Easy Stuffed Bell Peppers with Ground Beef and Rice (2024)

Cheesy and savory, easy Stuffed Bell Peppers are made with flavorful ground beef and fluffy brown rice for a healthy recipe! These stuffed bell peppers are the best because they can be made with lean ground beef, sausage, turkey, chicken, or vegetarian ingredients. You will enjoy these stuffed peppers because they are made with homemade tomato sauce, cheddar cheese, garlic, onions, paprika, and juicy tomatoes.

Deliciously easy stuffed bell peppers are the best. Why? This healthy stuffed peppers recipe is made with tender and well-seasoned ground beef and mixed with fluffy rice to create a hearty satisfying meal filled with protein!

You can easily make this stuffed bell peppers recipe keto by substituting brown rice for cauliflower rice–or just make these peppers with no rice. It’s that easy! Enjoy healthy and cheesy flavors that taste so savory and delicious with classic southern ingredients like salt, pepper, oregano, tomatoes, etc.

This easy recipe for stuffed bell peppers is great for whenever you need new inspiration when it comes to dinner ideas. Family-friendly and the perfect mix of fresh veggies mixed with filling ground beef, these healthy stuffed peppers are ideal for dinners at home when you need something prepared in about 30 minutes.

Why this easy stuffed bell peppers recipe with fluffy rice and tomatoes is the best

• Healthy: Filled with fiber, this stuffed pepper recipe is a great combination of ingredients that are delicious and nutritious at the same time. Gluten-free and made without artificial ingredients, these Southern-style stuffed peppers are healthy and wholesome.
• Delicious and Filling: Robust, homemade tomato sauce is absorbed into the ground beef and soft rice to create delicious aromatic flavors that taste delicious with garlic and onions. The bell peppers provide just enough crunch to give these peppers texture and fresh flavors.
• Family-Friendly: Most kids love cheesy ground beef with rice! You can serve these stuffed bell peppers deconstructed, too, if you need to make them a little more kid-friendly.
• Comforting: Cheddar cheese is melted until perfectly cheesy over the ground beef filling. This recipe has classic comforting flavors that are a little Italian due to the tomato paste and oregano.
• Easy and Versatile: You can serve these easy stuffed bell peppers all sorts of ways. Switch out different types of proteins for the fillings or leave the meat out altogether.

INGREDIENTS FOR HEALTHY STUFFED PEPPERS

• Bell peppers: You will need seven bell peppers. You can use any colored bell pepper such as green, yellow, red, or orange. Fresh bell peppers are loaded with vitamin C, fiber, and other great nutrients. Be sure to remove the tops, cores, and seeds from the bell peppers before starting the recipe.

• Cheese: Shredded cheddar cheese makes these stuffed peppers cheesy and delicious. Feel free to switch the cheeses up.
• Parsley: Fresh parsley is used for garnishing the peppers right before serving. The fresh parsley adds a hint of fresh flavor to the peppers and is highly recommended!

GROUND BEEF FILLING

• Olive oil: Natural olive oil is smooth and a great vegetable-based oil for most cooking. Other types of cooking oils will work, too, such as avocado, grapeseed, coconut, etc.
• Onion: One medium yellow or white onion is enough to provide plenty of aromatic flavor to the stuffed peppers recipe. Get a head start by dicing your onion ahead of time or using frozen diced onion!
• Garlic: Freshly minced garlic is pungent and a great way to add a ton of flavor to a savory recipe. Pre-minced garlic will be your best friend if you are short on time.
• Ground beef: I like to use lean ground beef when cooking with beef because it does not have as much grease. Other ground proteins will work, too, even meatless crumbles.
• Cooked rice: Fluffy brown rice is used because it is a little more nutritious than regular white rice; however, feel free to use any kind of cooked rice.
• Diced tomatoes: Canned diced tomatoes are used to give these stuffed peppers a nice and tasty homemade tomato sauce.
• Tomato paste: The tomato paste is used to make the tomato sauce extra rich with tomato flavors.
• Oregano: Dried oregano is a great herb to use to give the ground beef mixture subtle Italian flavors.
• Smoked paprika: Fragrant smoked paprika is a great spice to use and can be used in all types of recipes. Smoked paprika is a little different than regular paprika and can be found in most spice aisles.
• Salt and pepper: Classic kosher salt and pepper are used to give these easy stuffed bell peppers all the seasoning they need.

How to make this stuffed peppers recipe

• Prepare bell peppers: First, cut the top of the peppers off and remove the seeds. Place open face up on a baking dish. Set the dish aside while you preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare the ground beef filling.
• Cook the beef: Next, heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add all the spices, tomatoes, and whatever veggies you would like to add. If you are using rice, then add cooked rice. Want to make stuffed peppers without rice? Skip this part and keep it as healthy and low-carb as you like.
• Simmer the tomato sauce: Cook the tomato sauce until it has thickened in texture. Season with salt and pepper.
• Stuff the peppers: Next, stuff the peppers with the cooked beef. Grate your cheese if you are using homemade grated cheese.
• Bake the peppers: Finally, bake the peppers for ten to twelve minutes. Remove the peppers from the oven, cover with shredded cheese, then bake for about five to seven more minutes. Top with fresh parsley and enjoy!

Frequently asked questions

I’ve looked around to see what questions people usually ask about this recipe and I’ve answered a few for you below so you don’t have to go looking for them.

TIPS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

• Instead of ground beef, use ground chicken, turkey, lean ground beef, bison, or ground pork like sausage.
• Make vegetarian stuffed bell peppers by omitting the meat and adding extra veggies or using soy or veggie-based meatless crumble.
• Use other types of cheese other than cheddar like mozzarella, Colby jack, Monterey jack, pepper jack, etc.
• Instead of rice, you can use fluffy quinoa.
• Store the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat the leftovers either in the oven or microwave.
• Freeze the peppers by placing them in an airtight container and placing them in the freezer for up to two months. Thaw the peppers in the refrigerator prior to reheating them in the oven. ‘
• You can use freshly diced tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes. Use premade tomato sauce to save time.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS RECIPE

Garlic Oven Roasted Mushrooms

Tomato Bruschetta Bread

Roasted Broccolini

Crispy Smashed Potatoes

Cucumber Avocado Feta Salad

Spinach Apple Pecan Salad

Oven Roasted Veggies

MORE Easy and healthy dinner recipes to check out

• Honey Sesame Chicken
• Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
• Garlic Shrimp Spaghetti
• Low Carb Zucchini Lasagna Boats
• Asparagus Stuffed Chicken Breast
• Taco Stuffed Zucchini Cups
• Chicken Shawarma Bowls
• Shrimp Fajita Bowls
• Ground Turkey Cauliflower Rice Recipe

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