This scrumptious dinner, while it's been a Betty Crocker recipe for nearly 70 years, is still a favorite today. Colorful, sweet bell peppers are stuffed with flavorful ground beef, tomato, and rice. Melty mozzarella cheese completes the dish. With over 500 top-rated reviews, you can enjoy the basic recipe or customize it to suit your family’s tastes.
Our first stuffed bell pepper recipe appeared in the 1956 Betty Crocker Cookbook; developed in the test kitchens as a way to get a delicious and affordable family supper on the table. To keep costs down, only 1/2 pound of ground beef was used; bulked up with breadcrumbs. Over the years, we’ve made the peppers heartier by increasing the amount of ground beef and switching from breadcrumbs to rice. The servings have been adjusted for today’s average family size, and with a rainbow of bell pepper colors available, you can now choose your favorites.
The ingredients for making stuffed bell peppers are basic and easy to find.
Bell Peppers: After stuffing peppers for 70 years, we’ve found it pays to be picky when selecting which peppers to use. Choose large peppers that are consistent in size, shape and that have a level bottom, so they don’t tip over in the baking pan.
Ground Beef: Our experts have found that 80% lean ground beef is the best balance of cost and flavor in this recipe—it’s not too greasy or the most expensive.
Rice: Any cooked regular white or brown rice can be used in this recipe. Whole grain rice will stand up better to cooking than instant rice, which can get mushy when reheated.
Tomato Sauce: It provides both moisture and taste to tie the ingredient flavors together.
Cheese: We chose to use mozzarella cheese because it melts easily with a neutral flavor, so it won’t overpower the other ingredients.
Other Ingredients You’ll Need: Onion, garlic and salt are the only additional ingredients you’ll need to add flavor.
A few key pieces of cookware and you’ll have beef stuffed peppers ready in no time.
Dutch Oven: This large pot has enough space to hold the peppers and evenly cook them.
10-Inch Skillet: We have found in testing that either a regular or a nonstick skillet will work for this recipe. There is enough fat in the ground beef to keep the ingredients from sticking to either of these skillets.
8-Inch Glass Baking Dish: This is the perfect size to hold the peppers and prevent them from falling over while baking. We prefer glass over metal as it absorbs heat slower, providing a more even bake.
Other Equipment You’ll Need: Chef’s knife, cutting board, dry measuring cups, measuring spoons, heatproof large spoon or spatula, aluminum foil, cookie spatula.
Here’s how to easily make these delicious stuffed peppers.
Once the tops have been cut off, remove the seeds and white membranes of the peppers with your hand. Stand the peppers upright in the baking dish to make it easier for stuffing later.
Cook the bell peppers in a large pan of boiling water to soften them slightly before they are filled and baked. Testing found this is an important step to prevent the peppers from still being crisp after baking.
Cooking the beef with the onion saves a step. Cook until the largest clumps of beef are no longer pink inside.
During testing we found that placing the peppers in the baking dish before filling is the way to go.
Bake 10 minutes covered with foil to give the peppers a jump on getting hot. Then remove the foil and finish baking, uncovered, for another 15 minutes to get the perfect bell pepper texture.
Sprinkle with the cheese as soon as the stuffed peppers come out of the oven, so it can melt. Use a cookie spatula to move the stuffed peppers to dinner plates and enjoy them while they’re hot and melty.
With a few ingredient changes, you can make your stuffed peppers different every time.
Swap the Meat: Instead of ground beef, use ground chicken, turkey, or pork for a similar flavor. To add a little spicy heat, try bulk hot Italian pork sausage.
Choose Another Grain: Use whatever cooked rice you have on hand, or swap in a cooked grain for a nuttier flavor. Try cooked arborio or brown rice (not instant), cooked quinoa, bulgur, or farro.
Add Seasonings: Try adding 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon of chili powder with 1/2 teaspoon cumin, or 1 teaspoon of dried oregano leaves to the filling for even more flavor.
Make It Your Own: We’ve heard from you that you are also finding other ways to customize our basic recipe. “…I used Mexican Style Street Corn and salsa instead of tomato sauce. Then I added 1/2 cup sour cream to the mix before stuffing the peppers. Amazing!!" Or for smaller households, our Taco Stuffed Peppers are perfectly sized.
