Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers are a beloved classic across Eastern Europe, a dish that brings a sense of warmth and comfort to any dinner table. Each hollowed-out bell pepper becomes a perfect vessel for a savory filling of seasoned ground meat and rice, all gently simmered in a rich and flavorful tomato sauce. This recipe is the epitome of home cooking – hearty, satisfying, and surprisingly simple to prepare. It's a wonderful way to turn everyday ingredients into a memorable meal that the whole family will love.

Stuffed peppers

Cooking: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Quantity: 4 Servings

Per serving

Calories: 425 kcal

Proteins: 12 g

Fats: 22 g

Carbohydrates: 43 g

Ingredients for Stuffed Peppers (for 1 kg / 2.2 lbs of bell peppers)

• 1 cup of rice
• 200-300 g (about 1/2 lb) of ground meat
• 1-2 medium onions
• 3-5 small carrots
• 2-3 tomatoes or 50 g (about 3.5 tbsp) of tomato paste
• Salt
• Ground black pepper and peppercorns, to taste
• Sunflower oil
• Fresh herbs (like dill or parsley)

How to Make Stuffed Peppers

First, let’s cook the rice for the filling. Use a ratio of 1 part rice to 2 or slightly more parts water. Add salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat, slightly offset the lid to prevent it from boiling over, and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice has absorbed most of the water. Then, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Even if the rice is a bit firm, it will finish cooking inside the peppers.

Cooking the rice

Transfer the cooked rice to a wide bowl to cool down.

Meanwhile, let’s prepare the sautéed vegetable base for the filling and the sauce. Heat sunflower oil in a skillet and sauté the finely chopped onion for 1-2 minutes. Then, add the coarsely grated carrot and continue to sauté, stirring, for another couple of minutes. Finally, add the tomato paste or sieved tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, cook for another 1-2 minutes, and then turn off the heat.

Sautéing onions and carrots

In a bowl, combine the rice, ground meat, and half of the sautéed vegetable base. Add chopped fresh herbs, salt, and pepper, and mix well.

Prepare the peppers: rinse them and remove the stems, cores, and seeds.

Cleaning the peppers

Now, if you plan to stew the peppers on the stovetop, you can start stuffing them. If you want to bake them in the oven, you should blanch the peppers first by submerging them in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Otherwise, the baked peppers might remain slightly crunchy. After blanching, drain them in a colander and wait for them to cool.

Fill the peppers with the stuffing and arrange them in a pot with about 2-3 cm (about 1 inch) of water at the bottom. The water should not cover the peppers completely – you can even layer them in 2-3 rows.

Placing the stuffed peppers in a pot for stewing

To bake in the oven, place the stuffed peppers in a baking dish, also with a little water at the bottom. Spread the remaining sauce over the top, cover with foil, and bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 40-45 minutes.

On the stovetop, cook the stuffed peppers covered over medium heat for 25-30 minutes, until tender (test with the tip of a knife). When the peppers are almost soft, spread the second half of the sautéed vegetable base over them – this will create a delicious sauce.

After bringing the peppers to a semi-cooked state, add the second half of the sautéed vegetables

For extra flavor, you can add a bay leaf and a few peppercorns. Simmer the stuffed peppers with the sauce for another couple of minutes, and they are ready.

Stuffed peppers