Sweet bell peppers stuffed with a savory mix of ground meat and rice, then simmered in a rich homemade tomato sauce — this is comfort food at its absolute best. Much like our Classic Stuffed Bell Peppers, this recipe turns simple, everyday ingredients into a hearty family dinner. If you love cozy braised dishes, our Stuffed Potatoes Braised in Sour Cream Tomato Sauce is another weeknight favorite worth trying.
Ingredients
- 5 large bell peppers
- 600 g (1.3 lb) ground meat
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 100 g (1/2 cup) rice
- For the sauce:
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, grated
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- Salt, pepper, and dried herbs to taste
Instructions
- Boil the rice for 7 minutes until half-cooked. Mix it with the ground meat and the finely chopped onion, season with salt, pepper, and dried herbs, and stuff the hollowed peppers.
- Sauté the second onion with the grated carrot, add the diced tomatoes and spices, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Place the stuffed peppers upright in the sauce and simmer gently for 50 minutes, until tender. Spoon the sauce over the peppers when serving.
Tips
- Choose peppers that stand upright on their own so they stay neat while simmering; if one wobbles, trim a thin slice off the bottom without cutting through.
- Half-cooked rice absorbs the cooking juices during the long simmer, so don’t cook it fully beforehand or the filling will turn mushy. Ground meat is done when it reaches 160°F — see the USDA’s food safety guidelines for the full chart.
- Leftovers reheat beautifully and taste even better the next day, making this a great meal-prep dinner. For another make-ahead favorite, try our Tender Meatballs with Vegetables in Tomato Sauce.
Nutrition (per 100 g): 63.7 kcal, protein 6 g, fat 2.9 g, carbohydrates 3.2 g.