✔ Updated · Recipe card fixed: tomato sauce added, new step photos
My classic stuffed bell peppers are filled with ground beef, rice and onion in a seasoned tomato sauce, then baked, basted until tender and topped with bubbling melted cheese. For Halloween, carve faces into orange peppers to make our jack-o’-lantern stuffed peppers.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Bake the peppers covered first, then uncover and baste them with the tomato sauce from the dish. Covering steams them tender, and basting keeps the tops saucy instead of dry.
The recipe card has been corrected after reader feedback: the old version mentioned sauce and basting but never listed a sauce. It now includes a 15-ounce can of tomato sauce with simple seasoning, and every step matches the ingredient list. Cook the beef to 160°F before it goes into the filling.
Why You'll Love These Stuffed Peppers
- A complete meal in one dish, with beef, rice and vegetables baked together in tomato sauce.
- Saucy, not dry, because the sauce goes in the filling, over the tops and in the dish for basting.
- Pantry-friendly, with one can of tomato sauce and everyday spices.
- Great for meal prep: they reheat and freeze well.
The Sauce: What Was Missing and How It Works
Classic stuffed peppers need sauce in two places, something I learned from a dry first batch: mixed into the filling to keep the rice and beef moist, and around the peppers so there's something to baste with. This version uses one 15-ounce can of tomato sauce seasoned with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, a teaspoon of sugar to soften the acidity, a pinch of salt and 1/4 cup of water.
I put one cup of the sauce into the filling. The rest is poured over the tops of the stuffed peppers and into the bottom of the dish. After 40 minutes under foil, that pooled sauce is what you spoon over the peppers as they finish baking uncovered. If your tomato sauce tastes sharp, see how to reduce acidity in tomato sauce.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Pick peppers that stand up. Choose large, square-bottomed peppers. If one wobbles, trim a very thin slice off the base without cutting through. I also pack them snugly in the dish so they hold each other up.
- Brown the beef fully first. Cook it until no pink remains and it reaches 160°F, then drain the fat so the filling doesn't turn greasy.
- Use the sauce three ways. One cup goes into the filling, the rest goes over the tops and into the dish, where it becomes the basting liquid.
- Cover, then uncover. Baking under foil steams the peppers tender. Uncovering for the last 15 minutes lets the sauce thicken on top.
- Want softer peppers? Blanch the hollowed peppers in boiling water for 3 minutes before stuffing them.
- Short on time? Use 1½ cups of leftover cooked rice instead of cooking the 1/2 cup of dry rice.
Stuffed Bell Peppers with Ground Beef and Rice
6
servings25
minutes1
hour350
kcal1
hour25
minutesClassic baked stuffed bell peppers: green bell peppers filled with ground beef, rice, onion and seasoning mixed with a seasoned tomato sauce, baked covered in more sauce, basted, then finished with melted cheese.
Ingredients
- For the Tomato Sauce
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
- For the Peppers and Filling
6 large green bell peppers (or a mix of colors)
1/2 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed
1 cup water, for the rice
1 lb ground beef (85/15)
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese
Directions
- Prepare the Rice, Sauce and Peppers
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Bring the rinsed rice and 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 to 18 minutes, until the water is absorbed.
- Make the sauce: in a bowl, stir together the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup water.
- Cut the tops off the bell peppers and scoop out the seeds and white ribs. Trim a thin slice off the bottoms if needed so they stand upright, then stand them in a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Make the Filling
- Cook the ground beef and diced onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat, for 7 to 9 minutes, until no pink remains and the beef reaches 160°F. Drain off the excess fat.
- Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the cooked rice, Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and 1 cup of the tomato sauce.
- Stuff and Bake
- Spoon the filling into the peppers, packing it lightly. Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the tops of the peppers and into the bottom of the dish.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- Uncover and baste the peppers with the sauce from the bottom of the dish. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes more, basting once more halfway, until the peppers are tender when pierced with a knife.
- Sprinkle the cheese over the peppers and bake for 5 minutes, until melted. Let them rest for 5 minutes and serve with the sauce from the dish spooned over the top.
Like this recipe?
Follow us @recipefairy on Pinterest
Variations
- Mixed colors: use red, yellow and orange peppers for a sweeter, more colorful dish. See our guide to types of peppers.
- Ground turkey or chicken: swap in the same amount and cook it to 165°F before mixing the filling.
- Italian sausage: replace half the beef with Italian sausage for extra flavor.
- Tex-Mex: use taco seasoning instead of Italian seasoning, add a can of drained black beans and top with cheddar or pepper jack.
- Lower-carb: replace the rice with 2 cups of riced cauliflower, cooked briefly with the beef.
Storing, Freezing and Reheating
- Fridge: refrigerate within 2 hours in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer: freeze baked peppers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat: cover and warm at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes, or microwave individual peppers, until the filling reaches 165°F.
- Make ahead: assemble the peppers, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, then add about 10 minutes to the covered baking time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to cook the ground beef before stuffing peppers?
Yes, in this recipe. Browning the beef first lets you drain the fat and makes sure the meat is fully cooked to 160°F before it goes into the peppers. The peppers then only need to bake until they're tender and the filling is hot.
Do you cook the rice before stuffing peppers?
Yes, I always cook it first so the filling is tender and never crunchy. Half a cup of dry long-grain rice cooked in 1 cup of water makes about 1½ cups of cooked rice, which is enough for 6 peppers. Leftover rice works just as well, and it’s what I use most weeks.
How long do stuffed peppers take to bake at 350°F?
With a fully cooked filling, bake them covered for 40 minutes, then uncovered for about 15 minutes, plus 5 minutes to melt the cheese. They're done when a knife slides easily into the side of a pepper and the filling is hot throughout.
What sauce goes on stuffed peppers?
A simple seasoned tomato sauce works best. This recipe uses a 15-ounce can of tomato sauce with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, a little sugar, salt and water. Marinara or crushed tomatoes also work if you prefer a chunkier sauce.
Can you freeze stuffed bell peppers?
Yes. Cool the baked peppers, wrap them individually or freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight, then reheat them covered at 350°F until the filling reaches 165°F.
I don’t get where the sauce is? Seems like there could be a missing ingredient unless you were supposed to add the 1 cup water to the beef, rice, Worcestershire sauce, and spices to make it saucy? I just assumed the water was to go with the rice since that’s the way the instructions are written. Please update the recipe to add the missing ingredient or be more clear about where the water is to be used.
Thanks for flagging this, Deb, and you’re right: the 1 cup of water is for cooking the rice, and the steps refer to a sauce the recipe never lists. I’ve passed it on so we can fix the card. In the meantime, a 15-oz can of tomato sauce works well, with some stirred into the filling and the rest spooned over the tops.