Classic Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef and Rice

Stuffed peppers are a full dinner in one tidy package: a tender bell pepper holding seasoned ground beef, rice and tomatoes, with melted cheese over the top. Everything bakes in one dish, and each person gets a whole pepper of their own.

This is the classic version. The peppers get a head start in the oven while you make the filling on the stove, then they are stuffed, sauced and baked until soft. The recipe makes 6 stuffed peppers and takes about 1 hour 20 minutes, most of it hands-off oven time.

Why This Version Works

The two usual complaints about stuffed peppers are a pepper that is still crunchy when the filling is done, and a filling that tastes flat. The method here follows Cooking Classy’s Stuffed Peppers, and it deals with both:

• The peppers are pre-baked, not boiled. They stand upside down in a little water, covered with foil, for 20 minutes at 400°F. Cooking Classy uses this in place of the usual parboiling step, so there is no big pot of water to deal with and the peppers are already partly tender before they are filled.
• The beef is browned, not just cooked. The meat goes into the hot pan in chunks and sits for about 3 minutes before it is broken up, so it picks up real color on the bottom.
• The rice is cooked first. Once Upon a Chef says it plainly: uncooked rice will not cook through inside a stuffed pepper.
• Two tomato products, two jobs. Drained petite diced tomatoes add texture to the filling, and a can of tomato sauce is split between the filling and the tops of the peppers.
• Cheese goes on at the end. The peppers bake covered first, then the mozzarella is added for the last 10 to 20 minutes so it melts just before serving.

One thing is added to the source. Cooking Classy seasons with salt and pepper to taste and gives no amount, so the 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in the filling come from Cupcakes and Kale Chips’ Classic Stuffed Peppers, which uses a similar amount of beef. That pairing is untested as one recipe, so taste the filling before it goes into the peppers.

Recipe Overview

Texture	Tender peppers, a moist beef and rice filling, melted cheese on top
Skill level	Easy
Prep time	20 minutes
Cook time	1 hour
Total time	1 hour 20 minutes
Makes	6 stuffed peppers
Oven	400°F to pre-bake, then 350°F
Calories	396 per stuffed pepper

Ingredients

Pick peppers that are about the same size and can stand on their own, so they cook evenly and stay upright in the dish. Any color works. Love and Lemons notes that yellow and orange peppers are sweeter than green ones, so choose by taste.

For the Peppers

Ingredient	Amount
Bell peppers, medium-large, any color	6
Salt	A pinch for the inside of each pepper

For the Beef and Rice Filling

Ingredient	Amount
Long-grain white rice, uncooked	2/3 cup
Olive oil	1 tablespoon
Yellow onion, finely chopped	1 small (about 1 cup)
Lean ground beef (90% lean)	1 1/4 pounds
Salt	1 teaspoon, plus more to taste
Black pepper	1/4 teaspoon, plus more to taste
Garlic, minced	3 cloves (about 1 tablespoon)
Canned petite diced tomatoes, drained	14.5 ounces (1 can)
Canned tomato sauce, divided	8 ounces (1 can)
Fresh parsley, minced	3 tablespoons, plus more for garnish
Italian seasoning	2 teaspoons

For the Topping

Ingredient	Amount
Shredded mozzarella cheese	1 cup (4 ounces)

Cooking Classy recommends beef that is at least 80% lean and fresh onion and garlic for the best flavor base. This recipe is written for 90% lean beef, which leaves less fat to drain.

Recipe Timing

Most of the time is the oven’s, and the stovetop work fits inside the first bake.

Stage	Time
Prep: trim the peppers, chop the onion, garlic and parsley	20 minutes
Pre-bake the peppers at 400°F (cook the rice and filling meanwhile)	20 minutes
Bake the stuffed peppers, covered, at 350°F	20 minutes
Bake with the cheese, uncovered	10 to 20 minutes
Total	About 1 hour 20 minutes

How to Make Stuffed Peppers

Step 1: Start the oven and the rice

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cook the rice according to the package directions. Two-thirds of a cup of uncooked long-grain white rice makes about 2 cups cooked, which is what the filling needs.

Step 2: Trim and pre-bake the peppers

Slice about 1/4 inch off the top of each pepper, then remove the stems, ribs and seeds. Pour about 1/2 inch of water into a baking dish just large enough to hold the 6 peppers. Stand the peppers upside down in the water, cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Step 3: Brown the onion and beef

While the peppers bake, heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Push the onion to one side of the pan. Add the ground beef in chunks, season it with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and let it brown on the bottom for about 3 minutes before you touch it.

