Simple and Tasty Classic Meat Stuffed Bell Peppers

Total time: 60 min

Difficulty: Low

Serves: 4 people

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By Jennifer Philipp

These Meat Stuffed Bell Peppers are a take on classic stuffed bell peppers that include a spiced meat filling. The meat mixture in this recipe includes a combination of your favorite ground meat, cheese, milk, breadcrumbs, and seasonings, which complement the sweetness of roasted bell pepper perfectly. These meat stuffed bell peppers make a wonderful main dish as they include both your meat and vegetables, although you could serve them with a side salad as well. If you have never made stuffed bell peppers before, rest assured that it is very easy! First, you soak bread in milk to soften it before stirring in the ground meat, cheese, parmesan, eggs, parsley, and salt. Then, the meat mixture gets stuffed into hollowed bell peppers before they are coated in olive oil and baked with some garlic and rosemary. They are hearty enough to eat on their own for a main meal or to have with accompanying side dishes!

What are Meat Stuffed Bell Peppers?

There are many different types of stuffed bell peppers around the world, but this version is most similar to the Calabrian version, peperoni ripieni. It typically involves a meat mixture filled with fresh herbs, breadcrumbs, cheese, and tomato, and sometimes anchovies or hard-boiled eggs. This meat stuffed bell peppers recipe doesn’t include tomatoes, anchovies, or eggs, but it is no less delicious.

Pro Tips

This recipe is a great place to use stale bread that you may no longer want to eat. Soaking the bread in milk helps rehydrate it so it blends with the meat mixture. It helps bind the meat together while also giving it a tender texture.
Use whatever your favorite type of ground meat is. Beef or pork are classic options, but if you prefer something leaner, you can choose ground chicken or turkey instead.
Feel free to use your favorite shredded cheese in this recipe, such as mozzarella or provolone.
Reserve the pepper tops for another use such as a soup or stir-fry.
To determine the doneness of the peppers, test the meat filling with an instant-read thermometer. If it reads 165 F (73.8 C), you will know they are done.

What to Serve with Meat Stuffed Bell Peppers?

These meat stuffed bell peppers are a complete meal on their own but you can feel free to serve them with different side dishes as well. They are particularly good served with a fresh salad, rice pilaf, or roasted potatoes.

How Can I Make Meat Stuffed Bell Peppers Dairy-Free?

If you or someone you would like to serve these to can’t have dairy, you can easily replace the milk with your favorite plant-based milk and the cheeses with plant-based cheeses or nutritional yeast.

Should I Cook The Peppers Before Stuffing Them With Meat?

Peppers don’t necessarily need to be pre-cooked before stuffing, but it depends on the texture you prefer. If you like a firmer, slightly crisp bite, stuffing them raw (as in this recipe) works well since they soften while baking. However, for extra tender peppers, you can blanch or roast them briefly before stuffing, which helps them cook faster and absorb more flavor.

What Type of Meat Should I Use in Stuffed Bell Peppers?

Ground beef or ground pork are the most common varieties of ground meat for bell peppers, but you could use other types of meat as well. Ground chicken or turkey are excellent options when you are looking for something higher in protein but lower in fat, whereas ground sausage is great if you would like a richer filling to your stuffed peppers.

Can I Make Mini Stuffed Peppers?

Absolutely! If you can find mini peppers in your local grocery store or farmer’s market, you can use them to make mini peppers that work beautifully as an appetizer. To stuff them, simply cut them in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and white ribbing, and stuff them with the meat mixture before baking them. They will likely require less time to bake than if you were to make the full-sized peppers.

How to Store Meat Stuffed Bell Peppers

Your leftover bell peppers can be stored in a sealed container or platter covered in plastic wrap in the fridge, but they should be consumed within 3 to 5 days of you making them. Freezing them isn’t recommended as it may result in the peppers having a soggy texture.