Stuffed Peppers Recipe (2024)

4.10 from 10 votes

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April 28, 2019

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An amazingly savory and sweet stuffed peppers recipe, filled with pork, beef, and rice served with a tasty tomato sauce. A hearty, delicious dinner. Enjoy as is, or mop up with bread.

I grew up eating this sweet and savory version of stuffed peppers. There are so many different kinds and ways to make stuffed peppers and I’m thrilled to share this saucy recipe with you today!

Stuffed Peppers Recipe (1)

These stuffed peppers fall under the ‘make it until it tastes right’ family recipe category. Meaning there are no measurements–just ingredients. So, after a few days of trial and error, I got the measurements DOWN so you too can make my Mom’s stuffed peppers… It’s just a delicious, stick to your ribs kind of recipe. Good food for the upcoming months.

How to Make Stuffed Peppers

{For full recipe with measurements and cook time, see the printable recipe card below}

  1. Prepare bell peppers by cutting the tops off and removing the seeds and the ribs. Wash and set aside.

  2. Make the meat mixture by mixing ground beef, pork, onion, rice, salt, and pepper together.

  3. Stuff bell peppers and place into a large pot.

  4. Top stuffed peppers with tomato juice. Try to submerge them as best as possible.
  5. Cook several hours until peppers are tender and rice is completely cooked.
  6. Make a roux using vegetable shortening and flour. Cook roux to be a medium brown color.

  7. Thicken the tomato sauce using the prepared roux. It will bubble and that is totally normal! Sweeten sauce with sugar.

  8. Serve stuffed peppers hot with rye bread–or any other bread you have around, but really, rye is the best.

Stuffed Peppers Recipe (2)

Ingredients for Stuffed Peppers

This list is quite minimal, based on how much flavor you get out of this stuffed pepper recipe! The longer you cook these, the better they taste! And be sure to not skip browning the roux. It’s the secret ingredient.

  • Green Bell Peppers – I like using green peppers because that is how my mom made this recipe, but red or yellow work well too!
  • Ground beef and pork – The combination of these two meats makes for a moist and flavorful filling.
  • Rice – I use uncooked long grain white rice. Uncle Ben’s is my go-to.
  • Onions – diced up and added for flavor
  • S&P – seasonings!
  • Tomato juice – this is the cooking liquid for our stuffed peppers.
  • Vegetable Shortening or lard – part of the roux.
  • Flour – thickening agent for the tomato sauce
  • Sugar – I love a sweet tomato sauce to accompany the savory stuffed peppers! Add as much or as little sugar as you’d like.

Hope you all are in the mood for some German food tonight! Or maybe it’s Hungarian. (My ancestors are from both places, so we eat food from both places and things get confusing!) Either way, these stuffed peppers are mighty tasty.

Printable recipe card below! Enjoy!

Stuffed Peppers Recipe (3)

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4.10 from 10 votes

Hungarian Stuffed Peppers Recipe

An amazingly savory and sweet stuffed peppers recipe, filled with pork, beef, and rice served with a tasty tomato sauce. A hearty, delicious dinner.

servings 6 servings

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground beef 80/20
  • 1 lb. ground pork
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 1/2 cup long grain white rice
  • salt & pepper
  • 6 green bell peppers*
  • 46 oz tomato juice 1 can
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup lard or shortening
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Prepare bell peppers by cutting the tops off and removing the seeds and the ribs. Wash and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together beef, pork, onion, rice, salt, and pepper. Stuff bell peppers with meat mixture.

  • *If you do not have enough green peppers, then form meatballs with the remaining stuffing--this is a great way to get your kids to eat this meal, too!*

  • In a large pot, pour in the entire can of tomato juice. Rinse can out with 1/2 cup water. Place stuffed peppers and any meatballs into the pot. Try to submerge them as best as possible. Cover with lid and heat pot over medium-high heat. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer lightly for 1-2 hours.

  • In a large skillet, melt shortening over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour and whisk until smooth. Cook roux until it deepens in color to be a medium brown. Stir frequently to make sure it doesn't burn.

  • Using a slotted spoon, remove stuffed peppers and meatballs from the pot leaving the hot cooking liquid. Pour the browned roux into remaining tomato juice (it will bubble violently for a few seconds at first, so just be aware that it is totally normal). Stir well. After a few minutes, the tomato juice should thicken and become more of a sauce. Stir in sugar and more salt and pepper. It will be sweet--as it should be 🙂 Serve with rye bread--or any other bread you have around, but really, rye is the best.

Notes

You can use all ground beef if you don't have/can't find ground pork.

Nutrition

Calories: 599kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 121mg | Potassium: 1171mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 1495IU | Vitamin C: 137.9mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 3.9mg

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: German

Keyword: beef, cooking, german food, meatballs, pork, rice, stuffed peppers, stuffed peppers recipe

Stuffed Peppers Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you need to boil peppers before stuffing them? ›

Many recipes call for boiling the peppers first, but I prefer to roast them – more flavor and less cleanup! The best way is to slice the peppers in half from the stem end down through the base, remove all the seeds and membranes, and then roast the halves until they're tender-crisp.