Since these stuffed peppers contain protein (beef), carbohydrates (rice) and veggies (bell peppers and tomato sauce), they are a complete meal—you can serve them by themselves. Or, if you want more to fill your dinner plates, try any of these sides which are delicious complements in terms of taste and texture.
Crusty or Warm-from-the-Oven Bread: We love a warm square of Cornbread, slathered with butter. Or you can pick up a loaf of take-and-bake garlic bread to serve alongside the stuffed peppers.
Green Salad or Veggies: Caesar salad is a classic salad that tastes great with the stuffed peppers or serve up a side of garlic green beans.
These helpful storage tips will ensure your stuffed peppers turn out as deliciously as if made fresh.
Prepare the peppers as directed in Step 2. Place them upside-down on a paper towel-lined plate. Cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours. When you’re ready to finish and bake the peppers, continue with Step 3. For the best texture and for food safety, we don’t recommend filling and storing the peppers ahead of time.
Refrigerate any remaining baked and cooled peppers within 2 hours. Store right in the baking dish covered with plastic wrap or move them to a resealable food storage container. Store in the refrigerator up to 2 days.
We do not recommend storing leftover stuffed peppers in the freezer as the peppers will water out, making the filling and the peppers soggy.
Place a pepper on a microwavable plate. Cover loosely and microwave on medium-high (70%) 2 to 3 minutes or until an instant-read food thermometer inserted in the center reaches at least 165°F. The peppers will be slightly softer than when first baked, but still delicious.
We’ve heard from our community of makers that this recipe is a hit with both kids and spouses, so it’s a winning choice when you’re trying to decide what’s for dinner. With over 500 reviews, cooks find this recipe simple and straightforward, citing even beginning cooks can get great results.
These stuffed peppers are consistently described as both delicious and flavorful. Users enjoy the basic combination of ingredients but also the ability to add their own touches to enhance or change up the taste.
Cut thin slice from the 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. Return beef mixture to same skillet.
Stir in rice, salt, garlic and 1 cup of the tomato sauce; cook until heated through.
Stand peppers upright in ungreased 8-inch square glass baking dish. Stuff peppers with beef mixture. 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. Remove from oven; immediately sprinkle with cheese.
Placing the bell peppers in the baking dish before filling them is easier than trying to move filled peppers.
Got a leftover partial onion in your fridge? You’ll need approximately 1/4 of a small onion to get 2 tablespoons chopped.
We’ve developed the filling amount to just fill the bell peppers without any leftover. If you add other ingredients, you may end up with leftover filling, unless you adjust the other ingredients or fill additional bell peppers.
How do you eat stuffed peppers? When they are on dinner plates, cut through them vertically into halves, using your knife and fork. Then tip the halves so that the filling sides are up. Cut them into bite-size pieces.
| Food Component / Nutrient | Amount | % , Daily Value* |
|---|---|---|
| Total Fat | 17g | 27% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 36% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | % Value Not Available |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 7g | % Value Not Available |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | ½g | % Value Not Available |
| Omega-3 | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Cholesterol | 80mg | 27% |
| Sodium | 1470mg | 61% |
| Total Carbohydrate | 29g | 10% |
| Dietary Fiber | 4g | 19% |
| Soluble Fiber | 1g | % Value Not Available |
| Insoluble Fiber | 2g | % Value Not Available |
| Sugars | 8g | % Value Not Available |
| Protein | 29g | % Value Not Available |
| Vitamin D | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Calcium | Value Not Available | 20% |
| Iron | Value Not Available | 20% |
| Potassium | 540mg | 16% |
| Vitamin A | Value Not Available | 30% |
| Vitamin C | Value Not Available | 120% |
| Vitamin E | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Thiamin | Value Not Available | 15% |
| Riboflavin | Value Not Available | 15% |
| Niacin | Value Not Available | 25% |
| Vitamin B6 | Value Not Available | 35% |
| Folic Acid | Value Not Available | 8% |
| Vitamin B12 | Value Not Available | 40% |
| Pantothenic Acid | Value Not Available | 8% |
| Phosphorus | Value Not Available | 30% |
| Magnesium | Value Not Available | 10% |
| Zinc | Value Not Available | 40% |
| Manganese | Value Not Available | 20% |
| Selenium | Value Not Available | 30% |
| Copper | Value Not Available | 10% |
| Beta-Carotene | Value Not Available | % Value Not Available |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | ||
