Savory, tender and baked to perfection, these Stuffed Peppers with Rice and Ground Beef are a winner! Cut into one and you’ll find a warm, hearty filling of beef, rice, zucchini, and plenty of melty mozzarella.
Best of all, there’s no need to par-boil the bell peppers! I’ll show you a simple method to ensure they turn out perfectly soft and never soggy.
Quick Look: Stuffed Peppers with Rice and Beef
- Prep Time: 25 mins, Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Method: Stovetop filling, then assembled and oven-baked
- Main Ingredients: Bell peppers, ground beef, rice, zucchini, tomatoes, cheese
- Flavor Profile: Savory, hearty, tender
- Ideal for: Easy weeknight dinners, make ahead, freezer-friendly
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Stuffed Peppers with Rice and Beef
- An Easy Dinner Recipe
- Ingredient Notes
- How to Make Stuffed Peppers with Rice and Ground Beef
- Tips for Success
- Recipe FAQs
- Prep Ahead, Make Ahead and Freezing
- What to Serve with Stuffed Peppers
- More Easy Family Dinner Ideas
- Stuffed Peppers with Rice and Ground Beef
Ingredient Notes
- Ground beef: I recommend using ground beef with 20 percent fat. Leaner beef may not be as flavorful but can be used too.
- Bell peppers: I love using a variety of colors like green, red and orange so they look pretty. Make sure they are all about the same size for even cooking.
- Cooked rice: I always use long grain rice, but any kind of rice will work! Brown rice or even flavored rice.
- Vegetables: Zucchini packs in extra moisture and goodness! We also use canned diced tomatoes – use the “fire roasted” version to pack in deeper flavors.
- Fresh Italian parsley: Chopped, lots of it! Mix it into the rice and ground beef filling. It adds that pop of freshness and color that takes the filling to the next level.
- Aromatics: Onions, garlic, Italian seasoning, tomato paste (great flavor booster!).
- Cheese: I use shredded mozzarella cheese. “Whole milk” shredded mozzarella melts better than the part-skim mozzarella. In addition, we use shredded parmesan cheese for an extra savory touch.
- Other: Olive oil, salt, pepper.
Substitutions and Variations
- Ground beef: Ground turkey, ground chicken, or Italian sausage.
- Rice: These beef stuffed peppers are also great with quinoa, farro, or your favorite grains, as long as they are cooked.
- Vegetables: Yellow squash, mushrooms, spinach.
- Cheese: White cheddar, Monterey Jack, provolone are also great options.
How to Make Stuffed Peppers with Rice and Ground Beef
Step 1 | Prep the bell peppers
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Slice off the tops of the peppers, remove the seeds and ribs, and trim the inside.
Step 2 | Make the rice and ground beef filling
Cook the ground beef, breaking it up as it browns. Push to one side of the pan, then sauté the onions and zucchini until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste and Italian seasoning for another 2 minutes, stirring to coat.
Stir in the canned diced tomatoes (with all its juices) and the cooked rice.
Add chopped fresh Italian parsley and ½ cup of the shredded cheese, and stir until just melted. Set aside.
Step 3 | Assemble and bake
Fill the bell peppers with the filling and arrange on a baking dish, filling side up. If you’d like, place the bell pepper caps back on. To the bottom of the pan, add a layer of boiled hot water, about ¼ inch. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40-45 minutes until they are softened to your liking.
Tip: Use hot boiling water. Cold water takes too long to steam in the oven. Use a saucepan or a kettle to get the water going, you only need a layer to cover the bottom of the pan.
Step 4 | Melt cheese
Uncover, move the bell pepper caps to the side, and top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, then broil for another 2 minutes until golden.
And there you have it, the BEST stuffed peppers with rice and beef recipe! It’s crazy good. Pure comfort.
Tips for Success
- Let the peppers cook undisturbed and tightly covered. Don’t let the steam escape from the pan, otherwise the peppers won’t soften properly.
- I use a snug baking dish so the peppers support each other without falling over.
- Don’t overpack the filling. Leave a little room so steam can circulate.
- If you like peppers extra soft, you can always pre-boil them for 5 minutes ahead.
- Don’t skip the fresh herbs! The fresh parsley really adds so much flavor.
- Use cooked rice: For this recipe the rice needs to be cooked already, follow package directions. It is a great way to use day-old leftover rice or frozen rice.
- For reference, 1 cup of uncooked rice makes 3 cups of cooked rice.
Recipe FAQs
To get the peppers perfectly tender with a slight bite, add a little hot water to the covered baking dish. It creates steam in the oven, softening them just right. No need to par-boil beforehand.
Yes, cook the beef until golden and fully cook so it’s flavorful. This also helps to drain excess fat and prevents the filling from getting soggy or greasy.
