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Perfect Stuffed Peppers Recipe
4.9 from 24 votes

Perfect Stuffed Peppers Recipe

The Best Stuffed Peppers have the perfect beef-to-rice ratio, great texture, and delicious flavor. They're easy to make and can be frozen to enjoy later.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 386 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Cooking the Rice:
  • 1/2 cup basmati rice uncooked
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
Stuffed Bell Peppers Filling:
  • 6 bell pepper medium or 5 large
  • 1 lb ground beef chicken or turkey
  • 1 cup long grain rice white or brown rice can be used, cooked
  • 1 sweet onion diced, small
  • 1 tablespoon garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or more based on preference
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper ground
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs
  • 2 tomato sauce 8 oz each
  • 2 tablespoons parsley optional, fresh, chopped
Topping:
  • 1 cup pasta sauce or marinara sauce
  • 8 tablespoons mozzarella cheese shredded
  • parsley chopped, fresh

Instructions

Cooking the Rice:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Rinse and drain the rice.
  2. Add the rice and water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, or check the rice package for the cooking time.
Stuffed Bell Peppers Filling:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. Wash the peppers, cut off their tops (I like to keep them to use when serving the peppers), remove the seeds, and clean the inside well by gently removing all the veins.
  3. If needed, cut the bottoms of the peppers just a little to level them so they can stand straight in the baking dish.
  4. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients, starting with the ground beef and ending with the chopped parsley. Stir well to combine fully.
  5. If you have time, brown the beef in a skillet before adding it to the mixture. This adds extra flavor but dirties another pan. Either way, the peppers will turn out delicious.
  6. Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each hollowed pepper and arrange them in a lightly oiled baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upward.
  7. Top each pepper with a few tablespoons of marinara sauce.
Baking:
  1. Bake in the preheated oven, basting with the remaining sauce every 15 minutes until the peppers are tender.
  2. Top the peppers with shredded cheese and broil for a few minutes before serving.
  3. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Serve.

Nutrition Information

Calories 386kcal (19%) Carbohydrates 24g (8%) Protein 20g (40%) Fat 22g (34%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Cholesterol 69mg (23%) Sodium 755mg (31%) Potassium 737mg (16%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 10g (20%) Vitamin A 4265IU (85%) Vitamin C 158.8mg (176%) Calcium 160mg (16%) Iron 3.3mg (18%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 386

% Daily Value*

Calories 386kcal 19%
Carbohydrates 24g 8%
Protein 20g 40%
Fat 22g 34%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 69mg 23%
Sodium 755mg 31%
Potassium 737mg 16%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 10g 20%
Vitamin A 4265IU 85%
Vitamin C 158.8mg 176%
Calcium 160mg 16%
Iron 3.3mg 18%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.