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Home » Recipes » Beef Recipes

Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Published: Apr 23, 2023 · Modified: May 8, 2025 by Chef Dennis Littley

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My classic stuffed peppers recipe may not be a fancy dish, but the flavorful combination of lean ground beef, Italian sausage, brown rice, tomatoes, cheese, and seasonings elevates this simple dish to a whole new level of deliciousness!

The completed stuffed peppers recipe in a white bowl with sauce.


 

My Classic Stuffed Peppers recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner or potluck. Made with simple ingredients and easily adaptable, your whole family is going to love my easy stuffed peppers recipe.

Baked stuffed peppers with sauce in a glass baking dish.

Stuffed peppers are believed to have originated in Mexico. They were first recorded in a cookbook in 1570, where they were stuffed with spices, herbs, and meat. The dish eventually spread to Europe and became a popular dish in the Balkans, where it was stuffed with rice and vegetables. Today, stuffed peppers are enjoyed in many different cultures and can be stuffed with a variety of ingredients.

Another of my favorite ground beef recipes is my Cottage Pie.

Table of Contents:
  • Ingredients
  • Can I stuff peppers with other ingredients?
  • How to Make Stuffed Peppers
  • Recipe FAQs
  • More Ground Beef Recipes You’ll Love!
  • Recipe: Classic Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Ingredients

Ingredients to make recipe.

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Stuffed Peppers. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”

Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

What kind of bell peppers should I use?

Most people use green bell peppers, but I prefer a mixture of red, yellow, orange, and green. You’ll find the red bell peppers have a sweeter flavor, as do the yellow and orange. But any type of large bell peppers can be used.

What kind of rice should I use?

I used brown rice to make my stuffed peppers, but you can also use long or short-grain white rice. You could also use your favorite grain instead of the rice or use a combination of rice and grains.

Can I stuff peppers with other ingredients?

There are endless variations of stuffed peppers that you can try. Here are a few ideas:

  • Vegetarian: Replace ground beef with impossible beef, cooked lentils, quinoa, or tofu.
  • Mediterranean: Add feta cheese, olives, and chopped spinach to the beef mixture.
  • Mexican: Add ground turkey, black beans, corn, and chili powder to the beef mixture. Top with salsa and avocado.
  • Greek: Use ground lamb and add chopped kalamata olives, feta cheese, and diced tomatoes to the beef mixture.

*You can substitute the ground beef and sausage meat with ground chicken, ground turkey, ground pork or any combination of your choosing.

How to Make Stuffed Peppers

Follow along with my easy, numbered instructions to see how to make stuffed peppers in your own kitchen.

Start by preparing the rice for the stuffing mixture. While the rice is cooking, move on to the next steps.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Collage showing how to start making recipe.
  • Cut the peppers in half longways, removing the stem and the seeds. Place the pepper halves cut side up in a 9×9 or 9×13-inch baking dish. Drizzle the peppers with olive oil and season with salt.
  • Place the baking dish on the center rack of a 350-degree preheated oven and roast the peppers for 15-20 minutes, until slightly browned and tender. *After the peppers cool, discard any liquid that may have accumulated in the bottom of the papers or baking dish.
  • Add the olive oil, diced onion, and chopped fresh garlic to a medium saucepan (or large skillet) over medium heat.
  • Cook the onions and garlic cook for 3-4 minutes or until they have softened. *Remove ½ cup cooked onion from the pan and set aside until needed.
Collage showing how to make sauce.
  • Add the marinara sauce, beef broth, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper flakes into the saucepan with cooked onion.
  • Mix until well combined and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
Collage showing how to prepare stuffing.
  • Add the raw ground beef, raw Italian sausage meat, diced tomatoes, Italian parsley, basil, reserved cooked onions, garlic, salt, and black pepper, into a large bowl.
  • Mix the ingredients just enough to combine.
  • Add the cooked brown rice and grated Romano (or parmesan cheese) to the ground meat mixture.
  • Mix the rice and cheese into the meat mixture until combined.

*This recipe is a great way to use up leftover rice or ground meat.

Collage showing how to finish making recipe.
  • Stuff the bell pepper halves with the rice mixture.
  • Pour the sauce mixture into the baking dish.
  • Place stuffed pepper halves in the baking dish on top of the tomato sauce.
  • Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil, then place the baking dish on the center rack of the 350-degree preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes.
  • Remove the aluminum foil and continue to bake for 18-20 minutes until the meat is fully cooked and the peppers are tender. *The internal temperature of the filling should be at least 165 degrees.
  • Sprinkle the stuffed bell peppers with shredded mozzarella cheese and chopped parsley. Bake until the cheese has melted. Feel free to substitute cheddar cheese or Monterey jack cheese for mozzarella.

