This stuffed pepper recipe is one of my childhood favorites — a comforting, flavorful dish I love to make regularly. It’s nutritious, versatile and always satisfying.
When my mother or grandmother made these, the whole house smelled incredible. I adore cooked peppers in any form — baked, boiled, or fried — and the aroma of fried peppers is simply divine.
What can I stuff peppers with?
Stuffed peppers are wonderfully adaptable. You can make them vegetarian, vegan, or with meat. Typical combinations include a base of rice mixed with minced meat and plenty of vegetables and herbs. The pairing of sweet peppers with a savory filling creates a unique and delicious harmony.
This recipe is a regular in my kitchen because it’s tasty, quick to prepare and healthy. Although the instructions can look long, the method is straightforward and easy to follow.
Ways to cook stuffed peppers
You can prepare stuffed peppers several ways:
- Oven-baked — in a deep covered baking dish or casserole;
- Slow cooker — set for 3–4 hours;
- Pressure cooker — the fastest option;
- Simmered on the stove — covered in a pot.
All methods produce delicious results; choose the one that suits your schedule.
Ingredients needed to make stuffed peppers
- Minced/ground beef
- Minced/ground turkey (or lean pork)
- Whole bell peppers
- Beef tomatoes
- Rice (long-grain)
- Onions (finely chopped)
- Carrots (grated)
- Celery or celeriac (grated)
- Courgette/zucchini (grated)
- Fresh herbs: parsley, dill, thyme, bay leaves
- Chopped canned tomatoes
The recipe card below includes exact quantities and step-by-step instructions. The procedure is clear and designed to be easy to follow.
Variations
- Ground meat: substitute or mix lamb, chicken or pork.
- Vegetable shells: use cabbage leaves, aubergine, zucchini, squash or large onions instead of bell peppers.
- Grain: try brown rice, wild rice, couscous, bulgur, lentils, cauliflower rice for low-carb, or crushed chickpeas.
- Tomato base: use diced tomatoes or a little tomato paste if preferred.
- Onions: swap or mix with leeks.
- Smoky flavor: add smoked sausage, nitrate-free bacon or smoked pork chunks.
- Vegetarian: fill with feta and couscous or a grain and herb mixture.
- Vegan: use crushed chickpeas, tofu or mushrooms as the protein base.
FAQs
No. In this recipe the peppers, rice and meat start raw; they have time to cook fully during the baking, simmering or pressure-cooking stage.
Bell peppers are not spicy. Their flavor and color vary by variety and ripeness — red and orange bell peppers are mature versions of green bell peppers and tend to be sweeter.
More stuffed recipes you may enjoy
- Cabbage rolls (sarmale) stuffed with ground beef, vegetables and rice;
- Spinach and mushrooms stuffed chicken breast;
- Velvety stuffed aubergines (eggplant);
- Buffalo chicken bites with spinach and blue cheese.
Ready to cook? This stuffed peppers and tomatoes recipe delivers a comforting family meal full of flavor.
Bon appétit!
Here are some more dinner recipes to try
- Smoked meatloaf with quail eggs
- Easy Pineapple Curry (Ready in 25 minutes)
- Delicious Spanish Sardines Pasta
- Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry
Stuffed peppers and tomatoes
Equipment
- pot
- grater
- glass bowl
- chopping board
- knife
- wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 400 g minced beef (I use 5% fat)
- 200 g minced turkey (or lean pork)
- 8 medium red peppers (whole)
- 4–6 medium beef tomatoes
- 70 g rice
- 2 onions (finely chopped)
- 2 carrots (grated)
- 2 stalks celery (grated)
- 1 courgette/zucchini (grated)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1 bunch parsley (fresh)
- 10 sprigs dill (fresh)
- 2 cans chopped tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1–2 sprigs thyme (fresh or dry)
Instructions
- Wash the vegetables, tomatoes and fresh herbs.
- In a deep frying pan over medium heat, cook the chopped onion with 100 ml water or a little olive oil for 5 minutes with 1/2 teaspoon salt and one bay leaf.
- Add grated carrot, courgette and celeriac (or parsnip) plus half the thyme. If using fresh thyme, chop finely. Cover and cook 5 minutes.
- Stir in the rice and cook another 3 minutes.
- Add one can of chopped tomatoes, mix well and cook 2–3 more minutes. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool completely before combining with the meat.
- Prepare the peppers: either cut the tops off (keeping them as lids) or remove the core by pressing and pulling it out. Halve and scoop out tomato interiors, chop the flesh and reserve for the sauce.
- Finely chop the herbs and reserve 2–3 sprigs of parsley, 1 sprig of thyme and 1–2 sprigs of dill for the cooking liquid.
- Place the minced meats in a large bowl. Add freshly ground pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, the chopped herbs and the cooled vegetable and rice mixture. Mix thoroughly until the filling is uniform.
- Fill the peppers with the mixture and place them upright in a cooking dish. Add the tomato halves alongside the peppers. Arrange tightly in the dish; you can stack a second layer if needed.
- In a bowl mix the remaining canned tomatoes, reserved chopped tomato flesh, the kept herbs, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper and one can of water. Pour this sauce over the stuffed peppers.
- Cook: pressure cooker ~30 minutes (depending on model) or baked in the oven for about 2.5 hours at moderate temperature. If simmering on the stove, cook covered until everything is tender.
- Serve hot with a dollop of crème fraîche or plain yogurt and a few spoonfuls of the cooking juice.
Notes
Cooking times: Times vary by method. Pressure cooking shortens the time (about 40 minutes in the example), while oven baking can take 2–2.5 hours.
Seasoning: The amounts listed suit my taste, but adjust salt and pepper to your preference. You can always add more toward the end of cooking.
Nutrition
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Carbohydrates: 35 g
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Protein: 23 g
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Fat: 17 g
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