Best Stuffed Peppers Recipes

STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Cut thin slice from stem end of each bell pepper to remove top of pepper. Remove seeds and membranes; rinse peppers. If necessary, cut thin slice from bottom of each pepper so they stand up straight. In 4-quart Dutch oven, add enough water to cover peppers. Heat to boiling; add peppers. Cook about 2 minutes; drain.
• In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in rice, salt, garlic and 1 cup of the tomato sauce; cook until hot.
• Stuff peppers with beef mixture. Stand peppers upright in ungreased 8-inch square glass baking dish. Pour remaining tomato sauce over peppers.
• Cover tightly with foil. Bake 10 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 minutes longer or until peppers are tender. Sprinkle with cheese.

STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut the tops off the peppers. Remove and discard the stems, then finely chop the tops; set aside. Scoop out the seeds and as much of the membrane as you can. Place the peppers cut-side up in a baking dish just large enough to hold them upright.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, season with salt and pepper and cook, breaking up the lumps, until the meat is cooked through and just beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to get rid of the fat.
• Wipe out the skillet and add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onions and chopped peppers and cook until beginning to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and zucchini and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and a pinch or 2 of red pepper flakes. Cook until everything is heated through, then stir in the beef and rice. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese.
• Fill the peppers with the rice mixture and top each with a sprinkle of the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Pour a small amount of water into the bottom of the baking dish and drizzle the peppers with a little olive oil. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the peppers are soft and the cheese is melted and lightly browned, another 15 to 20 minutes.

STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place the rice and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 20 minutes. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the beef until evenly browned.
• Remove and discard the tops, seeds, and membranes of the bell peppers. Arrange peppers in a baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upward. (Slice the bottoms of the peppers if necessary so that they will stand upright.)
• In a bowl, mix the browned beef, cooked rice, 1 can tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each hollowed pepper. Mix the remaining tomato sauce and Italian seasoning in a bowl, and pour over the stuffed peppers.
• Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, basting with sauce every 15 minutes, until the peppers are tender.

THE BEST STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• If your peppers don't sit upright on your cutting board, trim about 1/8-inch off the bottoms to even them out so they can stand without falling over. Cut the top off each pepper about 1/2-inch down. Remove and discard the stems, then finely chop the remaining flesh from the tops. Scoop out the seeds and as much of the membranes as you can. Place the peppers in a large microwave-safe bowl with 1/2 cup water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high power for 12 minutes. Carefully uncover and let them sit until ready to assemble.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spread the beef in an even layer and cook undisturbed until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, breaking up any clumps with the back of a spoon and scraping up any browned bits from the pan until the meat is lightly browned all over, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the browned meat to a large bowl with a slotted spoon.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and add the reserved chopped peppers, onions, garlic, thyme, 4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until falling apart and much of the liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes.
• Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly until brick red colored, about 1 minute. Stir in the wine and cook until the mixture is reduced, very thick and no smell of alcohol remains, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Transfer to the bowl with the beef. Stir in the rice until completely combined. (The mixture will be wet.) Season with salt and pepper.
• Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
• Place the peppers cut-side up in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Spoon the filling into the peppers, gently pressing it in with the back of a spoon. Be careful not to overstuff and split the sides of the peppers. Bake for 15 minutes. Then top with the cheese and continue baking until the filling is heated through and the cheese is browned in spots, 10 to 12 minutes.

STUFFED POBLANO PEPPERS

Steps:

• Turn a gas stove burner to high. Hold poblano peppers directly on the flame with a pair of tongs and turn until skins are charred. Let peppers cool. Leaving peppers as close to whole as possible, remove skins, seeds, membranes, and stems.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; stir in onion and garlic. Cook and stir until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef; cook and stir beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Mix in chili pepper, cumin, salt, and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place peppers in a nonstick casserole dish. Insert a slice of Cheddar cheese and a slice of Monterey Jack cheese into each pepper. Spoon some ground beef mixture into each pepper. Place the remaining beef on top of the peppers, and cover with enchilada sauce. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle grated Cheddar cheese on top of the peppers. Bake until peppers are bubbly and fragrant, another 45 minutes.

TRADITIONAL STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds. Place peppers in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook for 3 minutes. Drain and immediately place in ice water; invert on paper towels., In a small skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Remove from the heat. Stir in 1 cup tomato sauce, rice, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Spoon into peppers. , Place in an ungreased shallow 2-qt. baking dish. Drizzle with remaining tomato sauce. Cover and bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until peppers are tender.

BOB'S STUFFED BANANA PEPPERS

Steps:

• Cut off tops of peppers, and remove ribs and seeds. Chop edible portions of tops; set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add peppers, reduce heat, and simmer until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Heat butter in a medium skillet. Saute reserved chopped pepper, onion and celery until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and garlic. Season with basil, oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine egg, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan. Mix in hot sausage, mild sausage, bread crumbs and 1 cup of the tomato sauce mixture.
• Using a piping bag or sausage stuffer, fill each pepper with the meat mixture. Place in a 3 quart casserole dish, and pour remaining tomato sauce mixture over peppers.
• Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 1 hour.

