This stuffed peppers recipe fills six bell peppers with seasoned ground beef, rice, and tomatoes, then bakes them under melted Monterey jack until the peppers turn tender and the filling is bubbling at the edges. One skillet gets the filling started, one baking dish finishes the job, and there’s enough here to feed a family with a couple of leftovers for lunch the next day.
This recipe hinges on a few small timing details, how long you let the tomato paste cook alone, how loosely you pack the filling, and what you do with the peppers if you’re prepping ahead, and getting them right is what separates a soggy pepper from one that holds its shape.
What You’ll Need
The filling comes down to five main components: aromatics, ground beef, rice, canned tomatoes, and cheese. When I tested this with 90/10 beef, the filling turned out noticeably drier once baked, 85/15 keeps enough fat in the pan to carry the seasoning without needing extra oil. Any rice works, but white rice cooks in under 30 minutes while brown can take closer to an hour, so plan your rice timing around your dinner schedule, not the other way around. For canned tomatoes, look for a short ingredient list, just tomatoes, salt, and citric acid, since anything with added sugar throws off the balance of the filling. Bell peppers of any color work, though red, yellow, and orange run a little sweeter than green, which leans slightly bitter and grassy.
Ingredient Swaps and Substitutions
| Original | Swap |
|---|---|
| Monterey jack | Pepper jack (more heat) or a Mexican cheese blend (more variety) |
| White rice | Brown rice (nuttier, plan for a longer cook time) or cauliflower rice (lower carb) |
| Ground beef | Ground turkey or chicken thighs, seasoned a touch more assertively |
| Fresh parsley | Chives, thyme, or sliced scallions |
How To Make Stuffed Peppers
Preheat the oven to 400°F and start your rice if it isn’t done yet. While it cooks, cut the tops off the peppers with a small paring knife, working in a circle around the stem, then pull out the core and seeds. Turning the peppers upside down over the sink and tapping them out gets rid of most stray seeds; a few left behind won’t hurt anything.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped onion in olive oil until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and let them cook together for a full minute before adding anything else, this is the step people rush, and it’s the one that matters most for flavor. In my experience, skipping that minute leaves the filling tasting flat, like the tomato paste never fully woke up. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it’s no longer pink, about 6 minutes. The USDA recommends cooking ground beef to an internal temperature of 160°F to destroy harmful bacteria, so if you’re unsure, a quick check with a meat thermometer takes the guesswork out.
Stir in the cooked rice and diced tomatoes, then season with oregano, salt, and pepper. Let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes so the liquid reduces slightly, you want the filling thick enough to hold its shape once it’s spooned into the peppers, not soupy. Arrange the peppers cut side up in a 13×9-inch baking dish, drizzle them with a little oil, and spoon in the filling. The mistake most people make here is packing the filling in tight to the rim; leave a little room, because the cheese needs somewhere to go once it melts, or it ends up pooling in the pan instead of on top of the pepper.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for about 35 minutes until the peppers are tender when pierced with a knife. Uncover, sprinkle on the Monterey Jack, and bake for another 10 minutes, or a little longer if your cheese is pre-shredded, since it tends to take extra time to fully melt. Top with parsley before serving.
I tried this once with ground turkey instead of beef to lighten it up, and the filling came out drier with noticeably less flavor, if leaner meat is the goal, chicken thighs blend into the seasoning better than turkey does.
What to Serve With Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed peppers are filling enough to stand alone, but a few sides round out the plate. A simple green salad adds some crunch against the soft peppers, while garlic bread is good for scooping up any filling that spills out. For something a little lighter, roasted vegetables cook in the oven at the same temperature, so you can slide them in alongside the peppers during the last 20 minutes of baking.
Make-Ahead and Storage
To prep ahead, cut and core the peppers and refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to a day; store the cooked filling separately and combine them right before baking. You can also fully assemble the peppers through the point of covering with foil, then freeze the entire dish for up to three months, freezing them individually wrapped after the initial freeze lets you thaw and bake just one or two at a time instead of the whole tray. Frozen peppers can go straight into the oven from frozen; just add about 30 minutes to the covered baking time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should peppers be cooked before stuffing?
What is a good filling for stuffed peppers?
What are some common mistakes to avoid when making stuffed peppers?
What ingredients are in stuffed peppers?
How long do you bake stuffed peppers at 400 degrees?
Classic Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 1/2 cups cooked white or brown rice
- 1 can 14.5 oz diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 6 bell peppers tops and cores removed
- 1 cup shredded Monterey jack
- chopped fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
- Arrange a rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 400°F. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 6 minutes.
- Stir in the rice and diced tomatoes; season with oregano, salt, and pepper. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Arrange the peppers cut side up in a 13×9-inch baking dish and drizzle with oil. Spoon the beef mixture into each pepper. Cover the baking dish with foil.
- Bake the peppers until tender, about 35 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, and continue to bake until the cheese is bubbly, about 10 minutes more.
- Top with parsley before serving.
