Name: Stuffed Bell Peppers
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 6 large bell peppers, any color; 1 lb ground beef; 2 cups cooked rice; 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes; 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce; 1 medium onion, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1.5 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese; 1 tsp Italian seasoning; 1 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp pepper

Colorful bell peppers filled with a savory mixture of seasoned ground beef, rice, tomatoes, and melted cheese. A complete meal in one beautiful package that looks as good as it tastes.

Main Dish · Prep 20 min · Cook 45 min · Serves 6 · Easy · By Tina · Published 2026-03-02

Ingredients

A Complete Dinner in a Colorful Package

Stuffed bell peppers are one of those meals that I never get tired of. Each pepper is basically its own little edible bowl filled with seasoned beef, rice, tomatoes, and melted cheese, and they look absolutely gorgeous on the plate. Red, yellow, orange, green. It is like eating a rainbow, except this rainbow is filled with meat and cheese and is significantly more delicious.

I love making these because they are surprisingly easy, they feed a crowd, and everyone can customize their own pepper with extra toppings. Plus the leftovers heat up perfectly the next day, which is always a win in my book.

Prepping the Peppers

Preheat your oven to 190°C/375°F. Cut the tops off 6 large bell peppers and scoop out all the seeds and membranes. Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the peppers for 3 minutes to soften them slightly. This head start means the peppers and filling finish cooking at the same time. Pull them out and set them upside down on paper towels to drain.

The Filling

Brown 1 pound of ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 diced onion, breaking the meat into small pieces. Once cooked through, drain any excess fat. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in a can of diced tomatoes, a can of tomato sauce, 2 cups of cooked rice, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Let it simmer for 5 minutes so the flavors come together. Pull it off the heat and stir in half of the shredded cheese.

Building and Baking

Stand the blanched peppers upright in a baking dish. If they wobble, trim a tiny sliver off the bottom to create a flat base, but be careful not to cut all the way through. Spoon the filling generously into each pepper, mounding it slightly on top.

Pour a thin layer of water or remaining tomato sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top each pepper with the remaining cheese, and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden.

Let them rest for a few minutes before serving. Crusty bread or a light green salad on the side is all you need.

Tina's Tips

Use a mix of colored peppers for the prettiest presentation. Red and orange peppers are sweeter than green ones, which adds a nice variety of flavors across the dish.
Blanching the peppers is not optional. Raw peppers take forever to soften in the oven, and by the time they are tender, the filling is overcooked. Three minutes in boiling water solves this.
Cook the rice ahead of time. Use leftover rice from last night's dinner, or make a batch in the morning. Room-temperature rice mixes into the filling much more evenly.
Swap the beef for turkey, chicken, or even lentils. This recipe is endlessly adaptable. The tomato-cheese-rice combination carries the flavor regardless of the protein.
Leftover filling makes amazing tacos. If you have extra, wrap it in tortillas with some salsa and sour cream for an easy lunch the next day.

Stuffed Bell Peppers