BAKED STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Chop enough reserved green pepper tops to equal 1/4 cup; discard remaining tops or use for another purpose. Set chopped pepper aside.
• Place hollowed-out green peppers in a microwave-safe dish; cover and cook in microwave until bright green and steaming, about 3 minutes. Set peppers aside.
• Cook and stir ground beef in a skillet with reserved chopped pepper tops and onion over medium heat until beef is browned, the juices run clear, and the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes; drain excess grease. Pour in diced tomatoes with their juice, rice, water, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover skillet, and simmer until rice is tender, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Stir cheese into ground beef-rice mixture and spoon mixture into precooked peppers. Set peppers upright in an 8x8-inch baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and the peppers are tender, about 30 minutes.

STUFFED BANANA PEPPERS

Steps:

• Mix sausage, cheese, bread crumbs, salt and pepper, and egg together in mixing bowl. Season to taste. Adjust mixture with additional cheese and bread crumbs if too dry or moist - medium moisture for stuffing desired. Make a radial slice around the top of the banana pepper leaving the top intact. Pull back top and remove seeds if so desired. Gently stuff mixture into peppers. Place olive oil in hot saute pan. Gently place peppers in the pan and fry each side until browned. Place marinara sauce in middle of plate. Arrange peppers on top of marinara and grate the dry ricotta cheese on top of the hot peppers.

CHILES RELLENOS (STUFFED PEPPERS)

Steps:

• Place whole peppers over an open flame (gas burner) or under the broiler. Roast, turning frequently until evenly black and blistered. Remove from heat, place in a plastic bag, and let them sweat for a while. This will allow the skins to peel of easily.
• While the peppers are sweating, place the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring to crumble, until evenly browned. When beef is fully cooked, add the onion, garlic and tomato, and cook for a few more minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Remove the peppers from the bag, and peel off the burnt skin. You may wish to wear protective gloves. Run peppers under cool running water to rinse away any burnt pieces. Make a small vertical slit in the side of the peppers, and remove the seeds and veins. Stuff each pepper halfway with the ground beef mixture, then fill the rest of the way with shredded cheese. Close the slits, and secure with toothpicks.
• Whip egg whites in a large glass or metal bowl until thick and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, and whip for a minute to blend in.
• Meanwhile, heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the stuffed peppers with a light dusting of flour, then dip them in the egg so they are fully covered. Carefully place in the hot oil, and fry on both sides until golden. Drain on paper towels, then serve on a large platter.

CHEF JOHN'S STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Bring rice and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Set the cooked rice aside.
• Cook onion and olive oil over medium heat until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Transfer half of cooked onion to a large bowl and set aside.
• Stir marinara sauce, beef broth, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper flakes into the skillet; cook and stir for 1 minute.
• Pour sauce mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.
• Combine ground beef, Italian sausage, diced tomatoes, Italian parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper into bowl with reserved onions; mix well. Stir in cooked rice and Parmigiano Reggiano. Stuff green bell peppers with beef and sausage mixture.
• Place stuffed green bell pepper halves in the baking dish over tomato sauce; sprinkle with remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano, cover baking dish with aluminum foil, and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
• Remove aluminum foil and bake until the meat is no longer pink, the green peppers are tender and the cheese is browned on top, an addition 20 to 25 minutes.

SLOW-COOKER STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Spray 6-quart oval slow cooker with cooking spray. Trim tops off bell peppers; remove ribs and seeds. Set aside.
• In 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef, onions, salt and pepper 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until beef is cooked through and onion softens. Add garlic; cook 15 seconds. Drain.
• Stir rice and 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce into beef mixture in skillet; mix to combine. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese. Stuff peppers with beef mixture; arrange in slow cooker. Pour remaining tomato sauce over peppers.
• Cover; cook on Low heat setting 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours or until peppers are soft. Top peppers with remaining 1 cup cheese. Cover; cook 3 to 8 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Use slotted spoon to lift peppers from slow cooker.

RICE-STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook beef, onion, chopped green pepper, garlic, salt and pepper over medium heat until beef is no longer pink; drain. Add the water, tomatoes, tomato sauce and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. , Stir in rice; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. , Remove tops and seeds from the peppers; cut in half widthwise. Place in a large pan of boiling water; boil for 4 minutes. , Drain peppers and stuff with meat mixture. Place remaining meat mixture in an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish; top with stuffed peppers, pressing down gently. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour. In a saucepan, heat sauce ingredients until cheese is melted. Serve over peppers.

TURKEY-STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Cut peppers lengthwise in half; remove seeds. Place in a 15x10x1-in. pan coated with cooking spray., In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook and crumble turkey with onion, garlic and seasonings over medium-high heat until meat is no longer pink, 6-8 minutes. Cool slightly. Stir in tomatoes, cheese and bread crumbs., Fill with turkey mixture. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake, uncovered, until filling is heated through and peppers are tender, 20-25 minutes.

