Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef and Rice

These stuffed peppers with ground beef and rice are a classic comfort dinner. Sweet bell peppers are filled with a savory mix of seasoned ground beef, fluffy rice, and tomato sauce, then baked with melted cheese on top until tender and golden. Each pepper is like its own little meal — colorful, hearty, and satisfying. In about an hour, you have a beautiful pan of stuffed peppers that looks impressive but is easy to make. If you want a wholesome dinner that the whole family will enjoy, these stuffed peppers with ground beef and rice are perfect.

Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef and Rice

These stuffed peppers with ground beef and rice are a classic comfort dinner: sweet bell peppers filled with seasoned beef, fluffy rice, and tomato sauce, then baked with melted cheese until tender and golden.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 6

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 6 large bell peppers any color
• 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
• 2 cups cooked white rice
• 1 can tomato sauce 15 oz, divided
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese divided
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Cut tops off peppers, remove seeds. Rub with 1 tablespoon olive oil and place upright in a 9×13-inch dish.
2. Par-bake the empty peppers for 10 minutes. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the beef and onion 6 to 8 minutes until browned. Add garlic, cook 1 minute. Drain fat.
4. Off the heat, stir in the rice, half the tomato sauce, 3/4 cup cheese, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.
5. Fill each pepper with the mixture. Pour the remaining tomato sauce around the peppers in the dish.
6. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes. Uncover, top with remaining 3/4 cup cheese, and bake 10 to 15 more minutes until peppers are tender and cheese is golden.
7. Rest 5 minutes. Spoon dish sauce over each pepper and serve.

Notes

Par-bake the peppers so they soften at the same pace as the filling. Use cooked rice — uncooked rice will not cook through in time. Pack the peppers snugly so they stand upright.

Why You’ll Love It

• A complete meal in one pepper. Beef, rice, and vegetables all in a single colorful package.
• Beautiful presentation. Bright bell peppers look impressive on the table with almost no extra effort.
• Great for meal prep. They reheat perfectly, so make a batch for easy lunches all week.
• Customizable filling. Swap the beef for turkey, add beans, or make it spicy — the recipe is flexible.
• Kid-friendly. The sweet peppers and cheesy top win over even picky eaters.

Why Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef and Rice Works So Well

Stuffed peppers work because the pepper itself becomes the baking dish. As the peppers bake, they soften and turn sweet, and their walls hold in all the juices from the filling. The filling steams gently inside the pepper, so the rice stays moist and the beef stays tender. When you cut into a pepper, the filling is perfectly cooked and full of flavor from being trapped together in the oven.

Par-baking the empty peppers before filling them is the key technique. Raw peppers take longer to soften than the filling takes to heat through, so without this step you can end up with crunchy peppers and an overcooked filling. Ten minutes in the oven softens the peppers just enough that they finish cooking at the same pace as the filling. The result is peppers that are tender but still hold their shape.

The rice in the filling does two jobs at once. It stretches the ground beef so the recipe feeds more people, and it soaks up the tomato sauce and beef juices as everything bakes together. Using cooked rice (leftover rice is perfect here) means it just needs to heat through, not cook from raw. Every grain ends up flavorful instead of plain.

Key Ingredients Explained

• Bell peppers: Six large bell peppers, any color. Red, yellow, and orange are sweeter than green. Choose peppers that are wide and flat-bottomed so they stand up in the baking dish.
• Ground beef: One and a half pounds of lean ground beef (80/20 or 85/15). It is the hearty base of the filling. Drain the fat after browning so the filling is not greasy.
• Cooked rice: Two cups of cooked white rice. Leftover rice is ideal — day-old rice is drier and soaks up more flavor. Brown rice works too but is chewier.
• Tomato sauce: One can (15 ounces) of tomato sauce, divided. Half goes into the filling and half goes in the bottom of the baking dish to keep the peppers moist.
• Onion: One medium onion, diced. It cooks with the beef and adds sweetness and depth to the filling.
• Garlic: Two cloves, minced. Garlic brings savory warmth to the beef mixture.
• Cheddar or mozzarella: One and a half cups of shredded cheese. Half mixes into the filling and half goes on top for a golden, melty crust.
• Italian seasoning: One teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning flavors the whole filling with herby warmth.
• Worcestershire sauce: One tablespoon adds deep, savory flavor to the beef that you cannot quite place but would miss if it were gone.

