Perfect Stuffed Peppers [Video]

Best Stuffed Peppers with the perfect beef to rice ratio, great texture, and delicious flavor. Easy to make and can be frozen to enjoy later. Watch the video tutorial below and you’ll see how easy this is.

Easy to make comfort food is at the center of this blog. I love a good recipe that makes delicious leftovers and also can be frozen, it makes life so much easier. You guys absolutely loved my Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers recipe and many of you asked for an oven-baked version of the recipe. I can wholeheartedly tell you, that these oven-baked stuffed peppers, are absolutely amazing.

Easy Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed Peppers are a staple in our house as we grew up eating them a lot in Eastern Europe. My favorite way of making them is with ground beef and rice, tomato sauce and a blend of different dried herbs for extra flavor.

I like this recipe a lot because it can be prepared in advance, you can stuff the peppers and cook when ready. Also, the cooked peppers reheat very well, which makes for some tasty leftovers. I prefer to cook a large batch and freeze some for later. To make the peppers even more rich and delicious, you can add some cheese to the filling, or even cooked bacon!

This fool-proof recipe makes some amazing Stuffed Peppers, that you will absolutely love. Keep reading to see different cooking methods and how can you make a vegetarian version as well. Also, this recipe is very versatile and can be made in various other ways. Below, we will show you how to make it in the Pressure Cooker and Crockpot as well. 

What goes in Stuffed Peppers

• Basmati rice or long grain rice
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Bread Crumbs
• Tomato Paste
• Tomato Sauce
• Ground Beef
• Bell Peppers – I like using different colors for a prettier dish, but for a budget-friendly meal, choose green bell peppers as they are cheaper.

I also like to use a blend of different dried herbs to add extra flavor to the stuffed pepper filling:

• Oregano
• Paprika
• Italian Seasoning

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How do you make the best Stuffed Peppers

1. First, start by cooking the rice,. Also, you can use pre-cooked leftover rice. Another option is to use Instant Rice.
2. Then, you have to wash, clean and core the bell peppers.
3. The next step is combining all the ingredients and stuff the bell peppers.
4. Add the bell peppers to a lightly oiled baking dish.
5. Top the peppers with marinara sauce and bake in a preheated oven.
6. Right before serving, sprinkle some cheese on top and broil the stuffed peppers for a few minutes.
7. Lastly, garnish with parsley and serve.

How long do you cook Stuffed Peppers with raw meat?

• If baking in the oven – you will need to bake for about one hour until the peppers are tender, but not mushy.
• If cooking in the Instant Pot or other electric pressure cookers – you need to cook for 5 minutes on High Pressure followed by 5 minutes Natural Pressure Release. You can follow this recipe for Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers for all the details.
• If cooking in the slow cooker – cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.

What type of meat can you use to make them?

You can use ground beef, ground chicken or turkey, you can also use ground sausage or a combination of beef and sausage.

How do you make Stuffed Peppers with Rice?

Stuffed Peppers with rice are delicious and great to use some leftover rice. All you have to do is add cooked rice to the raw meat. The ratio usually is 1 cup of cooked rice to 1 pound of beef, but you can tweak it based on your liking. You can always skip the rice as well and use more beef, veggies or beans.

How to make Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers?

• Just replace the beef with chopped mushrooms, preferably sautéed. Cooking time stays the same.
• You can also add more rice, or canned (drained and rinsed) beans, cooked lentils would work as well. Cooking time stays the same.

How do you make Stuffed Peppers in the Instant Pot?

Stuffed Peppers in the Instant Pot are made in a fraction of time, use my recipe for Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers to get all the details.

How do you make Stuffed Peppers in the Slow Cooker?

• Follow the instructions to make the Stuffed Pepper filling.
• Then, add the filling to the cleaned and cored bell peppers.
• Arrange the Stuffed Peppers in a Slow Cooker.
• Next, top the peppers with tomato sauce or marinara sauce.
• Add 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the Slow Cooker.
• Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. Or until the ground beef is thoroughly cooked and the peppers are tender.

If you are looking to Mexican Stuffed Pepper in the Crockpot, we have that recipe as well. Please click on this link. 

How to make Stuffed Pepper Soup?

Stuffed Pepper Soup is a delicious alternative if you don’t have the time to make stuffed peppers. I have a very easy to make the recipe, that will be ready in just 30 minutes, check this Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup recipe.

HOW TO STORE them?

Refrigerate the peppers in airtight containers or resealable plastic bags. Properly stored, cooked stuffed peppers will last for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator.

HOW TO FREEZE UNCOOKED STUFFED PEPPERS?

• First, add the peppers to a freezer-safe dish.
• Next, cover well in aluminum foil and then wrap the dish fully in plastic wrap or better if you have freezer wrap. Make sure the dish is fully covered in a wrap to avoid exposing the peppers directly to the cold.
• You can also freeze each pepper individually by wrapping it in plastic wrap or better in freezer wrap and adding it to a freezer bag.
• Properly frozen the peppers can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months at 0 degrees F or less.

HOW TO FREEZE COOKED STUFFED PEPPERS?

• Fully cook the Stuffed Peppers, and if you intend on freezing them, do not top with marinara sauce and cheese.
• Also, fully cool the cooked peppers before freezing.
• Add the peppers to a freezer-safe dish. Cover well in aluminum foil and then wrap the dish fully in plastic wrap or better if you have freezer wrap. Make sure the dish is fully covered in a wrap to avoid exposing the peppers directly to the cold.
• You can also freeze each pepper individually by wrapping it in plastic wrap or better in freezer wrap and adding it to a freezer bag.
• Properly frozen the peppers can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months at 0 degrees F or less.

HOW TO COOK FROZEN UN-COOKED STUFFED PEPPERS?

• It is best to thaw peppers in the refrigerator for several hours before cooking, this will ensure uniform baking in the oven.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Then, remove the wrapping from the peppers and add them to a baking dish, leaving enough room between them.
• Next, top each pepper with marinara sauce.
• Bake for about one hour, until peppers are tender.
• Use a fork to taste the stuffing, to ensure that it has been cooked through.

HOW TO COOK FROZEN PRE-COOKED STUFFED PEPPERS?

• If you have time, thaw peppers in the refrigerator for several hours before cooking. It’s ok if you don’t, you can cook frozen peppers as well.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Remove the wrapping from the peppers and add them to a baking dish, leaving enough room between them.
• Then, top each pepper with marinara sauce.
• Next, bake for about 20-30 minutes for frozen peppers or until heated through and about half the time for thawing.
• Use a fork to taste the stuffing, to ensure that it has been heated through.