Beef Stuffed Peppers
This Beef Stuffed Peppers recipe is a complete meal made w/ ground beef, rice, onions, tomato sauce & Mediterranean spices - an easy weeknight family dinner
Servings 6 servings
Calories 295kcal
Ingredients
- 6 bell peppers red, yellow or green
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon 7 spice
- 1 cup rice uncooked
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- Toasted pine nuts for serving
- Chopped parsley for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray baking dish with cooking spray
- Slice 1/2 inch from the tops of peppers and remove stems. Cut the core from the inside and remove any seeds. Place the hallowed peppers in a 9x13 inch baking dish with tops on and cook for 15 minutes; remove from oven and set aside
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add ground beef, onions and 7 spice. Season with salt and pepper and cook until beef is browned, about 7-10 minutes. Add the rice on top of the beef mixture, season with cinnamon, salt and pepper. Mix well and add 2 cups of water. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cover. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender.
- Stuff peppers with beef and rice mixture to the top. Pour tomato sauce in baking dish. Add minced garlic and as much water to thin out the tomato sauce as you’d like.
- Cover the stuffed peppers with their reserved tops or place foil over the baking dish. Cook in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, to allow the sauce to bubble and the peppers to continue to soften.
- Serve with toasted pine nuts and parsley, if desired.
Video
Notes
Please Note: My images only show 4 stuffed peppers, but the recipe is enough for 6 stuffed peppers. I usually don't stuff the remaining rice mixture and keep it for my kids to enjoy as is. It's one of their favorite meals!
Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 3-4 days in the fridge.
Freezing Instructions: You can also freeze the baked stuffed peppers for up to 3 months. Freeze them individually or all together in a baking dish. To re-heat, thaw in the fridge overnight and bake in a 350°F oven until heated through.
Make Ahead Tips: You can make the rice and beef mixture ahead of time or use cooked rice to speed up the process.
Sourcing: Most of the ingredients are common in grocery stores but the 7 spice seasoning might not be as common. You can usually find it with the other spices in grocery stores or you can substitute any other seasoning.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
- You can use any other colored peppers you'd like.
- Instead of beef, you can substitute lamb, ground turkey or beef sausage or any combination of two sources of meat.
- If you want to avoid rice, you can use cauliflower rice, quinoa, barley or bulgur.
- If you don't have 7 spice, you can use a combination of black pepper, paprika, cumin, coriander, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom, or simply substitute with any other seasoning.
- Instead of tomato sauce with garlic, you can use marinara sauce. But I opt for canned tomato sauce because of the low sodium and sugar content.
Nutrition
Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 263mg | Potassium: 710mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3905IU | Vitamin C: 160mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 3.3mg