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These classic stuffed peppers loaded with saucy rice, Italian spices, and melty cheese. Pre-baking the bell peppers keeps them tender, never watery!
Did you know stuffed peppers is a traditional Italian way to use up leftover odds and ends in your kitchen? I can’t take credit for this genius move, of course, but here’s my spin on it: my favorite stuffed peppers recipe! The filling is seasoned irresistibly with Italian spices, pizza sauce and melty cheese.
Even better: it works for many diets. I’ve got variations for meat eaters, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free eaters! It makes a hearty dinner that everyone always loves.
5 Star Reader Reviews
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I’ve been trying to make veggies the star of our meals and use less meat, which is not easy to do with three meat loving carnivores in the house. Everyone LOVED the meatless version of this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing, I will definitely make these again!” -H
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “This recipe was very tasty, flavorful and comforting. I will definitely be making it again.” -Kazy
Should You Cook Bell Peppers Before Stuffing Them?
In a word: yes! There are a few main ways to make stuffed peppers: the variations are in the way you cut them and whether you pre-cook them before filling I’ve found this keeps the peppers from being watery. Here’s what to know:
- Slice the peppers lengthwise. Eating the pepper straight up with the top cut off makes it hard to eat, in my opinion, So I like to cut them lengthwise to make them easier to eat. And, you get 2 halves on your plate: which looks better and like a bigger portion
- Pre-bake the peppers. Some stuffed pepper recipes call for boiling your peppers before baking. Others don’t pre-cook them and they turn out too crunchy. My research found that pre-baking the peppers for 30 minutes makes them perfectly tender! Once you stuff them, you’ll need 20 minutes in the hot even to get the cheese nice and melty.
Ingredients For The Filling
The best stuffed bell peppers filling, in our mind? My delicious “sausage” made with mushrooms and walnuts. Or, make the ground beef option: or maybe both ways for a family with a variety of eaters! Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
- Mushroom-walnut, ground beef, or turkey crumbles: Mushrooms and walnuts pulsed with fennel seed, oregano, smoked paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder are a riff on my Vegan Ground Beef. If you’re skeptical, so was Alex, until he asked for seconds (!).
- Short grain rice: This adds a hearty, filling component and keeps things gluten-free.
- Pizza sauce. I usually use my homemade pizza sauce but store-bought works too.
- Mozzarella, two ways. Fresh mozzarella chunks melt into pockets; shredded mozzarella binds it all together!
Vegetarian Filling vs Ground Beef or Turkey
- Vegetarian: Pulse the mushrooms and walnuts with the spices, then cook in olive oil for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring until the mixture releases liquid and browns.
- Ground beef: Swap in 1 pound of ground beef with the same spice blend. Brown about 8 minutes, then make sure to drain the fat thoroughly.
- Ground turkey (or ground chicken): This works with the same spices but runs leaner, so add an extra drizzle of olive oil and taste for salt at the end.
- Parmesan cheese and panko: These finish everything off with a little crunch.
Can you make it vegan? Yes, but the cheese is pretty integral to the overall concept. So substitute your favorite brand of vegan mozzarella cheese! The rest of the filling is vegan.
How To Keep Stuffed Peppers From Getting Watery
Watery stuffed peppers are a common complaint about this dish, because peppers are full of water that releases as they cook. Here’s what I do to make sure they don’t get watery:
- Bake, don’t boil. Boiling saturates the pepper walls with water that has nowhere to go.
- Pre-bake the halves, then drain. After flipping cut-side up for roasting, tip out any liquid that’s inside before filling them.
- Keep the filling dry. This recipe makes sure that there’s not added moisture in the filling that would cause a watery pepper after baking.
Flavor Variations and Adders
You’ll use that vegetarian sausage or ground beef filling and mix it with rice, pizza sauce, and mozzarella cheese to make a gooey, savory and altogether irresistible filling. There are lots of fun add-in ideas for this filling. Here are some ideas:
- Chopped basil or fresh oregano
- Parmesan cheese, shredded
- Pecorino Romano cheese, shredded (a few tablespoons)
- Feta cheese crumbles
- Capers, drained (just 1 or 2 tablespoons adds a tasty tangy flavor)
- Green olives, chopped (again, just 1 or 2 tablespoons)
- Quinoa instead of rice, try my Quinoa Stuffed Peppers Recipe
- Use beans and rice, like in my Mexican Stuffed Peppers
Make Ahead and Meal Prep Tips
This stuffed peppers recipe takes about 1 hour to make. I typically reserve this one for special meals: a weekend or dinner party. But want to save time and make it on a weeknight? You can do that too. There are several options depending on what you’d like to do:
- Make rice in advance: Make sure to reheat it with a splash of water and a pinch of salt before assembling the peppers. It dries out quite a bit in the refrigerator.
