One of my favorite classic dinner recipes that never gets old is these stuffed bell peppers with ground beef and rice. It’s a hearty dinner that I often prep the day before, so all I have to do is bake and serve on a busy night. With a filling of cooked rice and ground beef, plus lots of melted cheese, they’re a favorite among every member of the family!
If you have leftover rice, this is the perfect recipe to use it up in a new, flavorful way. Swap the ground beef for turkey for a lighter option and add your favorite spices – this easy meal is so versatile. My Greek stuffed peppers and one-pan unstuffed pepper skillet are also delicious twists on this recipe if you’re a stuffed pepper fan.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Dinner is ready in under an hour. Quick and simple with minimal clean-up, this is a recipe that’s nutritional and simple to prepare.
- Affordable ingredients. It’s easy on the wallet and can also easily feed a crowd.
- Make a double batch for leftovers. It’s so simple to meal prep, that I often like to double the recipe for quick lunches the rest of the week.
Tips for Busy Cooks
If you have leftover rice, it’s the perfect way to use it up. If you don’t, you can buy frozen rice and microwave it for a shortcut on the prep time. Add a protein and spices, and it quickly becomes a flavorful filling for the stuffed peppers that’s almost effortless.
Key Ingredient Notes
- Large bell peppers – Large is best here for easy stuffing of all of the filling. Pick any color you like.
- Lean ground beef or turkey – We love lean beef to prevent the stuffing from becoming too greasy.
- Cooked long-grain rice – It’s a great way to use up leftover rice. Make sure you cook and cool it before adding it to the filling.
- Marinara sauce – Your favorite store-bought brand is perfect.
- Medium onion adds nice vegetable flavor to the base of the filling.
- Italian seasoning – Warm spice that adds rich oregano, basil, and marjoram flavor.
- Granulated garlic infuses every bite with garlic.
- Red pepper flakes – Optional, but add a pinch of you like some heat.
- Finely chopped fresh parsley adds fresh herb flavor.
- Finely grated Parmesan cheese – Wonderfully salty and cheesy for the filling and to serve on top.
- The Italian cheese blend includes mozzarella, parmesan, pecorino Romano, asiago, and provolone. You can also grate mozzarella from the block if you desire.
How to make stuffed peppers with ground beef and rice
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Lightly brush or spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with oil and spread 1 cup of marinara sauce evenly on the bottom. Arrange the pepper halves cut-side up in the dish.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion with ¼ teaspoon of salt and cook for 3–5 minutes, until softened. Add the ground meat, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, Italian seasoning, granulated garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the meat is browned and no longer pink, about 5–7 minutes. Drain any extra fat from the meat.
Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining 1 cup of marinara sauce, cooked rice, parsley, Parmesan cheese, and ½ cup of the Italian cheese blend. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Fill each pepper half evenly with the mixture, then sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup cheese. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5–10 minutes, until the cheese is browned and bubbly.
Serve with more cheese as desired and enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- Use any kind of bell pepper. We love green bell peppers for their fresh, savory flavor and affordability. Yellow and red peppers are little bit sweeter in flavor which also makes for a delicious flavor.
- Grate the cheese yourself if possible. This is a step that’s worth the extra minute or two. Pre-shredded cheese has a powder on it that prevents it from melting as nicely.
- Bake the peppers covered with foil first, then uncover to finish the cooking. Covering with foil allows them to steam to become the perfect tender consistency.
- Add other vegetables to the filling if desired. I’ve also added chopped mushrooms as well as grated zucchini for an even heartier filling!
Storage
Store any leftover stuffed peppers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven for a few minutes until warmed through.
It’s easy to freeze these stuffed peppers with ground beef as well. After baking, allow them to cool slightly, then wrap individually in foil or store in airtight containers. Freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 15–20 minutes.
FAQs
Don’t cut the top of the pepper too low or scoop out too many of the seeds. Make sure the filling ingredients are cooked like meat and rice before stuffing into the peppers.
In our method you don’t need to par-cook the peppers. Simply roast them with the filling inside and make sure you tent the baking dish with foil to help them steam.
Yes, you want to make sure you cook the protein before stuffing the pepper. This will guarantee that it’s fully cooked through after bakng.
More easy weeknight dinner recipes
Stuffed Bell Peppers with Ground Beef and Rice
Ingredients
- 4 large bell peppers any color, halved and seeded
- 1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
- 1½ cups cooked long-grain rice
- 2 cups marinara sauce divided
- 1 medium onion small diced
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- ⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup Italian cheese blend divided
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly brush or spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with oil and spread 1 cup of marinara sauce evenly on the bottom.
- Arrange the pepper halves cut-side up in the dish.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the diced onion with ¼ teaspoon of salt and cook for 3–5 minutes, until softened.
- Add the ground meat, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, Italian seasoning, granulated garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the meat is browned and no longer pink, about 5–7 minutes. Drain any extra fat from the meat.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining 1 cup marinara sauce, cooked rice, parsley, Parmesan cheese, and ½ cup of the Italian cheese blend.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Fill each pepper half evenly with the mixture, then sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup cheese.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5–10 minutes, until the cheese is browned and bubbly.
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Notes
– Store any leftover stuffed peppers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven for a few minutes until warmed through.
– To freeze the leftovers, allow the leftovers to cool slightly, then wrap them individually in foil or store them in airtight containers. Freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 15–20 minutes.
Nutrition
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full nutrition disclosure.
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