Easy Stuffed Bell Peppers

These flavorful stuffed bell peppers are the perfect easy dinner recipe! It’s a hearty mixture of ground beef, rice, and zesty salsa baked in tender, colorful peppers and topped with tons of melty cheese – what’s not to love?!

Hey, cousins! Today, I’m here with a recipe that reminds me of my childhood – stuffed bell peppers! My mom used to make these all the time, and in my opinion, they’re the definition of comfort food.

A Flavorful Twist on a Classic Recipe

Now, truth be told, I didn’t actually care much for stuffed peppers until I got older. Now, I can’t get enough of them! It’s such an easy recipe made with simple ingredients, and I made my own little tweaks in my version!

Believe it or not, our mothers (or even grandmothers) didn’t invent stuffed peppers. They’ve been around for centuries, and many cultures have their own variations. Traditional stuffed bell peppers are made mostly the same way – a meat and rice mixture combined with some form of tomato sauce, stuffed into colorful sweet bell peppers, and baked until tender.  

I’m not a fan of using green bell peppers in my stuffed peppers recipe. I find green peppers to be on the bitter side, so instead, I use red, orange, and yellow bell peppers because they’re sweeter and more flavorful.

What’s the difference between bell pepper colors?

You may not know this, but there is a difference between the colors of bell peppers. They’re all the same kind of pepper – a capsicum annuum (to be all scientific). However, the different colors indicate different stages of ripeness.

Green bell peppers are the youngest, followed by yellow, orange, then red. If you grow bell peppers in your garden, you’ll know that green peppers are more bitter, yellow and orange bell peppers are mild and slightly sweet, and red bell peppers are the sweetest and most mature. If you want to use green peppers in this recipe, go ahead! I usually buy the three-pack at the store, which includes one yellow, orange, and red – the perfect variety.

Ingredients for an Easy Stuffed Peppers Recipe

While this isn’t a classic stuffed peppers recipe, it is a very easy recipe – you only need a handful of simple ingredients to toss it together. It’s a great way to meal prep, takes minimal cooking time, and you barely need to prepare any side dishes. How ‘bout that! Here’s everything you need to make homemade stuffed bell peppers.

• Bell Peppers: obviously, the star of the show! You need three peppers, which will make six stuffed pepper halves.
• Onion & Garlic Cloves: fresh onion and garlic add flavor to the recipe.
• Ground Beef: I prefer lean ground beef, so there’s less fat to drain. You could also use any ground meat of your choice!
• Cooked Rice: I like using leftover white rice because it holds up better than fresh rice.
• Salsa: more flavorful than a plain ol’ tomato sauce or marinara sauce.
• Seasonings: we want our stuffed pepper filling to be flavorful as all heck, so I use onion powder, garlic powder, and seasoning salt (or your favorite salt-free seasoning blend).
• Shredded Cheese: I use a mixture of sharp cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese, but you can use your favorite blend.

What’s the best kind of rice to use in stuffed bell peppers? 

The kind of rice is really up to you! I recommend not using freshly cooked rice, as it’s warm and won’t hold up well to the saucy filling. Like most fried rice recipes, leftover rice is really the best for stuffed peppers. You can use brown rice or regular white rice. Short-grain or long-grain rice like basmati or jasmine rice will work. Even cauliflower rice will work if you want to go low-carb!

How to Make Stuffed Bell Peppers (Steps and Video Tutorial) 

Ready to learn how to make one of the best stuffed pepper recipes you’ll ever find? This simple, healthy dinner recipe is easy to prep ahead, budget-friendly, and packed with flavor. If you’re feeding a family, it’s quick and easy. If you’re feeding just yourself, it’s dinner for the week!

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Watch how I make my stuffed bell peppers recipe in my YouTube video below. I walk you through the recipe step by step so you can follow along. Be sure to subscribe to I Heart Recipes on YouTube to catch all my recipe videos as soon as I post them!

Step 1: Make the Meat Mixture

• In a large skillet on the stovetop, brown the ground beef. Add the onion, garlic, and seasonings. Drain any excess fat.
• Next, add the salsa and cooked rice to the meat mixture. Stir, and let it cook for about 5 minutes – just until everything is nice and bubbly.

Step 2: Prep and Stuff Your Peppers

• First, wash those peppers!
• Cut the peppers in half from the stem end down to make six halves. Remove the stem, seeds, and white membrane inside each pepper half.
• Line the empty peppers up in a baking dish and fill them with the meat and rice mixture.
• Bake the stuffed peppers for 20 minutes at 375 degrees F. Take them out, top each pepper with the shredded cheese mixture, and bake again until the cheese is melted.

There you have it, fam! It’s the easiest stuffed bell peppers recipe ever. Thanks to the seasonings, salsa, and sweet peppers, it’s packed with flavor. Keep reading for some more tips, or scroll on down to the recipe card for complete ingredient measurements and directions!

Stuffed Pepper Recipe Variations and Tips

Want to switch up the flavors? I gotchu, cousins! Stuffed peppers can be made all sorts of ways, from lean and low-carb to decadent and flavorful. It’s all up to you. Here are some simple stuffed pepper flavor variations to try.

• Swap out ground beef for the meat of your choice – ground turkey or ground chicken are leaner, healthier options.
• Try Mexican stuffed peppers! Add black beans and corn to the rice mixture. Pump up the seasonings with chili powder or your favorite taco seasoning in the ground beef, and use a Mexican or Monterey Jack cheese blend for topping.
• Go for Italian flavor with Italian sausage, Italian seasoning, and a hearty marinara sauce instead of salsa. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese – perfect!
• Try pizza peppers – use your favorite pizza sauce in the filling, and mix in your favorite pizza toppings, from sausage to pepperoni or fresh veg.
• Add more veggies to your filling! You can add whatever you like – diced tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, even diced bell peppers!

Do bell peppers need to be cooked before they’re stuffed?

No ma’am, in this recipe, that is not necessary! Now, I will say that if you want a softer, more tender pepper, you can certainly bake them for 10-15 minutes before stuffing them. However, I like them just slightly crisp and sturdy. You can cover the baking dish with aluminum foil to ensure the peppers cook to the perfect tenderness. Place a small amount of water in the bottom of the baking dish to steam the peppers while they cook, and you’ll have perfectly soft, tender peppers and steaming-hot, tasty filling.

How do I prep stuffed peppers ahead of time for meal prep?

Stuffed peppers are crazy easy to prep ahead of time. The meat and rice mixture can be made in advance and stored in the fridge, so you just pull it out, stuff the peppers, and pop them in the oven. You can prepare the stuffed peppers as directed right up until they’re ready to bake, then freeze them for up to 3 months. Baked stuffed peppers will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

What side dishes go best with stuffed bell peppers? 

These healthy stuffed peppers are great on their own, with a simple side salad or some crusty bread to scoop up that hearty filling! Stick with simple classics like cornbread, mashed potatoes, or dinner rolls if you want heartier sides.

More Classic Comfort Food from I Heart Recipes

Loved this easy take on classic stuffed peppers? Then you have to try these classics!

• Classic Meatloaf Recipe
• Baked Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (with Tomato Sauce)
• Easy Pot Roast Recipe with Root Vegetables
• Baked Chicken and Gravy
• Easy Baked Italian Stuffed Shells
• Spaghetti Recipe with Chunky Vegetable and Meat Sauce

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