Classic Stuffed Peppers are a timeless family recipe. Made with ground beef, spices and rice, they are a filling one-dish meal that comes together in less than 30 minutes and can even be made ahead.
Chef Jessica Approved ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
- Full of nostalgic flavor – Classic stuffed peppers are one of those dishes that is timeless. Everyone’s mom and grandma have their version of the recipe in their recipe box, and it brings back happy memories of childhood.
- A blank canvas – This recipe is pretty basic, leaving lots of room for creativity. You can easily adapt this recipe to fit your own tastes.
- Full serving of veggies – Serving dinner inside of a bell pepper ensures that you have an entire serving of vegetables without making another side dish.
Ingredient Lineup
You might just have most of the ingredients needed to make these classic stuffed peppers on hand! Check out the full printable recipe for more details.
- Ground beef – I like to use an 80/20 mix for this recipe. The fat from the meat will help to soften the bell peppers.
- Butter – You can use salted or unsalted butter here. This is what we use to sauté the onions and garlic.
- Onion – I like to use a sweet yellow onion for flavor, but you can also use a white onion if you prefer.
- Garlic – Using fresh garlic makes all the difference here. Pre-minced garlic in the jar isn’t as pungent and tends to be a little sweeter.
- White rice – You want this to be cooked ahead of time. It’s a great way to use up leftover rice if you have any! You can also swap it for brown rice.
- Ketchup – Ketchup adds both acidity and that tomato flavor that is common in stuffed pepper recipes.
- Worcestershire sauce – I love the flavor this adds to the classic stuffed peppers. Try making your own homemade worcestershire sauce!
- Italian seasoning – This is a great all in one seasoning that adds the perfect flavor to dishes.
- Salt and pepper – I like to use a blend of coarse Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Bell peppers – You can use colorful bell peppers, but sometimes these can get pricey so feel free to use green bell peppers, which are typically cheaper.
- White cheddar cheese – Not a fan of cheddar? Try swapping it out for mozzarella or your favorite cheese.
Get Cookin’
Making classic stuffed peppers might be easier than you think! Just follow these simple steps.
- Brown ground beef. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain well and set aside. Cook rice if not already cooked.
- Sauté onions and garlic. In the same skillet, melt the butter and add the onion and garlic, sauté until soft. Remove to a large mixing bowl.
- Combine filling ingredients. In the large mixing bowl, combine the cooked ground beef, cooked rice, onion and garlic, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper and cheddar cheese. Toss to combine.
- Prepare bell peppers. Cut the tops of each bell pepper, removing all the seeds and membranes.
- Add filling to peppers. Place the peppers in a baking or casserole dish. Fill each with the ground beef mixture.
- Bake until the peppers start to soften. Remove and top with the remaining cheddar cheese, return to oven until cheese has melted.
- Garnish and enjoy! Remove, garnish with parsley, and serve.
5S Philosophy 👩🏻
- Salt – I use coarse kosher salt to season these classic stuffed peppers. Keep in mind that different salts measure differently.
- Seasonings – There are plenty of ways to season these stuffed peppers. Add crushed red pepper flakes to take the spice level up a notch. Add a dash of soy sauce for a different umami flavor.
- Sauces – I like to serve mine with a side of marinara sauce or even homemade salsa to sneak in more veggies and flavor.
- Swaps – Like them spicy? Add jalapenos, cayenne pepper or hot sauce. You can even add ground sausage or bacon. You can swap out the cheese for your favorite too.
- Senses – The aromas in your kitchen when cooking these classic stuffed peppers will take you right back to grandma’s kitchen, full of nostalgia.
Serving Side Ideas
You can serve these classic stuffed peppers with just about any side dish that you’d like to! Since we already have a starch with the rice, I generally like to serve mine with extra veggies.
Something like broccoli, green beans or even a nice side salad are all perfect options. You can also serve them with garlic bread or another bread of your choosing.
Storage and Freezing
These tasty stuffed peppers are perfect for meal prep since they’re so easy to store and reheat. You can make the filling ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
How to Store
Store these peppers in their original casserole dish, in an airtight container, or wrap them individually with aluminum foil. They can be stored for up to 4 days.
Can I Freeze Classic Stuffed Peppers?
Yes, you can! Wrap the peppers with foil and place in freezer bags. Then freeze for up to three months.
Helpful Tips and Answers
Sure! Just omit the meat. I would suggest adding in more “meaty” vegetables like diced eggplant or squash.
Yes! And they have a whole new flavor when you do.. more smokey. Simply place them on the grill, sitting upright or in a grill basket, and close the lid until they start to soften and cheese melts. I recommend using indirect heat.
If you just use rice, yes, stuffed peppers are gluten-free!
Stuffed peppers can be healthy depending on what type of meat you are using. If you are using ground beef, try using a lean mixture or use ground turkey instead. Also sub white rice for brown rice.
More Recipes with Peppers
Whether stuffed with meat or chopped up and added to a casserole, you are going to love these recipes that use peppers.
Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons onion , chopped
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 1 cup white rice , cooked
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 bell peppers
- 3/4 cup white cheddar cheese , finely shredded
- parsley , for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large skillet, brown the 1 pound ground beef. Drain well and set aside.
- In the same skillet, melt the 1 tablespoon butter and add the 2 tablespoons onion and 1 clove garlic, sauté until soft, approximately 2-3 minutes. Remove to a large mixing bowl.
- In the large mixing bowl, combine the cooked ground beef, cooked 1 cup white rice, onion and garlic, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce , 2 tablespoons ketchup, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon coarse Kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper and 2/3 cup of the cheddar cheese. Toss to combine.
- Cut the tops of the 6 bell peppers, removing all the seeds and membranes.
- Place the peppers in a baking or casserole dish. Fill each with the ground beef mixture.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the peppers start to soften. Remove and top with the remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, return to oven until cheese has melted, about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove, garnish with parsley, and serve.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Notes
Nutrition
Easy to follow recipe; appreciated that not a bunch of ingredients went into the making of the stuffing. I added diced tomato and a little bit of tomato paste because I like the sweetness :-). I didn’t have an onion on hand so I used minced onion plus added a little more spices only because I love spicy food! Thank you for the recipe!
Oh, fantastic! Glad you love them and thank you for coming back to let us know!
I liked the recipe, only problem was with making the stuffing with the amount that they called for there was not enough for 6 medium stuffed peppers. So I would double the stuffing and put the extra into a small casserole and bake it for those who don’t like peppers! I also added 2 tablespoons of Baby Ray’s honey barbecue sauce to give it a little bit of a kick! It was delish!!!
Thanks for the feedback!
This was one of my favorite meals as a kid. I can’t wait to make these classic stuffed peppers for my kids!
Right? I hadn’t made them in years and forgot how much I loved them!!!
Stuffed peppers are one of my favorites! Your version looks delicious. I’ll definitely have to give these peppers a try this week!
Stuffed peppers are such a great healthy dinner recipe, and we make them all the time in our house. These look particularly tasty!
Stuffed peppers are also very popular here in Italy! Yours look delicious. Definitely a great family meal!
These look perfcet for an easy weeknight meal! Packed full of flavor and texture. Yummy!