Stuffed Peppers are an easy, all-in-one dinner made with colorful bell peppers, a savory beef and sausage filling, and plenty of marinara sauce. They’re make-ahead friendly, freezer-friendly, and perfect for busy weeknights.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights: Stuffed Peppers
- Flavor: Rich, savory, and comforting, every bite is packed with seasoned meat, tender rice, sweet bell peppers, and tangy marinara.
- Why Make It: Cooking the rice right in the tomato mixture helps it soak up the sauce and keeps the filling flavorful.
- Serving Suggestions: These peppers are a complete meal on their own, but they’re delicious served with a crisp green salad and warm garlic bread for soaking up the extra marinara sauce.
Total Time: 1 Hour 20 Minutes Servings: 6 Cooking Method: Oven Baked
Ingredient Notes
- Bell peppers: Any color works. Green peppers have a slightly sharper flavor, while red, yellow, and orange peppers are sweeter.
- Meat: Lean ground beef makes the filling hearty without becoming greasy, while Italian sausage adds richness and plenty of flavor. Use mild, sweet, or hot Italian sausage depending on your preference, and be sure to drain any excess fat after browning the meat.
- Long Grain White Rice: Uncooked long grain white rice simmers in the tomato mixture, absorbing all of the delicious flavors as it cooks. If using cooked rice instead, omit the water and simmer the filling just until everything is heated through and well combined. If using brown rice, make sure it is precooked.
- Marinara Sauce: Choose a marinara sauce you enjoy, as it adds flavor to both the filling and the peppers while they bake. Since some sauces are saltier than others, taste the filling before adding any extra salt.
How to Make Stuffed Peppers
- Cut and clean out the peppers, and then boil.
- Cook the filling in a skillet.
- Fill the peppers.
- Bake (full recipe below).
Stuffed Pepper Pointers
- For Softer Peppers: Boil or air fry them before filling. For tender-crisp peppers, skip that step.
- Drain the Peppers: Draining them well after boiling prevents a watery dish.
- Taste the Filling: Taste before stuffing because marinara sauce and sausage can vary in saltiness.
- Do Not Pack Tightly: Use a spoon to gently press the filling into the peppers, but do not pack it too tightly.
- Spooning the Sauce: Spoon from the bottom of the dish over the peppers before adding cheese for extra moisture and flavor.
Save Every Stuffed Pepper
- Leftovers: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat in the microwave, covered loosely, until heated through. For the oven, place peppers in a baking dish with a little marinara or water, cover with foil, and heat at 350°F until warm.
- To Freeze: Assemble the peppers without baking and cool the filling completely first. Cover tightly and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake as directed, adding about 15 minutes if needed.
More Stuffed Pepper Favorites
Did you enjoy the following Stuffed Peppers Recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.
Ingredients
- 6 medium bell peppers any color
- 8 ounces lean ground beef
- 8 ounces Italian sausage
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can canned petite diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup long grain white rice uncooked
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 ½ cups marinara sauce divided
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
- Cut off the tops of the bell peppers. Discard the stems, finely chop the tops, and set aside for the sauce. Core the peppers, discarding the membranes and seeds.
- To cook the peppers, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the peppers for 5 minutes and then drain them well. Alternatively, air fry the peppers at 400°F for 5 minutes.
- For the filling, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, Italian sausage, diced onion, and minced garlic. Cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until no pink remains. Drain the fat.
- Add diced tomatoes with their juices, water, Worcestershire sauce, rice, the diced pepper tops, Italian seasoning, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and black pepper.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer, and cover. Cook until the rice is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes, adding more water if needed. Remove from the heat and stir in ½ cup of the marinara. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if desired.
- Place 1 ½ cups of marinara sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Add the peppers, cut-side-up, and divide the rice mixture evenly into the peppers. Spoon the remaining marinara sauce over the top.
- Cover tightly with foil, bake for 35 minutes.
- Carefully remove the foil and spoon the sauce from the bottom of the dish over the peppers. Top with cheese (if using) and bake uncovered for an additional 10 to 12 minutes or until the peppers are tender and the cheese is fully melted.
- Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Rice: If using cooked rice, skip the water and simmer the rice in the sauce for about 5 minutes. Brown rice should be pre-cooked.
Peppers: For firm to tender-crisp peppers, skip the boiling step and bake as directed. I prefer the texture when the peppers are softer.
Seasoning: Marinara sauce can vary in salt levels and seasonings. Taste a bit of the filling and add salt to taste.
Additional vegetables, such as diced zucchini or chopped mushrooms, can be added to the filling.
Leftovers: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 397 | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 980mg | Potassium: 1023mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 4384IU | Vitamin C: 168mg | Calcium: 123mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Casserole, Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Pork
Cuisine American, Italian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
I made it just as the recipe calls for. with the exception of boiling the peppers. it was amazing! my wife has been making these for the last 30 years of our marriage, and she couldn’t stop raving about how good these were. I bought 6 BIG bell peppers (orange, red, and yellow). So I doubled the ingredients, and I still had a storage container of it left over. And the melted cheese on the top really kicked it up a notch.
Great recipe and family favorite! The only thing I do differently is I only bake them for about a half an hour.
Got in a meal planning rut and remembered my coworker recommending this site for inspiration. Made these tonight, and they were delicious! Will definitely be back for more inspiration. Thank you!
So happy to hear that, Katie!
Made these last night. The only word I could come up with was magnifico! Chefs kiss! I used ground beef and sweet Italian sausage. I also added a bit of Italian seasoning. I used mozzarella on some and cheddar on others. I used Bartoli marinara and red gold, petite diced tomatoes. I did leave a small amount of the ground beef/Italian sausage grease for more flavor. I think maybe next time I’ll add a little bit more rice but this recipe guys….. 10 out of 10!!!!!!
