Stuffed bell peppers with ground beef, rice, and cheese are an all-in-one dinner. Each bell pepper is first roasted in the oven, then stuffed with a taco-flavored ground beef rice mixture, and topped with cheese. This is an easy healthy option that can be frozen for future meals.
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Despite its impressive appearance, stuffed bell peppers are actually quite easy to make. Just roast the bell peppers, cook the filling, stuff and bake!
Whether you are cooking for a family or just for yourself, stuffed bell peppers are a popular dinner option. This recipe makes a batch of six which can be served for dinner, meal prepped lunches, or frozen individually for future meals.
Be sure to also try my taco-stuffed spaghetti squash, the filling unstuffed bell pepper casserole, and delicious stuffed acorn squash.
Recipe Ingredients
- 6 bell peppers - 2 green, 2 yellow, 2 red
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup white jasmine rice
- 2 cups beef broth - or chicken broth
- 21 oz salsa - mild, medium or hot
- 1 tsp taco seasoning
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese - divided in half
How To Make Stuffed Bell Peppers
Full ingredients and instructions are also in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 375°F.
STEP TWO: Slice the tops of the 6 bell peppers off. Scoop the insides of each bell pepper out with a spoon. Rinse with water then pat dry with a paper towel.
STEP THREE: Place each bell pepper in a baking dish together so that they are all standing up and fit snugly. Season each one with salt and pepper. Then lightly drizzle with olive oil. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes, then remove and set aside.
STEP FOUR: In a large pot or skillet over medium-high heat, add a bit of cooking oil and saute the 1 cup of chopped yellow onions for 1-2 minutes, until they turn translucent.
STEP FIVE: Add in the 1 lb of ground beef and break it apart into pieces. Cook until it turns brown and is no longer pink.
STEP SIX: Stir in the 21 oz jar of salsa, 1 tsp taco seasoning, and 1 tsp cumin. Stir everything together and gently scrape the bottom of the pan.
STEP SEVEN: Now add the 1 cup uncooked rice and the 2 cups beef broth. Cover with a lid and let simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes. Gently scrape the bottom of the pan with a wood or silicone spatula every 5 minutes (to prevent the sauce from burning). Once the rice has cooked, you can stir in half ½ cup Mexican cheese blend.
STEP EIGHT: Scoop the ground beef mixture into the baked bell peppers. Top with the last ½ cup of Mexican cheese.
STEP NINE: Bake for an additional 15-18 minutes uncovered, until bell peppers are softened and ground beef has been warmed through.
STEP TEN: Top with your favorite toppings including a dollop of sour cream, more shredded cheese and parsley and serve.
Recipe Tips
- I used 2 green, 2 yellow, and 2 red bell peppers. You can use any color of bell peppers you'd like. Look for ones that are wide in shape and would be easy to stuff filling into. Make sure to choose crisp bell peppers that are firm and have smooth skin. If you need to, you can slice off a small piece of the bottom so that it sits flat.
- To ensure that the peppers are cooked through and tender, I like to bake them for a few minutes before stuffing.
- Too much filling may cause the peppers to collapse during the baking process. Instead, leave a little room at the top of each one to allow room for the rice to expand.
- Pre-shredded cheese contains added fillers to prevent it from clumping. It won't melt as smoothly as a regular block of cheese that is freshly grated and home.
How To Store Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Once the stuffed bell peppers have cooled down, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
- To Freeze: These freeze beautifully! Just wrap each pepper individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place them all in a freezer-safe container or large freezer bag. They can last up to 2-3 months in the freezer for maximum freshness. Wrap them well to help prevent freezer burn.
- To Reheat: Frozen or thawed bell peppers can be reheated in the oven or microwave. Preheat the oven to 350°F and place them in an oven-safe dish. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the bell peppers are heated through. You can also thaw and reheat them in the microwave. First, remove the plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then wrap it in a paper towel. Add to a microwave-safe plate and heat for 2-4 minutes.