CLASSIC RICE & BEEF STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

Steps:

• Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over high heat.
• Add 1 tablespoon salt and bell peppers.
• Cook until peppers just begin to soften, about 3 minutes.
• Using slotted spoon, remove peppers from pot, drain off excess water and place peppers cut side up on paper towels.
• Return water to boil; add rice and boil until tender, about 13 minutes.
• Drain rice and transfer to large bowl; set aside.
• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F.
• Meanwhile, heat 12 inch heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat until hot, about 1 1/2 minutes; add oil and swirl to coat.
• Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.
• Add ground beef and cook, breaking beef into small pieces with spoon, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.
• Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant about 30 seconds.
• Transfer mixture to bowl with rice; stir in tomatoes, 1 cup cheese, parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
• Stir together ketchup and reserved tomato juice in small bowl.
• Place peppers cut side up in 9 inch square baking dish.
• Using soup spoon, divide filling evenly among peppers.
• Spoon 2 tablespoons ketchup mixture over each filled pepper and sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon of remaining cheese.
• Bake until cheese is browned and filling is heated through, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Serve immediately.

STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add about 2 inches of water to a large pot fitted with a steamer insert, and bring to a high simmer. Arrange the peppers in the steamer, cover the pot and cook, rotating the peppers as needed, until they are very tender and pliable, about 25 minutes. Remove the peppers with a slotted spoon, and drain upside-down on paper towels.
• Put the oil, onions and a pinch of salt in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the beef, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper, and cook, stirring and breaking the beef up, until browned and mostly cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat. Let cool in the skillet for at least 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, add the rice, parsley, 1 cup of the mozzarella, breadcrumbs, eggs and Worcestershire and mix to combine.
• Stand the peppers up in a 9-by-13 inch baking dish. If they fall over, cut away a little of the bottoms (without cutting through the pepper) to make a flat surface.
• Generously fill and pack the peppers with the meat-rice mixture. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. Add just enough water to the pan to cover the bottom to help steam the peppers. Loosely cover with foil, and bake until the peppers are tender and the filling is heated through, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and continue to bake for 10 minutes more.

GROUND BEEF STUFFED GREEN BELL PEPPERS WITH CHEESE

Steps:

• Cut off the tops of green peppers; discard seeds and membranes.
• Chop enough of the tops to make 1/4 cup, set aside.
• Cook the whole green peppers, uncovered in boiling water for about 5 minutes; invert to drain well.
• Sprinkle insides of the peppers lightly with salt.
• In a skillet cook ground beef, onion and 1/4 cup chopped pepper till meat is browned and vegetables are tender.
• Drain off excess fat. Add drained tomatoes, salt, Worcestershire, and a dash of pepper.
• in a separate pot put water bring to boil add rice cook until rice is soft. if needed add more water.
• add rice to beef mixture.
• Stir in cheese. Stuff peppers with meat mixture. Place in a 10x6x2 baking dish.
• Bake, covered in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. in the last 5 minutes add any remaining cheese to the top of the peppers.

CLASSIC BEEF STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook red bell peppers in the boiling water until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse peppers with cold water.
• Stir eggs, 3 cups of spaghetti sauce, instant rice, onion, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper together in a bowl. Crumble ground beef into the mixture and stir until ground beef is thoroughly combined with sauce and rice mixture.
• Stand peppers in a large baking dish and fill each pepper with beef mixture. Pour 2 cups spaghetti sauce over the peppers. Cover dish with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until peppers are tender, the filling is set, and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the middle of a pepper reads at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C), 55 to 60 minutes. Uncover and top each pepper with 1 tablespoon Cheddar cheese.

MINI STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place halved peppers in a bowl. Add olive oil and salt; toss to combine.
• Mix goat cheese, Parmesan cheese, jalapeno, garlic, chives, and black pepper in a separate bowl. Stir until evenly combined. Spoon cheese mixture into pepper halves and place on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until peppers have softened and cheese is browned, about 15 minutes.

SLOW-COOKER STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Trim about 1/8 inch from the bottom of each pepper so it can stand upright. Cut the top 1/4 inch off each pepper. Remove and discard the stems, then finely chop the remaining flesh from the tops and set aside. Scoop out and discard the seeds and as much of the membranes as you can from inside the peppers.
• Mix the reserved chopped pepper with the ground beef, tomatoes and their juices, 1 cup of the cheese, cooked rice, garlic, 3 of the scallions, chili powder, cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and several grinds of black pepper in a large bowl with your hands until combined. Dividing evenly, spoon the filling into the hollowed-out peppers, packing it in (the filling will mound a bit above the tops).
• Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker, then add the stuffed peppers. Season the top of each pepper with another pinch of salt. Cover and cook on high until the peppers are tender and the ground beef is cooked through, for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Top with the remaining 1 cup cheese, cover and cook on high for 10 minutes more to melt the cheese. Sprinkle the peppers with the remaining scallions and add a dollop of sour cream to each.