also work well as a side dish.
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If you want something more filling, opt for a side of hot, cooked white rice, polenta, or mashed potatoes.
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