Stuffed Peppers (Ground Beef and Rice)

These easy stuffed bell peppers are filled with seasoned ground beef, long grain rice, tomato sauce, and melty cheese, then baked until bubbling. A cozy, classic dinner that comes together in under an hour and always feels like comfort food!

Easy Stuffed Bell Peppers with Ground Beef and Rice

If you know me, you know I absolutely love an easy, simple twist on a beloved classic. And these baked stuffed peppers are guaranteed to hit the spot. I swear, the flavor profile is one of my favs; as my crock pot stuffed pepper soup is on regular rotation around here. And, unlike most stuffed pepper recipes, there’s no boiling or blanching the peppers first, rather they just go straight into the baking dish!

For this protein-forward, veggie-packed casserole I’m leaning on Italian flavors to add to the stuffed pepper love awhile still getting a delicious dinner on the table in under an hour. Plus, by cutting the peppers lengthwise, they’re easier to clean out and we can stuff more of that meaty, cheesy filling inside! As a bonus, there’s more of those brown, crispy bits on the top. Yummmm! Best of all, you can customize this easy weeknight meal to your heart’s content! If you are a little spice-adverse, feel free to leave out the red pepper flakes. And you can swap out the parsley with baby spinach or fresh basil.

Ok, so let’s talk about the “Italian” aspect of this recipe. Like traditional stuffed peppers, I use ground beef and regular long grain white rice. But, unlike the traditional version, I’m using my favorite marinara sauce, an Italian cheese blend, parmesan cheese, and Italian season. I mean, how can you go wrong? Are they authentic? No. Are they delicious? Most definitely.

Now, to keep things real easy, you can even use leftover rice or microwaved frozen rice. Don’t worry, it’ll be our little secret. And if you don’t have or don’t want to use ground beef, however, feel free to swap in sausage and ground turkey, as both are fabulous! When it comes to serving, I love that each half pepper is an individual serving, making it great for freezing individual portions. And if you know you have a busy week coming up, go ahead and make an big batch now to freeze for later. Future you will thank you!
Craving the same flavors with less prep? Try my stuffed pepper casserole for a one-dish weeknight version.

Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Make Beef Stuffed Peppers

Testing Tips for Easy Stuffed Peppers

• Cut Lengthwise: Slicing the peppers from top to bottom makes them easier to clean out and lets you fit more filling inside. Bonus: more brown, crispy bits on top!
• Use Any Color: Red, orange, and yellow bell peppers are sweeter than green, which is why I reach for them here. Green will work too if that’s what you have.
• Cooked Rice Only: The filling needs cooked rice, not raw. Leftover rice or microwaved frozen rice both work beautifully when you’re short on time.
• Skip the Pre-Bake: Testing showed the peppers cook perfectly under foil without any pre-roasting. If you prefer them very soft, roast them alone for 15 minutes before stuffing.
• Swap the Protein: Ground turkey or Italian sausage both make delicious substitutes for the beef, so use whatever your family prefers!

5 stars (11 ratings)

Stuffed Peppers (Ground Beef and Rice)

Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs

Servings: 8 (one half pepper, stuffed)

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 35 minutes mins

Total: 45 minutes mins

Easy baked stuffed peppers filled with ground beef, rice, marinara, and melty Italian cheese. A cozy, comforting dinner ready in under an hour.

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Ingredients

• 4 bell peppers, any color
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, small diced
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon no salt added Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
• ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 ½ cups cooked long grain rice
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• ⅓ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup Italian cheese blend, divided
• 2 cups marinara sauce, divided

Equipment

• Baking Dish
• Skillet

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a high-sided 9×13 baking dish with olive oil cooking spray, then spread 1 cup of mariana evenly on the bottom of the pan. Cut each bell pepper in half from top to bottom. Remove the seeds and membranes, then arrange cut side up in the baking dish.
• Heat a large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, diced onions and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook 3-5 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften, stirring occasionally.
• Add the ground beef and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Break into small pieces and cook until browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
• Turn off the heat, then add the remaining 1 cup marinara, rice, parsley, parmesan, ½ cup Italian cheese, stirring until just combined.
• Fill each pepper evenly with the beef rice mixture, about one heaping ½ cup for each pepper. Sprinkle over the remaining ½ cup cheese. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes, then uncovered for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is browned and bubbling.

Notes

• Any color of bell pepper will work for this recipe. I used a mix of red and orange because it makes a prettier presentation and red, yellow, and orange bell peppers are sweeter than their green counterparts. However, if you prefer the taste (or price) of green bell peppers, those will work equally well.
• Be sure to use cooked long grain rice for this recipe. Really any cooked grain will work, though, so feel free to swap in cooked brown rice, quinoa, barley or even wild rice.

Course: dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian, Mediterranean

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 8), Calories: 225kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 41mg, Sodium: 645mg, Potassium: 567mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 2490IU, Vitamin C: 86mg, Calcium: 111mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition disclaimer

Did you make this recipe?If you do, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me at @realfoodwholelife so I can see!

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