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Meat, European

Hungarian stuffed peppers with potatoes

Hungarian stuffed peppers are green or yellow peppers filled with ground pork and raw rice, simmered in a lightly sweet tomato sauce, served with potatoes. This recipe serves 4, takes 75 minutes, has a medium difficulty, and costs about €3 per person. The key is the raw rice in the filling, which swells slowly as it cooks and finishes the dish without drying it out.

Tonight, stuffed peppers like in Hungary, filled with meat and rice, simmered in a slightly sweet tomato sauce, with potatoes on the side.

Hungarian stuffed peppers with potatoes
Total time
1 h 15
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.00
Calories per person
480 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Here, the pepper becomes a little cooking pot. The pork and raw rice filling swells slowly in the tomato sauce, the rice finishes cooking as it soaks up the juices, and the meat stays tender. A touch of sugar in the tomato softens the acidity without making the dish sweet, and that's what gives it that distinctive, recognizable flavor.

This is a good Sunday dish or a calmer weeknight dinner, since it simmers almost on its own once the peppers are stuffed. Kids generally like the soft texture of the pepper and the tomato sauce that coats the potatoes when you mash them with a fork. Use a wide enough pot so the peppers can stand upright.

The ingredients

4 people

Fruits and vegetables

  • Green or yellow peppers 8
  • Onion 1
  • Garlic 2 cloves
  • Potatoes 800 g
  • Parsley 4 sprigs

Butcher

  • Ground pork 500 g

Pantry

  • Round riceoften in the pantry 100 g
  • Sweet paprikaoften in the pantry 2 tsp
  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 800 g
  • Sugaroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Sunflower oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

The step by step recipe

  1. Cut the tops off the peppers, remove the seeds and white membranes, and keep the tops.

    Set the peppers upright in the pot, packed close together, so they stay standing as they cook.

  2. Mix the ground pork with the raw rice, chopped onion and garlic, paprika, parsley, salt, and pepper.

    Don't pack the filling down, the rice will swell and needs room inside the pepper.

  3. Fill the peppers three quarters full with the filling and set the tops back on.

    If you run short on peppers, shape the rest of the filling into meatballs and tuck them between the peppers.

  4. Heat the tomatoes with the sugar, some salt, and a glass of water, pour over the peppers, cover, and let simmer gently. 50 min

    The sauce should just reach halfway up the peppers, no more.

  5. Peel the potatoes, steam or boil them, then serve alongside the peppers with their sauce. 20 min

    Lightly crush them into the tomato sauce, it's delicious.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick peppers with a flat base and similar size, they'll stand upright on their own in the pot and cook evenly.
  • Always keep a bit of tomato sauce aside at the end of cooking, the rice keeps soaking up liquid even off the heat.
  • If the sauce reduces too fast before the rice is done, add a little hot water instead of turning up the heat, so the bottom doesn't catch.

The variations

  • Swap the ground pork for ground beef or a mix of both, for a slightly stronger flavor.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the meat with chopped mushrooms and cooked lentils, keep the raw rice as is.
  • For a quicker version, use already cooked rice and cut the simmering time to 30 minutes, the filling just needs to heat through instead of cooking slowly.

What to serve it with

  • Fresh bread for the sauce
  • A simple green salad
  • Plain yogurt on the side

Storage

Stuffed peppers keep for 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. They freeze very well, with or without the sauce, for up to 2 months. Reheat gently in a saucepan or oven, covered, adding a little water if the sauce has thickened.

Questions about this dish

Can I use cooked rice instead of raw rice?

Yes, but cut the simmering time to about 30 minutes, since raw rice needs that cooking time to swell and stay tender. With cooked rice, just focus on making sure the meat and pepper are fully cooked.

Can I make stuffed peppers ahead of time?

Yes, you can stuff the peppers the day before and keep them in the fridge, then simmer them the next day. You can also cook the whole dish in advance, it often tastes even better reheated the following day.

Which pepper works best for this recipe?

Green or yellow peppers are traditional since they're less sweet than red ones, they balance the sugar in the tomato sauce better. Pick ones with a flat base so they stand upright in the pot.

Can stuffed peppers be frozen?

Yes, they freeze well once cooked, with their sauce, in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Let them thaw in the fridge before reheating gently, covered.

How long does it take to make Hungarian stuffed peppers with potatoes?

Count 1 h 15 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in Hungarian stuffed peppers with potatoes?

About 480 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does Hungarian stuffed peppers with potatoes cost?

About €3.00 per serving, or €12.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains none of the major allergens tracked by Mon Chou. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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