Yes! Stuffed peppers are a great make-ahead meal. You can assemble these a day or two in advance (you'll have to make the ground beef rice filling at this time) then cover and refrigerate assembled peppers until you're ready to bake them. Just keep in mind that you may need to add a few extra minutes to the cooking time if the peppers are cold from the refrigerator.
Absolutely! Stuffed peppers freeze very well, making them a great option for meal prep or batch cooking. Simply assemble the peppers as usual, then wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil before freezing. These can be stored together in a large freezer bag or airtight container. When you're ready to eat them, thaw them overnight in the fridge, or bake them straight from frozen (it will just take a little longer).
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links) – Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- 9x13 Casserole Dish – Similar to the white ceramic one that I have in the pictures. It's perfect for making these stuffed bell peppers as they stay snug together and don't fall apart.
- Cheese Grater - I always use a block of cheese and grate it myself because it melts better than the pre-shredded store-bought stuff. I like this box grater because it comes with a storage container.
- Ninja NeverDull Premium Knife Set - This knife set has premium sharp blades and a build in sharpener. Perfect for chopping and slicing.
- 3.5 qt Cast Iron Dutch Oven - I cooked the stuffing ingredients all in this handy dutch oven pot.
- Magnetic Measuring Spoons - I love these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized together when storing them
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Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- 6 bell peppers - 2 green, 2 yellow, 2 red
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup white jasmine rice
- 2 cups beef broth - or chicken broth
- 21 oz salsa - mild, medium or hot
- 1 tsp taco seasoning
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese - divided in half
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Slice the tops of the 6 bell peppers off. Scoop the insides of each bell pepper out with a spoon. Rinse with water then pat dry with a paper towel.
- Place each bell pepper in a baking dish together so that they are are all standing up and fit snugly. Season each one with salt and pepper. Then lightly drizzle with olive oil. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes, then remove and set aside.
- In a large pot or skillet over medium high heat, add a bit of cooking oil and saute the 1 cup of chopped yellow onions for 1-2 minutes, until they turn translucent.
- Add in the 1 lb of ground beef and break apart into pieces. Cook until it turns brown and is no longer pink.
- Stir in the 21 oz jar of salsa, 1 tsp taco seasoning, and 1 tsp cumin. Stir everything together and gently scrape the bottom of the pan.
- Now add the 1 cup uncooked rice and the 2 cups beef broth. Cover with a lid and let simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes. Gently scrape the bottom of the pan with a wood or silicone spatula every 5 minutes (to prevent sauce from burning). Once rice has cooked, you can stir in half ½ cup Mexican cheese blend.
- Scoop the ground beef mixture into the baked bell peppers. Top with the last ½ cup Mexican cheese.
- Bake for an additional 15-18 minutes uncovered, until bell peppers are softened and ground beef has been warmed through.
- Top with your favorite toppings including a dollop of sour cream, more shredded cheese and parsley and serve.
Recipe Notes:
- Once the stuffed bell peppers have cooled down, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3-4 days.
- These freeze beautifully. Just wrap each pepper individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place them all in a freezer-safe container or large freezer bag. They can last up to 2-3 months in the freezer for maximum freshness. Wrap them well to help prevent freezer burn.
Nutrition Info
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.
Berni Hart says
Where does the sour cream go that is photographed with the ingredients ?
Andi says
Hi, sour cream is just for the topping. I will add a note to make it more clear.
Gramma di says
We enjoyed these very much. I only had basmati rice and still very good. I did have too much filling. That means I would have had enough for 7 or 8 peppers. And we were very full after eating one each. Thank you for the very good recipe. It’s a keeper.
Andi says
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! It's a favorite in our home too!
Colleen says
@Andi, I just made these for supper and they taste AWESOME!! I tweaked it though I added a can of diced tomatoes with basil and garlic, worschester sauce, Chicago steakhouse seasoning and some adobo seasoning. I don’t measure unless I absolutely have to but I will say it came out great!! Thank you for the recipe even if I did tweak it?