*Skim off any excess grease from the sauce before serving the stuffed peppers.

Three stuffed peppers in a white bowl with sauce.

Stuffed peppers are a delicious and satisfying meal that can be served on their own or with a side salad and crusty bread. And the sauce is OMG delicious. In fact, the next time I make stuffed peppersI’m making extra sauce!

Stuffed peppers can be frozen, baked, or unbaked. They should be stored in an airtight container and can remain frozen for up to 3 months.

Recipe FAQs

Do I have to boil the peppers before stuffing them?

Par-cooking the peppers before stuffing is a good idea but not mandatory. You can either par-boil the peppers for 2 minutes or roast them as I did in my recipe. I find that roasting allows the natural sugars to caramelize, making a sweeter pepper for stuffing.

Can I freeze stuffed peppers?

Yes, you can freeze stuffed peppers. Place the stuffed peppers in an airtight container or freezer bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake in the oven until heated through.

Can I make stuffed peppers without meat?

Yes, you can make stuffed peppers without meat. Use a vegetarian protein source, like Impossible Beef, or you can also use lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, or tofu instead of ground beef.

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Three stuffed peppers in a white bowl with sauce.

Classic Stuffed Peppers Recipe

You'll love my Classic Stuffed Peppers, filled with a mixture of ground beef, Italian sausage, brown rice, tomatoes, cheese, and seasonings, it's sure to please.
5 from 50 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 2 hours hrs
Total Time 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Course Entree
Cuisine American, Italian – American, Poland
Servings 10
Calories 342 kcal

Ingredients
  

Rice

  • 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice brown or white
  • 3 cups chicken stock or water – (2 cups for white rice)

Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 ½ cup onion diced
  • 1 teaspoon garlic finely minced
  • 2 cups marinara sauce or your favorite spaghetti sauce
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar -optional
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Peppers

  • 5 large bell peppers halved lengthwise and seeded with stem removed.
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • ½ pound sweet Italian pork sausage casing removed- or replace with ground beef
  • 12 oz diced tomatoes canned
  • 2 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon garlic finely minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup Locatelli Romano or Parmesan cheese grated

Instructions
 

Rice

  • Add the rice and chicken stock to a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce temperature to low heat and cover the saucepan.
  • Let the rice simmer until the liquid has been absorbed. 40 to 45 minutes for brown rice (20-25 minutes for white rice). Set the cooked rice aside until needed.

Peppers

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Cut the peppers in half longways, removing the stem and the seeds. Place the pepper halves cut side up in a 9×9 or 9×13-inch baking dish. Drizzle the peppers with olive oil and season with salt.
  • Place the baking dish on the center rack of a 350-degree preheated oven and roast the peppers for 15-20 minutes, until slightly browned and tender.  *After the peppers cool, discard any liquid that may have accumulated in the bottom of the papers or baking dish.

Sauce

  • Add the olive oil, onion, and garlic to a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  • Cook the onions and garlic for 3-4 minutes or until softened.  *Remove ½ cup cooked onion from the pan and set aside until needed.
  • Add the marinara sauce, beef broth, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper flakes into the saucepan with cooked onion.
  • Mix until well combined and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
  • Pour the sauce mixture into a 9×9 or 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.

Assembly and Baking

  • Add the raw ground beef, raw Italian sausage meat, diced tomatoes, Italian parsley, basil, reserved cooked onions, garlic, salt, and black pepper, into a large bowl.
  • Mix the ingredients just enough to combine.
  • Add the cooked rice and grated Romano cheese to the ground meat mixture. Mix the rice and cheese into the meat mixture until combined.
  • Stuff the bell pepper halves with the rice mixture.
  • Place stuffed green bell pepper halves in the baking dish on top of the tomato sauce.
  • Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
  • Place the baking dish on the center rack of the 350-degree preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes.
  • Remove the aluminum foil and continue to bake for 18-20 minutes until the meat is fully cooked and the peppers are tender.
    *The internal temperature of the filling should be at least 165 degrees.
  • Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese and chopped parsley. Bake until the cheese has melted.
    Feel free to substitute cheddar or Monterey jack cheese for the mozzarella.
  • *Skim off any excess grease from the sauce before serving the stuffed peppers.

