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    Home » Recipes » Entrees

    Beef & Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers

    by Mindy Boyd · Published: May 16, 2016 · Updated: Dec 9, 2024

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    ⏲️ 40 minutes mins
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    Bell peppers are stuffed with ground beef and rice for a healthy and delicious dinner perfect any night of the week. We have taken our classic recipe for stuffed peppers and updated it to reduce the cooking time significantly. Now you can have these on the table in about 40 minutes (our old recipe took an hour and a half!). 

    Two stuffed pepper halves on a plate with a side salad.

    I found myself not wanting to make this dish because it was too time consuming. So I set out to make it easier and found a different cooking process to use to get these on the table fast. 

    Several stuffed peppers on a white serving plate.

    So I combined the cooking method I found on Giant Savory with my recipe for an easy meal the whole family loves. Stuffed peppers have been a dish even my kids loved when they were little (they were both picky eaters). My oldest even requested them for her birthday dinner one year.

    The stuffed peppers on the rimmed baking sheet after they came out of the oven.
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Ingredients Notes
    • How to make stuffed bell peppers
    • Substitutions and additions
    • Storage and reheating
    • Try these easy dinner recipes next!
    • Beef & Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers

    Ingredients

    See recipe card for a full list of ingredients with exact amounts. 

    The ingredients measured out and ready to make the Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe (with beef and rice).

    Ingredients Notes

    bell peppers – we usually buy green peppers but sometimes our store is out of those and I buy red, yellow and orange bell peppers. 

    ground beef – I generally only buy lean ground beef. It’s better for us but my favorite reason it that I don’t have to drain it. 

    rice – this is a great recipe to use up leftover rice. If I don’t have leftovers I use boil-in-bag rice. 

    tomatoes – canned diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning add more flavor than plain tomatoes. 

    mozzarella cheese – I almost always use pre-shredded mozzarella because it’s easier. You can use sliced fresh mozzarella if you want. 

    garlic – we buy minced garlic in a jar, but fresh garlic is great too.

    seasoning – simple salt and black pepper are used to season the ground beef mixture.

    olive oil – we like olive oil for this, vegetable oil or canola oil can be used. 

    One baked red and one baked yellow pepper half on a plate with a side salad.

    How to make stuffed bell peppers

    1. Preheat the oven to 375° and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. 
    2. Wash and dry peppers then cut in half lengthwise and remove the ribs and seeds.
    3. Place cut-side down on the rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, bake for 15 minutes.
    4. While the peppers cook brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. When the beef is brown drain the excess fat if not using lean ground beef. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and let cook a minute or two. Add the diced tomatoes and rice and cook until hot.
    5. Turn peppers over and divide the meat mixture between them. Top with the mozzarella cheese.
    6. Bake for 10 minutes, or until hot and the cheese has melted. 

    We prepare a side salad while these are in the oven for a complete meal.

    A collage of 4 images showing the ground beef in the skillet raw, cooked with the diced tomatoes and rice added before and after mixing.
    A collage of 3 images the empty peppers ready to go into the oven, then stuffed with ground beef mixture and then topped with mozzarella cheese.

    Substitutions and additions

    • Brown rice or even cauliflower rice can be used instead of white rice. 
    • Use any ground meat you want. Ground turkey, ground chicken or ground Italian sausage can all be substituted for the beef. 
    • Any color bell pepper will work. Green bell peppers are usually less expensive and are perfect for this recipe. My grocery store was out of them when I shopped for the ingredients to make this recipe. Aldi also has the red, orange and yellow peppers at a better price than most other stores.
    • Don’t have garlic? Use about 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder instead. 
    •  Your favorite shredded cheese can be used instead of mozzarella cheese. Cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese or even pepper jack cheese would all be a great option.
    • Season the ground beef with taco seasoning or chili seasoning to add a different flavor. 
    • Add a teaspoon or two of worcestershire sauce for added depth of flavor. 
    Two cooked stuffed peppers on a white plate with a salad, there is a glass of water in the background.

    Storage and reheating

    Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or covered with aluminum foil in a 350° oven until warm. 

    Try these easy dinner recipes next!

    A pan full of the finished Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Orzo.

    Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Orzo

    An easy one-pot recipe the whole family will love! 

    Close up of the cooked Stuffed Zucchini with Ground Beef and Rice on a white serving plate.

    Stuffed Zucchini with Ground Beef and Rice

    Similar to stuffed peppers these are easy and delicious.

    Close up view of the middle of the skillet with the finished hamburger helper in it.

    Homemade Hamburger Helper Shells

    An easy dinner the whole family will love, especially the kids.

    Close up of the baked yellow pepper half, the recipe title is in text at the top so it can be pinned on Pinterest.

    Did you love this recipe?

    We would love it if you’d leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review below!

    Feature image close up of one baked stuffed pepper half on a plate ready to eat.

    Beef & Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers

    Mindy Boyd
    Bell peppers are stuffed with ground beef and rice for a healthy and delicious dinner perfect any night of the week. We have taken our classic recipe for stuffed peppers and updated it to reduce the cooking time significantly. Now you can have these on the table in about 40 minutes (our old recipe took an hour and a half!). 
    5 from 4 votes
    Print – Email Required Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 25 minutes mins
    Total Time 40 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 6 bell peppers (any color)
    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 lb lean ground beef
    • 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1/4 tsp black pepper
    • 1 can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning 14.5 oz
    • 1 cup cooked rice
    • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
    Get Recipe Ingredients

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    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 375° and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. 
    • Wash and dry peppers then cut in half lengthwise and remove ribs and seeds.
    • Place cut-side down on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, bake 15 minutes.
      6 bell peppers (any color), 1 tbsp olive oil
    • While peppers cook brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. When beef is brown drain excess fat if not using lean ground beef, add garlic, salt and pepper and let cook a minute or two. Add diced tomatoes and rice and cook until hot.
      1 lb lean ground beef, 1 clove garlic (finely chopped), 1 can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1 cup cooked rice
    • Turn cooked peppers over and divide the rice mixture between them. Top with cheese.
      1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
    • Bake 10 minutes, or until hot and cheese has melted. 

    Notes

    Did you make this recipe? We would love it if you would leave us a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review below!
     
    Nutritional information is only an estimate and may not be correct for the specific ingredients used.  
     
    See notes, tips and other valuable information in the post above.
     
    Bookmark this page to find it quickly when you are ready to make this recipe!

    Nutrition Facts

    Serving: 2halves | Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 374mg | Potassium: 539mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4127IU | Vitamin C: 154mg | Calcium: 134mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was with a comment below.

    Updated September 2024 to a different cooking method to make this recipe quicker and easier.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lunchbox says

      June 08, 2016 at 9:57 am

      Thank you for sharing one of my favourite pepper recipes. Reminded me of it so I will cook it soon 🙂 Good luch and cooking inspiration! 😉

      Reply
      • Mindy Boyd says

        June 08, 2016 at 11:39 am

        Thanks and enjoy!

        Reply
    5 from 4 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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