Use a baking dish that fits the peppers snugly so they support each other, or trim a tiny sliver off the bottom of the pepper (without cutting a hole) to create a flat-ish base.
Yes! If so, bake for closer to 35-40 minutes or until tender to your liking.
Yes! Try quinoa, farro, lentils, or even cauliflower rice.
Prep Ahead, Make Ahead and Freezing
Assemble ahead, bake later: Fully assemble the peppers with filling, cover tightly and refrigerate up to 1 day in advance before baking. Adjust baking time if popping in the oven cold or let it get to room temperature first.
Freezing: You can freeze these peppers either baked or unbaked. But don’t top with the cheese, as it should be added last when baking. Wrap each with foil and store in freezer safe bags for up to 2-3 months.
Reheating from frozen (unbaked): Thaw in the fridge overnight. Bake as directed for 60-65 minutes until soft and warm, then add the cheese and return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
Reheating from frozen (baked): Thaw in the fridge overnight or reheat directly in the oven at 350°F for 35 minutes until warmed through, adding the cheese during the last 10 minutes.
What to Serve with Stuffed Peppers
I think these stuffed peppers with rice and ground beef are already a full meal all on their own, but I sometimes serve them with a side of greens or bread.
Veggie sides: Lemon Green Beans, Balsamic Brussels Sprouts, or Roasted Parmesan Asparagus are great.
Salad: Keep it simple with my lemon arugula salad!
Bread: Try my easy Cheesy Garlic Bread!
More Easy Family Dinner Ideas
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Stuffed Peppers with Rice and Ground Beef
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 bell peppers - assorted colors, about the same size
- 1 pound ground beef - 20 percent fat
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- ½ a yellow onion - small-diced
- 1 medium zucchini - diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes - with all its juices
- 2 cups cooked long grain rice - or any kind of rice
- ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley - plus more garnish
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup HOT boiled water - for the baking pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- Prep bell peppers: Slice off the top from the peppers, remove the seeds and membrane, and trim the inside as needed. Set aside.
- Cook ground beef: In a large deep skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef, breaking it up until browned and cooked through. Drain or absorb any excess fat with paper towel.
- Add veggies and aromatics: Push the beef to one side of the skillet. Add more oil to the pan and saute diced onions and zucchini for about 5 minutes. Bring everything back together. Then stir in minced garlic, tomato paste and Italian seasoning for another 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Finish the filling: Stir in the canned diced tomatoes (with all its juices) and the cooked rice. Let it cook until warmed through, stirring occasionally. Add chopped fresh Italian parsley and about ½ cup of the shredded cheese until incorporated. Set aside.
- Assemble: Fill the peppers with the prepared filling. Arrange them on a baking dish, filling side up, making sure they fit snug to prevent tipping over. Optional – place the bell peppers caps back on.
- Bake: Add a layer of hot boiled water to the bottom of the baking pan, about a ¼ inch layer (or ~ ⅓ cup). Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the peppers are tender to your liking. Note: The hot water will create steam trapped inside and soften the peppers.
- Top with cheese and finish baking: Remove the foil. Move the pepper caps to the side (if using) and top each pepper generously with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes until melted. Broil for 1 minute at the end until golden on top. Enjoy!
Notes
- Ground beef: It needs to be browned and fully cooked first, with excess fat drained This way, it’s more flavorful and avoids a soggy or greasy filling.
- The rice needs to be fully cooked. Note that 1 cup of uncooked rice yields ~2.5 to 3 cups of cooked rice.
- How to soften bell peppers without par-boiling: We use the pan steam method. Pour about ¼ inch of boiling hot water into the bottom of the baking dish before covering. This creates steam in the oven and softens the peppers perfectly.
- Let bake undisturbed. Cover the dish tightly with foil and keep it sealed for the full 40-45 minutes so the steam doesn’t escape.
- How to prevent peppers from tipping over: Use a baking dish that fits the peppers snugly so they support each other. Or trim a very thin slice off the bottoms (without cutting through) to help them stand upright.
- Make ahead: Fully assemble the peppers, cover tightly, and refrigerate up to 1 day in advance. Prior to baking, let them sit on the counter for 30 mins so they are not so cold, then bake as directed.
- Freeze either baked or unbaked, but leave off the cheese until baking time for best texture. Wrap each pepper individually in foil and store in freezer-safe bags for 2-3 months.
- Baking unbaked frozen peppers: thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake as directed for 60-65 minutes, then add the cheese and return to the oven for another 10 mins.
- Baking baked frozen peppers: thaw overnight, then reheat at 350°F for about 30–35 minutes until heated through, adding cheese during the last 10 minutes.
- Ground beef: Ground turkey, ground chicken, Italian sausage
- Rice: Brown rice, quinoa or farro
- Cheese: White cheddar, Monterey Jack, provolone
- Veggies: Zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, spinach.
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