- Make entire filling in advance: You can make the entire filling in advance and refrigerate. Then re-warm before stuffing the peppers.
- Bake the bell peppers in advance: You also can pre-bake the peppers in advance, then fill and bake them day of.
- Make the entire stuffed peppers in advance: Make the entire pepper recipe in advance and refrigerate. The day of serving, top with breadcrumbs and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes until warmed through and the cheese is melted.
Freezing info: I have not tested this personally, but in theory you can freeze stuffed peppers for up to 3 months, then reheat on a baking sheet at 400°F until warmed through.
What To Serve With Stuffed Peppers
A simple salad is what I usually add to make it a meal, which you can mix up while your peppers do their final bake. Here are a few ideas:
- Simple salad like Arugula Salad, Goat Cheese Salad with Arugula or Chopped Salad
- Easy sautéed veggie like Sauteed Green Beans or Simple Sauteed Broccoli
- Bread that’s purchased, or make-ahead muffins like Corn Muffins
- Other ideas are listed in my guide, What To Serve with Stuffed Peppers
Dietary Notes
This stuffed peppers recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
I bake them uncovered: covering traps steam and keeps the cheese from browning.
Plan on 45 to 55 minutes for pre-baked peppers with a warm filling. I prefer 425°F; it browns the cheese without overcooking the pepper.
Both traditions claim a version. This one leans Italian with pizza sauce, mozzarella, and fennel; Mexican-style fillings with pinto beans and chipotle are just as classic.
Yes, try my vegetarian stuffed poblano peppers for a different spin.
Classic Stuffed Peppers
This stuffed peppers recipe is a hit every time! The roasted bell peppers are filled to the brim with melty cheese and Italian flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian inspired
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
For the mushroom walnut crumbles (or use 1 pound ground beef and the spices; see Step 2 below)
- 1 cup whole walnuts
- 4 ounces baby bella (cremini) mushrooms
- 1 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari (or coconut aminos for soy free)
- 1 tablespoons ketchup
- ½ teaspoon each fennel seeds, dried oregano, smoked paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
For the stuffed peppers
- 6 multi-colored bell peppers (red, yellow and green)
- ¾ cup dry short grain rice or 2 cups cooked (reheated to warm with a splash of water and a pinch of salt)
- ½ cup pizza sauce (purchased or homemade)
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella balls (or cut into bite-sized chunks)
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella, plus more for sprinkling
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 to 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, and/or Italian panko or bread crumbs (omit for gluten-free)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cook the rice: Start the rice to cook. (See Make Ahead Tips in the notes below*.)
- Pre-bake the bell peppers: Wash the peppers and cut them in half lengthwise; remove the stems and seeds. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then place the peppers on top. Bake with the cut side down for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip to cut side up, draining any with water. Sprinkle with salt (about a heaping ¼ teaspoon kosher salt divided between the peppers). Bake another 15 minutes until tender, then remove and stuff (see below).
- Meanwhile, make the filling: Roughly chop the mushrooms. Place them in a large food processor, then add the walnuts and tamari, ketchup, spices, and salt. Pulse gently multiple times until everything is evenly chopped, being careful not to over process (or it will be too mushy). If you don’t have a food processor, use a chef’s knife to roughly chop everything and place in a bowl with the spices.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium low heat. Add the walnut filling and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring until it releases all of its liquid then becomes dry and browned. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Ground beef variation: Drizzle olive oil into a skillet. Add the beef with the spices and salt and pepper. Cook for about 8 minutes until browned, then drain the fat. Taste and add additional salt as needed.
- Stuff the peppers: Once the peppers are pre-baked, mix the filling from the previous step with 2 cups cooked rice (measure it), pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, and kosher salt. (If desired, add a mix-in like drained capers or chopped olives; see above.) Taste and add additional salt if necessary. Spoon the filling into the peppers.