What is a good side for stuffed bell peppers? ›

10 Best Side Dishes for Stuffed Peppers
  • 01 of 11. Garlic Spinach. ...
  • 02 of 11. Sauteed Zucchini. ...
  • 03 of 11. Grilled Corn and Red Cabbage Slaw. ...
  • 04 of 11. Fried Cauliflower (Egyptian Style) ...
  • 05 of 11. Colorful Spinach and Prosciutto Side. ...
  • 06 of 11. Ratatouille. ...
  • 07 of 11. Spinach Basil Pesto. ...
  • 08 of 11. Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
Jul 14, 2021

How do you keep stuffed peppers from getting soggy? ›

How to Prevent Watery Peppers
  1. Pre-cook Peppers. When you bake peppers that are not pre-blanched or cooked, it is normal that they release their natural water – which can be easily avoided by pre-cooking beforehand. ...
  2. Use Leftover Rice. Does this tip sound familiar to you? ...
  3. Save Cheese for the Topping.

What is the best pepper to stuff? ›

Stuffed Peppers Recipe Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make these easy stuffed peppers: Red bell peppers – Red bell peppers will always be my #1 pick. If you want to try a different color, use yellow or orange peppers, as they're sweeter than their green counterparts. Black beans – Use canned, or cook your own.

Should I cover stuffed peppers when baking reddit? ›

I cover mine with foil to start (30 to 40 minutes) with, then remove foil for the last 15 to 20 minutes to brown the tops. Starting with foil, it steams the peppers while cooking them. This is what the recipe I follow calls for and they're always very soft! This is the way.

Are you supposed to eat the pepper in stuffed peppers? ›

Cook the meat before stuffing the peppers. I also parboil my peppers so they are easier to stuff. The flavor the peppers impart to the dish is amazing. Don't forget to eat the peppers!

Why are my stuffed peppers bland? ›

The thing about most stuffed bell pepper recipes is 3that they call for salt in the filling, not for the peppers themselves. Without salt, the peppers are flabby and bland, merely a filling case. With a sprinkle of salt, they transform into a sweet and powerfully savory part of the dish.

What can I add to bell peppers for flavor? ›

14 Unique Ways To Flavor Red Bell Peppers
  1. Maple syrup and cheese offer added sweetness and umami. ...
  2. Add texture with herbed breadcrumbs. ...
  3. Marinate in salad dressing. ...
  4. Layer with pesto and cheese. ...
  5. Use your favorite chicken marinade. ...
  6. Dip raw strips into spicy peanut sauce. ...
  7. Pair with tzatziki for a Greek spin.
Jun 17, 2023

Why are my stuffed peppers hard? ›

If the peppers aren't tender when the cheese is melted, and the filling is hot, simply tent the pan with foil and continue baking until they are. Cut the Pepper in Half from Stem to End. When making stuffed peppers in the oven, I find splitting them from top to bottom best.

Why are my stuffed bell peppers watery? ›

First and foremost, it's essential to precook your peppers. Bell peppers contain more than 90% water, much of which is released during the cooking process. If you cook your stuffed peppers in one fell swoop, that moisture will release and end up in the final dish.

Why do my stuffed peppers fall apart? ›

The goal is to tenderize them before they're stuffed and baked, but generally the poor fellas are over-boiled, which results in their tendency to fall apart and, as noted, be flavorless. But peppers can have tons of flavor when given the right treatment. The trick is to roast them at high heat.

What is the number 1 pepper in the world? ›

The world's hottest pepper is the Pepper X, grown by Ed Currie of the PuckerButt Pepper Company in South Carolina. The Pepper X dethroned the Caroline Reaper (also created by Currie) in October 2023 and now holds the Guinness World Record title.

Can you freeze stuffed peppers? ›

You can absolutely freeze stuffed peppers, and they make for a really great freezer-friendly dish. It's important to make sure that your stuffing is fully cooked before it goes into the peppers and is then frozen. Go ahead and pop a pepper out of the freezer and heat it up in the oven.

Can dogs eat bell peppers? ›

Yes, dogs can eat bell peppers as a healthy, low-calorie snack on the odd occasion. They even pack a nutritional punch! As long as you clean them beforehand and remove the seeds and core, peppers can offer a series of health benefits to your dog.

Is it better to parboil peppers for stuffed peppers? ›

ANSWER: Some recipes call for blanching the peppers to soften them slightly; others do not. Green peppers at a local store were stuffed with a raw ground meat mixture and looked as though they were not boiled or blanched. If you bake peppers this way, they will take longer to cook and will hold their shape better.

Do you have to cook peppers before canning? ›

Instructions for Canning Sweet Peppers: The skins of bell peppers or sweet peppers are more tender, so they generally do not need to be blistered and peeled (thank goodness). Simple quarter or roughly chop bell peppers and cover them with water in a pot. Boil for 3 minutes, then transfer to pint or half-pint jars.

Does stuffing need to be cooked before? ›

Give stuffing a head start by heating it up before placing inside the turkey. Like the turkey, stuffing needs to reach the 165 degree mark.

How long do you boil peppers to soften them? ›

To boil bell peppers: Cook peppers, covered, in a small amount of boiling salted water for 6 to 7 minutes or until crisp-tender. To sauté bell peppers: Heat a skillet with 2 to 3 tablespoons of cooking oil over medium-high heat. Carefully add bell peppers and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes.

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