Break up the beef, stir it into the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute more, until the beef is cooked through. Take the pan off the heat and drain off the excess fat. Cooking Classy tilts the skillet and blots the fat with a paper towel held in tongs.

Step 4: Finish the filling

Stir in the drained diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce, the cooked rice, 3 tablespoons of parsley and the Italian seasoning. Taste it now and add more salt and pepper if it needs it. This is the last chance to season the filling.

Step 5: Fill the peppers

Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Turn the peppers upright in the dish and sprinkle a pinch of salt inside each one. Fill the peppers with the beef and rice mixture, then pour the remaining tomato sauce over the tops. The peppers and the dish are hot, so use tongs to turn them.

Step 6: Bake, add the cheese and finish

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle the mozzarella over the peppers and bake uncovered for 10 to 20 minutes more, until the cheese is melted and the peppers are as tender as you like. Cooking Classy notes that thinner-walled peppers finish sooner, so start checking at 10 minutes. Garnish with more parsley and serve warm.

Tips and Variations

• Leftover rice: Rice from the day before speeds things up. Use 2 cups and add an extra 1/4 cup of tomato sauce or a little broth, because Cooking Classy points out that leftover rice is drier.
• Brown rice: It works, but it takes more than twice as long to cook. Use 2 cups cooked.
• Ground turkey: Turkey that is 85 to 93% lean can replace the beef. It does not brown the way beef does, so skip the step of browning it on the bottom.
• More flavor in the cheese: Cooking Classy suggests swapping 1/4 cup of the mozzarella for Parmesan.
• Less sodium: Use no-salt-added diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, and start with 1/2 teaspoon of salt in the filling.
• Halved peppers: Cupcakes and Kale Chips cuts 3 large peppers in half lengthwise so they lie flat, and Once Upon a Chef roasts halved peppers at 425°F. Both are different recipes with their own bake times, so follow their timings if you go that way.
• Avoiding soggy peppers: Cupcakes and Kale Chips’ advice is not to overbake them and to go easy on watery add-ins. Draining the diced tomatoes is part of that.

Serving Suggestions

A stuffed pepper already holds meat, grain and vegetable, so the side can be simple. A crisp green salad is the easy choice; this homemade Caesar salad with its own dressing and croutons goes well. Warm bread on the side rounds out the plate.

Storage and Reheating

• Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days, as Cupcakes and Kale Chips advises.
• Reheating: Reheat at 350°F until warmed through.
• Freezer: Baked stuffed peppers can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge before reheating.
• Make ahead: Cooking Classy’s method is to boil the trimmed peppers for 5 minutes, stuff them and refrigerate for up to 1 day. The next day, let them sit at room temperature while the oven preheats and add about 10 minutes to the baking time.

Stuffed Peppers FAQ

Do I have to cook the peppers before stuffing them?

In this recipe, yes. The 20-minute covered pre-bake is what gets the peppers tender in the time the filling needs. Cupcakes and Kale Chips skips pre-cooking, but that recipe uses halved peppers and bakes them covered for 30 to 40 minutes, so the two methods are not interchangeable.

Do I need to cook the rice first?

Yes. Every source used here stirs cooked rice into the filling, and Once Upon a Chef warns that uncooked rice will not cook through inside the peppers.

What happens to the water in the baking dish?

Cooking Classy turns the peppers upright in the same dish and does not say to pour the water out, so this recipe leaves it where it is.

Which color of bell pepper is best for stuffed peppers?

Any color works in this recipe. Yellow and orange peppers are sweeter than green ones, according to Love and Lemons, so use the ones you like to eat. A mix of colors also looks good in the dish.

How many calories are in one stuffed pepper?

About 396 calories each, with 27.4 grams of protein. That figure is calculated from USDA values for the ingredients as listed, with 90% lean beef and no fat drained off, so a drained filling will come in a little lower.

More Ground Beef Dinners

If stuffed peppers go over well at your table, these are worth making next:

• Garlic butter beef rice skillet: ground beef, rice and a cheesy garlic butter sauce in one pan.
• Moist meatloaf: a classic loaf with a sweet, tangy glaze on top.
• Stuffed Italian meatloaf: a mozzarella and spinach center, finished with marinara.
• Classic shepherd’s pie: a savory filling under a thick layer of fluffy mashed potatoes.
• Easy chili: a hearty pot for cold evenings.