Notes

Variations on the recipe:
  • Vegetarian: Replace ground beef with impossible beef, cooked lentils, quinoa, or tofu.
  • Mediterranean: Add feta cheese, olives, and chopped spinach to the beef mixture.
  • Mexican: Add ground turkey, black beans, corn, and chili powder to the beef mixture. Top with salsa and avocado.
  • Greek: Use ground lamb and add chopped kalamata olives, feta cheese, and diced tomatoes to the beef mixture.
You can substitute the ground beef and sausage meat with ground chicken, ground turkey, ground pork or any combination of your choosing.

What kind of bell peppers should I use?

Most people use green bell peppers, but I prefer a mixture of red, yellow, orange, and green. You’ll find the red bell peppers have a sweeter flavor, as do the yellow and orange. But any type of large bell pepper can be used.

What kind of rice should I use?

I used brown rice to make my stuffed peppers, but you can also use long or short-grain white rice. You could also use your favorite grain instead of the rice or use a combination of rice and grains.

Nutrition

Calories: 342kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 22gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 983mgPotassium: 794mgFiber: 4gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 2957IUVitamin C: 115mgCalcium: 158mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askchefdennis or tag #askchefdennis!

Comments

    5 from 50 votes (38 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Sully says

    August 28, 2023 at 10:11 am

    5 stars
    I looked through several recipes before settling on this one. They all missed a key ingredient. The sausage! Also, the amount of onion, many had way too little. I always add a little extra onion and garlic to my recipes that call for it and did so on this one. I didn’t have beef stock or chicken stock, so I substituted vegetable stock. I often cook my rice in chicken stock. Something I started doing when making pilaf. This was delicious! Thanks Chef Dennis!!

    Reply
  2. Moop Brown says

    May 15, 2023 at 8:05 am

    5 stars
    I always love stuffed peppers because of how filling and tasty they are. Your recipe for them looks really good.

    Reply
  3. Silvia says

    May 15, 2023 at 2:19 am

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious. Your recipe was very easy to follow and they came out just like your picture. They were so flavorful and fun to make. My family loved them.

    Reply
  4. LaKita says

    May 14, 2023 at 10:14 pm

    5 stars
    Stuffed peppers are one of my favorite recipes and this one came out so perfect and delicious! Loaded with flavor and tasty!!

    Reply
  5. Katie Crenshaw says

    May 14, 2023 at 7:40 pm

    5 stars
    These stuffed peppers turned out PERFECT! The filling was delicious. Eating them brought back so many childhood memories from when my grandma made these. I am so glad I found this recipe.

    Reply
  6. Tracy says

    May 13, 2023 at 1:57 am

    5 stars
    Such an absolutely delicious classic. We love all of the tips, so delicious and so easy to make because of all of your expertise!

    Reply
  7. Lauren Michael Harris says

    May 12, 2023 at 9:33 am

    5 stars
    One of my favorite recipes! I could eat these stuffed peppers every week – such a classic!

    Reply
  8. sophie says

    May 11, 2023 at 6:26 pm

    5 stars
    These stuffed peppers were absolutely delicious and a hit with my family.

    The combination of flavorful ground meat, rice, and vegetables, all nestled inside tender bell peppers, created a satisfying and wholesome meal

    Reply
  9. Enriqueta E Lemoine says

    May 11, 2023 at 3:29 pm

    5 stars
    I have my own version of stuffed red bell pepper,bust as usual,yours are to die for. Thank you for this flavorful recipe Chef.

    Reply
  10. Marisa Franca says

    May 11, 2023 at 8:25 am

    5 stars
    Thank you for all the tips — last night I made the perfect stuffed peppers. Mine used to either have too tough of a pepper or too soggy. This classic recipe made the perfect stuffed pepper and talk about delicious comfort food. I’m glad I made the full amount because now we have more for another meal.

    Reply
  11. Sean says

    May 10, 2023 at 12:37 pm

    5 stars
    My aunt used to make these all of the time when I was little and this recipe reminded me of hers. They were delicious.

    Reply
  12. Gloria says

    May 08, 2023 at 1:01 pm

    5 stars
    Great as a side dish. We loved them as the main dish tonight. I made a double batch and put some in the freezer for a quick meal down the road.

    Reply
  13. Harry Holmes says

    May 06, 2023 at 12:45 pm

    Chef, I have never seen where parsley is any good except for garnish or color. Does a bay leaf really change a stew or other dishes??

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      May 06, 2023 at 12:54 pm

      Italian parsley has a little more flavor than curly parsley and surprisingly it can help a dish by acting as a catalyst to improve other flavors or mellow some flavors. I’ve neve been a fan of bay leaves but again they do help with the overall flavor of some dishes. I would never add many to a dish, but one or two can help.

      Reply

My name is Chef Dennis Littley, creator and owner of Ask Chef Dennis Productions. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

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