Skip to content

Meat, Classics and bistro fare

Stuffed peppers with beef and rice

Stuffed peppers with beef and rice feed 4 people, take 70 minutes, rank as easy, and cost about €2.60 per serving. The trick is to pre bake the hollowed peppers so the flesh turns soft, and to cook the rice only three quarters of the way before mixing it with the meat, it finishes cooking in the oven without turning mushy.

Bright red peppers hiding a heart of meat and tomatoey rice, they come out of the oven and everyone fights over the lid.

Stuffed peppers with beef and rice
Total time
1 h 10
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€2.60
Calories per person
540 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Under the pepper's lid, the beef and rice filling soaks up the tomato sauce as it bakes. The pepper gives off a bit of sweet juice, the meat stays moist, and the rice absorbs the sauce without drying out. It's a hearty dish that feels substantial without being heavy.

This is the kind of recipe you make on a Sunday, when you have time to let the oven do the work while you take care of something else. Kids usually love opening their own pepper like a little treasure box, and arguing over who gets the soft lid. Served with a green salad, it makes a full meal that's easy to plan ahead.

The ingredients

4 people

Fruits and vegetables

  • Bell peppers 4
  • Onion 1
  • Garlic 2 cloves
  • Green lettuce 1

Butcher

  • Ground beef 400 g

Pantry

  • Riceoften in the pantry 150 g
  • Tomato passataoften in the pantry 400 g
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Cider vinegaroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Paprikaoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

The step by step recipe

  1. Cut off the tops of the peppers, remove the seeds and the white membrane.

    Keep the tops, they close the peppers back up for baking.

  2. Cook the rice in salted water until three quarters done, then drain it. 8 min

    It will finish cooking in the oven, don't cook it all the way through.

  3. Cook the onion and garlic in the oil, add the meat, the paprika and half the tomato passata, then mix with the rice. 10 min

    Let the meat brown before stirring it.

  4. Fill the peppers, put the tops back on, and arrange them in a baking dish with the rest of the passata.

    Pack them in tightly, standing upright, close together.

  5. Bake at 190°C, basting with the sauce, and serve with the dressed salad. 40 min

    Baste them with sauce halfway through so they don't dry out.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick peppers that are upright and similar in size, they'll stand steady in the dish instead of tipping over while baking.
  • If the sauce reduces too fast in the dish, add a splash of hot water partway through baking to keep it generous.
  • Let the peppers rest for 5 minutes out of the oven, the filling holds together better when you serve them.

The variations

  • Swap the ground beef for ground pork, or a mix of both, for a milder filling.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the meat with cooked lentils or crumbled tofu, and stir a bit of parmesan into the filling.
  • For quicker meals with kids, cut the peppers in half lengthwise instead of using the lid, they cook faster and are easier to eat.

What to serve it with

  • Dressed green salad
  • Fresh bread for the sauce
  • A glass of grape juice

Storage

Stuffed peppers keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. They freeze well once cooked and cooled, for up to 2 months. Reheat them in the oven covered with foil so they don't dry out.

Questions about this dish

Can you make stuffed peppers ahead of time?

Yes, you can stuff them the day before and keep them covered in the fridge. Let them sit out briefly before baking so they don't go into the oven too cold, and add a few extra minutes of cooking if needed.

Why pre bake the peppers before stuffing them?

Raw pepper flesh stays firm even after 40 minutes in the oven. A few minutes of pre baking is enough to soften it without making it mushy.

Can you use a different grain instead of rice?

Yes, bulgur or quinoa cooked three quarters of the way work well in place of rice. Keep the same logic, a partial cook that finishes in the oven.

How do you know when stuffed peppers are done?

The pepper skin should look slightly wrinkled and pierce easily with the tip of a knife. The filling should be hot all the way through.

How long does it take to make stuffed peppers with beef and rice, served with a salad?

Count 1 h 10 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in stuffed peppers with beef and rice, served with a salad?

About 540 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 stuffed peppers with beef and rice, served with a salad cost?

About €2.60 per serving, or €10.40 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.

Family and bistro classics

See all

Beef recipes

See all