Hearty Ground Beef Stuffed Bell Peppers

Here are my ground beef stuffed bell peppers, with tender peppers filled with seasoned beef, fluffy rice, tomatoes, and melted cheddar cheese that gets all gooey and delicious.

These stuffed peppers are a weeknight favorite at our house because they’re basically a complete meal in one pepper half. My kids actually get excited when I tell them we’re having these for dinner, which is always a win in my book!

What Kind of Ground Beef Should I Use?

For stuffed bell peppers, you’ll want to pick ground beef with the right fat content to keep your filling moist and flavorful. I recommend using 80/20 or 85/15 ground beef, which gives you enough fat to keep things juicy without making your peppers greasy. If you only have access to leaner ground beef like 90/10, that’ll work too, but you might want to add a splash of beef broth to the filling to prevent it from drying out. Just be sure to drain any excess fat after browning the meat so your peppers don’t end up sitting in a pool of grease.

Options for Substitutions

This stuffed pepper recipe is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps:

• Ground beef: Ground turkey, chicken, or pork work great here. You can also use Italian sausage (remove the casings first) for extra flavor, or go meatless with lentils or a plant-based ground meat substitute.
• Rice: White rice, brown rice, or even quinoa all work well. Just remember that brown rice takes longer to cook, so you’ll want to partially cook it before mixing it into the filling. Cauliflower rice is another option if you’re looking for a lower-carb version.
• Bell peppers: Any color bell pepper works – red, yellow, orange, or green. Green peppers have a slightly more bitter taste, while the others are sweeter. You can also use poblano peppers for a mild kick.
• Cheddar cheese: Monterey Jack, mozzarella, pepper jack, or a Mexican cheese blend all melt nicely. Use whatever you have on hand or prefer.
• Crushed tomatoes: Diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, or even marinara sauce can step in here. If using tomato sauce, you might want to add a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity.
• Italian seasoning: A mix of dried basil, oregano, and thyme works just as well if you don’t have Italian seasoning on hand.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake people make with stuffed peppers is undercooking the rice beforehand, which leaves you with crunchy, unpleasant grains in the final dish – make sure your rice is fully cooked before mixing it into the beef filling.

Another common error is skipping the water in the baking dish, which can cause your peppers to dry out and burn on the bottom instead of steaming to tender perfection.

To avoid watery stuffed peppers, drain your ground beef well after browning and don’t overfill the peppers with the meat mixture, leaving about 1/4 inch of space at the top.

For even cooking, choose peppers that are similar in size and can stand upright on their own – if they’re wobbly, slice a thin piece off the bottom to create a flat base, being careful not to cut through to the inside.

What to Serve With Stuffed Bell Peppers?

Stuffed bell peppers are pretty filling on their own, but I love serving them with a simple side salad dressed with olive oil and lemon juice to balance out the richness. A slice of garlic bread or some warm dinner rolls are perfect for soaking up any extra tomato sauce that pools at the bottom of your plate. If you want to make it more of a complete meal, roasted vegetables like zucchini or green beans work great alongside, or you could even add a dollop of sour cream on top of each pepper for extra creaminess. For a lighter option, some steamed broccoli or a cucumber tomato salad keeps things fresh and simple.

Storage Instructions

Store: Leftover stuffed peppers keep really well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Just pop them in an airtight container once they’ve cooled down. They make great easy lunches throughout the week, and honestly taste even better the next day when all the flavors have had time to hang out together.

Freeze: These are perfect for freezing! You can freeze them before or after baking. Wrap each pepper individually in foil or plastic wrap, then store them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. If freezing unbaked, just add an extra 15-20 minutes to the baking time when you’re ready to cook them.

Reheat: To warm up your stuffed peppers, cover them with foil and bake at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes until heated through. You can also microwave individual peppers for 2-3 minutes, though the oven gives you a better texture. Add a little extra cheese on top if you want to make them feel fresh again!

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2100-2300
• Protein: 110-125 g
• Fat: 120-135 g
• Carbohydrates: 120-130 g

Ingredients

For the peppers:

• 6 bell peppers (halved vertically with seeds removed)
• 1.5 cups water

For the filling:

• 1.25 cups rice (I use Mahatma long grain white rice)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion (diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1.25 lbs ground beef
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 14 oz crushed tomatoes (I prefer Hunt’s for a smoother texture)
• 1.5 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 2.5 cups cheddar cheese (shredded from a block for better melting)
• salt
• pepper

Step 1: Prepare Rice and Preheat Oven

• 1.5 cups water
• 1.25 cups rice

Start cooking the rice first since it requires the most time and can work independently while you prep other ingredients.

In a saucepan, bring 1.5 cups water to a boil, add the rice, stir once, then reduce heat to low and cover.

Simmer for 15-18 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is tender.

While the rice cooks, preheat your oven to 400°F.

This parallel cooking saves significant time in your overall workflow.