Added chopped baby bellas because I’m a shroomaholic. Delicious!
These were delicious!
And easy to follow instructions. I used jimmy dean sausage because that’s what I had but will try it next time with the Italian sausage. Thank you for the recipe.
So yummy. Get a good flavorful Italian Sausage. That can make all the difference in Italian dishes. I also used the Spend with Pennies recipe for Marinara sauce. I will make again and again.
Perfect recipe for adding finely diced veggies onion, garlic, celery parsley, .Used my own homemade tomato sauce and a mixture of shredded cheeses for topping. Thank you Holly for this recipe.
I’ve been making these for a while now!! I thought I gave a review before but here it is again! This recipe is amazing! The flavors complement each other and my husband loved them. He did not like peppers but he do now
Another SWP keeper! I meal prep so I used disposable loaf pans with 2 peppers each. I didn’t precook the peppers because I like them firm, added corn and used brown rice. Thanks for all the great recipes.
I put my peppers into large muffin tins to hold them upright. Wonderful recipe
Such a good idea!
This has been my go-to stuffed pepper recipe since I first saw it a year and a half ago and I’ve probably made it a dozen times since then. It replaced one that I made for 30+ years! Of course I make a few modifications due to our preferences. First, I halve the recipe (cooking for 2), use only ground beef, add some chopped celery in place of garlic (husband is a weirdo who doesn’t like garlic!), Use 1/2 a tomato boullion in place of the salt, use soy sauce in place of Worstershire and add about 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes. I use Rao’s marinara sauce. This turns out fabulous every time. I made these last night for dinner with mashed potatoes and my husband was still talking about how good they were this morning! Shame on me for not leaving a review sooner. Thanks Holly for a winner of a recipe!
Not sure I can do this but I made an adjustment to my post of December 30, 2024. Just made the stuffed peppers again today. Since I had a lot of already cooked leftover seasoned yellow rice (boxed Goya) I added it to the raw ground beef mixture with (1) packet of Goya Sazon seasoning and about 1/4 cup of italian seasoned bread crumbs. Otherwise, the mixture had all the other ingredients as I had posted before. Because the peppers were huge, instead of slicing off the top and stuffing it upright, I cut them lengthwise into 2 oval shaped halves, thereby getting 6 stuffed peppers from 3 huge ones. I changed the marinara sauce and used Mezzetta Marinara this time since that’s all I had on hand. Baked the same way with the parchment paper covered tightly with aluminum foil at 375 degrees for exactly one hour and served immediately. I think that these even came out better than the first comment I posted. The stuffing was perfect, very moist and the peppers tender but still firm and holding their shape.
Why do people comment with a totally different recipe that they make? Comments should be for this recipe and maybe some small changes.
When people share their ideas is can inspire creativity and help others discover new flavors or substitutions as needed. I hope you enjoy the recipe Julie!
Can this be meatless
I haven’t tried these without meat but with some finely diced vegetables and extra seasonings, it may work! Let us know how it goes!
I’ve been making these for years. Don’t par boil the peppers or cook the rice and ground chuck. I put the beef, minced onions, Muir Glenn fire roasted tomatoes, garlic and 1/2 can small tomato sauce in the peppers. The other 1/2 can tomato sauce on top of each pepper. . Bake at 350for 1 hr. 15 min covered tightly with foil.
I’ve been making stuffed peppers for years. I also don’t par boil the peppers or cook the rice and ground beef. My seasonings are similar to yours except that I also add some dried italian seasoning blend to the beef and rice mixture. I don’t put tomato sauce in the beef mixture, I use a good quality jar of marinara sauce (Dell’Amore) and pour all of it over the peppers. I use 80/20 ground beef. I lay a sheet of parchment paper on top of the stuffed peppers and on top of that a sheet of aluminum foil and cover tightly with foil. I bake at 375 for 45 minutes. I then remove the parchment/foil and bake for 15 uncovered. I find that by using the parchment paper the filling stays very moist and beef and rice are cooked perfectly and the peppers come out perfect, firm but still tender with no wrinkly skin. Baking uncovered at the very end just thickens up the sauce a bit. Plus if you want to add cheese on top, this is when to put it on.
delicious! Only two adjustments made 1) I cooked Spanish rice separately and added it to cooked mixture before scooping into peppers. 2) Used spicy marinara and spicy diced tomatoes for a little kick!
So easy and delicious!!
Delicious – I add twice the rice with little extra water, as needed. I double the recipe, except for the green peppers and freeze the extra half of the filling to make fresh stuffed peppers later.
very good I added a little fresh chopped basil and used my fresh homemade marinara sauce. Definitely a keeper
Yours, is my favorite go-to for recipes. And one of the very best is stuffed peppers. I live alone and I often will bake them in loaf pans.
Thank you for this great site! Nancy
Awww….your review brought back a sweet memory for me. My mom always made her stuffed peppers in loaf pans too. I had forgotten. She also made stuffed pork chops in a loaf pan using regular pork chops and her homemade stuffing. She stood them up and used the full pan alternating the meat and stuffing and it was a beautiful presentation. I always thought she was so clever with those! Thanks for the reminder of my dear mom!
Brilliant. I took your suggestion and baked mine on a loaf pan. great recipe and the loaf pan made clean up so easy!
I replaced the 17oz diced tomatoes with 2 10oz cans of rotel tomatoes with green chilis! Juicy and a little spicy! My hubby said best he’s ever had