Ingredients

• 6 large bell peppers, any color
• 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
• 2 cups cooked white rice
• 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce, divided
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for serving (optional)

How to Make Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef and Rice

Step 1: Prep the peppers.
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Cut the tops off the peppers and pull out the seeds and white membranes inside. Rub the outsides lightly with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place them upright in a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Tip: If a pepper wobbles, shave a thin slice off the bottom so it sits flat. Do not cut a hole — just flatten it slightly.

Step 2: Par-bake the empty peppers.
Bake the empty peppers for 10 minutes. This softens them so they finish cooking at the same time as the filling. Take them out and set them aside.
Tip: Do not skip this step. Raw peppers stay crunchy while the filling overcooks.

Step 3: Brown the beef with onion and garlic.
While the peppers bake, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and diced onion. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking the beef into crumbles, until the beef is browned and the onion is soft. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Drain off any extra fat.
Tip: Break the beef into small crumbles as it cooks. Big chunks do not mix well with the rice.

Step 4: Mix the filling.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the cooked rice, half of the tomato sauce, 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese, the Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix until everything is well combined.
Tip: Taste the filling now. It should taste well-seasoned — the plain peppers will mellow the flavor.

Step 5: Fill the peppers and add sauce.
Spoon the filling into each pepper, packing it in gently and mounding it slightly on top. Pour the remaining tomato sauce into the bottom of the baking dish around the peppers. This keeps them moist and adds flavor.
Tip: Do not pack the filling too tightly. A gentle pack lets heat move through evenly.

Step 6: Bake, then add cheese.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup of cheese over the tops of the peppers, and bake uncovered for 10 to 15 more minutes, until the peppers are tender and the cheese is melted and golden.
Tip: Test a pepper with a fork — it should pierce easily but the pepper should still hold its shape.

Step 7: Rest and serve.
Let the peppers rest for 5 minutes. Spoon some of the sauce from the bottom of the dish over each pepper. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve hot.
Tip: The sauce in the bottom of the dish is full of flavor. Do not leave it behind.

Variations

• Turkey stuffed peppers: Swap the ground beef for ground turkey. Use 93% lean turkey and add an extra tablespoon of olive oil since turkey is leaner.
• Mexican stuffed peppers: Season the beef with taco seasoning instead of Italian seasoning. Use pepper jack cheese and top with sour cream, salsa, and cilantro.
• Vegetarian stuffed peppers: Replace the beef with 2 cans of black beans (drained) and 1 cup of corn. Add extra cheese to help the filling hold together.
• Low-carb stuffed peppers: Replace the rice with cauliflower rice. Sauté it for 3 to 4 minutes before mixing it into the filling so it is not watery.

What to Serve With

• Garlic bread — for scooping up the extra tomato sauce
• A simple green salad — fresh and light next to the hearty peppers
• Roasted potatoes — crispy potatoes round out the meal
• Steamed broccoli — an easy green side that needs no extra seasoning
• Crusty dinner rolls — perfect for soaking up the sauce in the dish

Storage & Reheating

To store: Let the peppers cool completely, then place them in an airtight container. Keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To reheat: Warm in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes until hot through. Or cover with foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15 to 20 minutes. Spoon extra sauce over the top before reheating to keep them moist.

To freeze: Let the peppers cool completely, then wrap each one in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Make ahead: Assemble the peppers completely (through Step 5) up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bake straight from the fridge, adding 10 extra minutes to the covered bake time.

FAQs

Do I have to par-bake the peppers?
It is strongly recommended. Raw peppers take longer to soften than the filling takes to heat, so skipping this step often gives you crunchy peppers. Ten minutes of par-baking solves the problem.

Can I use uncooked rice in the filling?
It is not recommended. Uncooked rice needs more liquid and a longer bake time than this recipe provides. Always use cooked rice — leftover rice works perfectly.

What color peppers are best?
Any color works. Red, yellow, and orange peppers are sweeter and milder. Green peppers are slightly bitter and more savory. Use a mix of colors for a beautiful presentation.

How do I keep the peppers from tipping over?
Choose peppers with flat bottoms, and pack them snugly in the baking dish so they support each other. Shaving a thin slice off the bottom of a wobbly pepper helps it stand straight.

Can I make these without cheese?
Yes. Skip the cheese in the filling and on top. Add an extra 1/2 cup of tomato sauce to the filling to keep it moist. The peppers are still delicious without cheese.

Why is my filling dry?
The beef may have been too lean, or the filling was packed too tightly. Make sure to include the tomato sauce in the filling, and do not overbake. Spooning the dish sauce over the peppers when serving adds moisture back.

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