Step 2: Prepare Bell Peppers and Create Baking Vessel

• 6 bell peppers
• 1 cup water

Halve the bell peppers vertically and carefully remove all seeds and membranes.

Roughly chop any usable pepper pieces from the tops (you should have about 1 cup of chopped pepper).

Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of a baking dish large enough to hold all 12 pepper halves (a 9×13 inch dish works well), then arrange the pepper halves cut-side up in the water.

This water bath helps the peppers cook evenly and prevents them from drying out during baking.

Step 3: Build the Filling Base with Aromatics and Meat

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper pieces
• 1.25 lbs ground beef

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the diced onion and chopped pepper pieces, sautéing for about 5 minutes until they start to soften and the onion becomes translucent.

Add the ground beef and cook for 8 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon as it browns—you want most of the meat to lose its pink color and develop some light browning.

This creates a flavorful base for the filling.

Step 4: Layer Flavors with Aromatics, Tomatoes, and Seasonings

• 3 garlic cloves
• 14 oz crushed tomatoes
• 1.5 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• salt
• pepper

Stir in the minced garlic and cook for just 30 seconds until fragrant—this brief cooking prevents the garlic from becoming bitter.

Pour in the crushed tomatoes and add the Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste.

Stir well to combine all ingredients evenly.

I like to taste the mixture at this point and adjust the seasoning since these flavors form the heart of the dish.

Step 5: Combine Filling and Assemble Peppers

• cooked rice from Step 1
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• meat and vegetable mixture from Step 4

Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the cooked rice from Step 1 along with 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, mixing until everything is evenly distributed.

Spoon the filling generously into each pepper half, mounding it slightly.

For best results, I like to shred my cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded, as it melts more smoothly and creates a better texture on top.

Step 6: Bake Covered and Finish with Cheese

• assembled peppers from Step 5
• 1.5 cups cheddar cheese

Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

The foil traps steam, helping the peppers soften while the filling heats through.

After 40 minutes, carefully remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining 1.5 cups of cheddar cheese evenly over the tops of all the peppers.

Return to the oven uncovered and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly golden on top.

Step 7: Rest and Serve

Remove the stuffed peppers from the oven and let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.

This brief rest allows the filling to set slightly and the peppers to cool enough to handle comfortably without burning yourself.

The water in the bottom of the pan creates a light sauce that you can spoon over each pepper when plating.

Hearty Ground Beef Stuffed Bell Peppers

Delicious Hearty Ground Beef Stuffed Bell Peppers recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 12 minutes mins

Servings 12 servings

Calories 2200 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the peppers::

• 6 bell peppers (halved vertically with seeds removed)
• 1.5 cups water

For the filling::

• 1.25 cups rice (I use Mahatma long grain white rice)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion (diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1.25 lbs ground beef
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 14 oz crushed tomatoes (I prefer Hunt's for a smoother texture)
• 1.5 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 2.5 cups cheddar cheese (shredded from a block for better melting)
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

 

• Start cooking the rice first since it requires the most time and can work independently while you prep other ingredients. In a saucepan, bring 1.5 cups water to a boil, add the rice, stir once, then reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 15-18 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is tender. While the rice cooks, preheat your oven to 400°F. This parallel cooking saves significant time in your overall workflow.
• Halve the bell peppers vertically and carefully remove all seeds and membranes. Roughly chop any usable pepper pieces from the tops (you should have about 1 cup of chopped pepper). Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of a baking dish large enough to hold all 12 pepper halves (a 9x13 inch dish works well), then arrange the pepper halves cut-side up in the water. This water bath helps the peppers cook evenly and prevents them from drying out during baking.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and chopped pepper pieces, sautéing for about 5 minutes until they start to soften and the onion becomes translucent. Add the ground beef and cook for 8 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon as it browns—you want most of the meat to lose its pink color and develop some light browning. This creates a flavorful base for the filling.
• Stir in the minced garlic and cook for just 30 seconds until fragrant—this brief cooking prevents the garlic from becoming bitter. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and add the Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir well to combine all ingredients evenly. I like to taste the mixture at this point and adjust the seasoning since these flavors form the heart of the dish.
• Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the cooked rice from Step 1 along with 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, mixing until everything is evenly distributed. Spoon the filling generously into each pepper half, mounding it slightly. For best results, I like to shred my cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded, as it melts more smoothly and creates a better texture on top.
• Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes. The foil traps steam, helping the peppers soften while the filling heats through. After 40 minutes, carefully remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining 1.5 cups of cheddar cheese evenly over the tops of all the peppers. Return to the oven uncovered and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly golden on top.
• Remove the stuffed peppers from the oven and let them rest for 5 minutes before serving. This brief rest allows the filling to set slightly and the peppers to cool enough to handle comfortably without burning yourself. The water in the bottom of the pan creates a light sauce that you can spoon over each pepper when plating.