These stuffed peppers seem fancy but they’re easy to make and jam-packed with flavor!
Stuffed bell peppers are filled with a zesty ground beef, sausage, and rice filling, topped with cheese and baked until bubbly.
Serve these with a fresh salad and some crusty bread (for sopping up any sauce).
Our Fave Easy Stuffed Peppers
- Stuffed peppers can be prepared ahead of time and they reheat and freeze well.
- Stretch stuffed pepper filling with extra chopped veggies.
- If your peppers are small and you have leftover filling, fill zucchini or even wrap it up cabbage roll style!
- If you’d like them extra saucy, add extra marinara to the baking pan.
Ingredients for Stuffed Peppers
- Meat—I use a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage. Feel free to use just one or the other (or sub in ground turkey). If you don’t use sausage, add some extra seasoning.
- Rice—This recipe calls for long-grain white rice. However, any type of rice or grain can be substituted, but you may need to adjust the liquid and cooking time slightly.
- Sauce—Use a jar of pasta sauce or homemade marinara sauce and spice it up with some seasoning.
- Bell Peppers—Use any sweet bell pepper. Red, orange, or yellow peppers are sweeter, while green bell peppers have a slightly sharper flavor.
- Cheese—Cheese is optional but I love it on stuffed peppers! Use shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese.
Variations
These classic stuffed peppers can be changed by swapping the seasonings and sauces!
- Replace Italian seasoning with taco seasoning and add a can of drained black beans. Garnish with cilantro.
- If you like a little heat, stir in some red pepper flakes.
How to Make Stuffed Peppers
- Brown Meat: Brown meat, onion, and garlic (recipe below).
- Cook Rice: Add tomato sauce, rice, water, and seasonings. Cook until rice is tender.
- Prepare Peppers: While the filling is cooking, prepare the peppers by simmering or air frying for a few minutes to soften (otherwise, they won’t soften enough).
- Fill & Bake: Fill peppers with meat and rice mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and bake until bubbly!
I usually cut my peppers across the top but you can also cut them top to bottom to make smaller portions.
Holly’s Tips for Perfect Peppers
- Pre-cook the peppers. Boil the peppers for a few minutes or add them to the air fryer at 400°F for 5 minutes to soften before stuffing.
- Extra filling. If the peppers are small, you may need a few extra. This filling is also great in portobello mushrooms or added to tomato soup.
- This stuffed pepper recipe can be prepared ahead and frozen.
Make It a Freezer Meal
You can freeze stuffed pepper for future meals!
To freeze, prepare as directed below and freeze in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Thaw the casserole in the fridge overnight and bake for 30-40 minutes or until heated through.
More Bell Pepper Recipes We Love
Bell peppers are great added to sauces, soups, stews and more!
Unstuffed Peppers
Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Did you make these Easy Stuffed Peppers? Leave us a rating and a comment below!
Stuffed Peppers
These easy stuffed peppers are filled with sausage, beef, and rice, then topped with plenty of melted cheese for a tasty dinner.
Equipment
Large Pot
Skillet
9 x 13-inch Casserole Dish
Ingredients
- 6 bell peppers any color
- ½ pound lean ground beef
- ½ pound Italian sausage
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 14.5 oz canned petite diced tomatoes with juice, 1 can
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup long grain white rice uncooked
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 ½ cups marinara sauce divided
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese, optional
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish.
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Cut off the tops of the bell peppers, reserving them for the sauce. Core the peppers, discarding the membranes and seeds. Finely chop the tops and set aside for the sauce.
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In a large pot, bring water to a boil and cook the peppers for 5 minutes. Drain peppers thoroughtly. Alternatively, air fry the peppers at 400°F for 5 minutes.
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To a large skillet heated over medium-high heat, add lean ground beef, Italian sausage, diced onion, and minced garlic. Brown, breaking up with a spoon, until no pink remains. Drain the fat.
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Add diced tomatoes with their juices, water, Worcestershire sauce, rice, pepper tops (diced), and Italian seasoning. Season with salt and pepper.
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Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer, and cover. Cook for 15-20 minutes, making sure the rice gets tender. Add more water if needed. Remove from the heat and stir in ½ cup of the marinara.
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Place another 1 ½ cups of marinara sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Add the peppers cut-side-up, and divide the rice mixture evenly over the peppers. Spoon the rest of the marinara sauce over the top.
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Cover tightly with foil, bake for 35 minutes.
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Remove foil carefully, and spoon the sauce from the bottom of the dish over the peppers. Top with cheese and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes or until the peppers are tender and the cheese is fully melted.
Video
Notes
For firm tender-crisp peppers, skip the boiling step and bake as directed. Peppers can also be pre-cooked by simmering, air frying, or baking for 15 minutes at 400°F.
Additional vegetables, such as diced zucchini or chopped mushrooms, can be added to the filling.
Stuffed peppers can be reheated in the oven until heated through.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 314 | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 979mg | Potassium: 1039mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 4384IU | Vitamin C: 168mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
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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
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