- Bake the peppers: Top with a handful of shredded mozzarella, and grated Parmesan and/or panko or breadcrumbs. Place the peppers back onto the parchment lined baking sheet and bake 20 minutes until the cheese melts. Allow to cool a few minutes before serving.
Notes
*Make ahead tips: You can make the rice in advance, but make sure to reheat it with a splash of water and a pinch of salt before assembling the peppers. You can make the entire filling in advance and re-warm before stuffing the peppers. You also can pre-bake the peppers in advance, then fill and bake them day of. Finally, you can make the entire pepper recipe in advance and refrigerate: then top with breadcrumbs and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes until warmed through and the cheese is melted.
More bell pepper recipes
More to make with bell peppers? Here are all our favorite ways to serve them as a side dish:
- Fire up the oven for Roasted Bell Peppers or Roasted Peppers & Onions
- Make quick and easy Sauteed Peppers or Sauteed Peppers & Onions
- In summer, opt for Perfect Grilled Peppers or Grilled Peppers & Onions
Any way you can freeze these?
We have not tried it, but you should be able to freeze stuffed peppers! Freeze in a sealed container. To reheat, transfer to a baking sheet and reheat in a 350F or 400F oven until warmed through.
Found this recipe while looking for ways to use the abundance of peppers from the garden. I’ve been trying to make veggies the star of our meals and use less meat, which is not easy to do with three meat loving carnivores in the house. Everyone LOVED the meatless version of this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing, I will definitely make these again!
This recipe was very tasty, flavorful and comforting. I will definitely be making it again. Thanks so much for sharing.
I have a question. Why do I have to reheat the cooked rice (with a splash of water and a pinch of salt) if I am mixing it with the cooked walnut filling in the skillet? Can’t I just throw the rice into the walnut filling while it’s being cooked and warm it up that way? I would have removed the already cooked rice from the fridge and left it out so that it was at room temperature.
Great question! If the leftover cooked rice is already at room temperature, you don’t have to reheat it before adding to the walnut filling! Thanks for asking.
I made the walnut/rice recipe. #5 instruction confusing. Was I supposed to really cook olive oil for 6 minutes until it burned on the bottom and beyond? I skipped that step and recipe was great.
Hi there! You’re correct: the instructions for that step were confusing and we’ve addressed them now. The instruction should be to add the filling to the olive oil and cook for 7 to 10 minutes. Glad it still worked for you!
The recipe for stuffed peppers at acouplecooks is the only one anybody needs. For my part, I prefer the usual way to cut the peppers. I start with an economical beef chuck roast (whole, intact) which I braise: the first step is searing it in a small bit of avocado- or walnut oil for 3-4 minutes on each side. Then put roast, wrapped in parchment paper, in a lipped baking dish into a 325-degree oven slowly to cook. When done, remove and rest it for a half hour or so. Slice against grain maybe 1-1/2 inches thick, and cut into 2-inch lengths. Chop lengths as desired for stuffing peppers. Proceed as directed with ACoupleCooks recipe. Pre-cooking the peppers is a splendid idea to keep them firm.
Thank you so much! We’re so glad that you enjoy this recipe and that it works well with braised beef as a modification. Thanks for making it and letting us know! Let us know what else you end up trying.
Are the peppers cut in half b/c 1/2 of a pepper = 1 serving? I certainly hope that’s not the case, is it? Also, why don’t you post the Nutr. Info for your recipes? Is it b/c ‘healthy’ isn’t always ‘waistline friendly’? I’m not bring snotty, but I find this to be true with many (so-called) healthy dishes. BTW, I always use low sodium Soy Sauce, in order to stay healthy. Thank U
Hi! We cut them in half because we find that they cook better and are easier to eat. Two halves per serving and the nutritional info is just below the recipe.
Thanks for reading!
I’m confused, I structions are confusing for meat mixture. I’m using ground chicken vs beef. It says to add thr spices but do you still use the rice mixture with cheeses and pizza sauce?
Yes, still use the rice, cheese and pizza sauce! The ground beef just replaces the mushrooms and walnuts.
I made the stuffed bell peppers today and loved it!
I made some stuffed peppers but I added roasted cherry tomatoes cut in half as well as very small cubed sweet potato. I used bell peppers and poblano peppers. They were fantastic.