Baked Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef and Rice — Pimientos Rellenos

Versión en Español

Baked stuffed peppers are bell pepper halves roasted at 180°C (356°F) for 20 minutes and peeled, filled with ground beef cooked with onion, garlic, and parsley and mixed with cooked rice, topped with Parmesan, and gratinated for about 10 minutes. They take 20 minutes of preparation and 50 minutes of cooking, and serve 4.

A simple dish with a colorful presentation, especially if you mix pepper colors.

How to Make Stuffed Bell Peppers?

Use lean ground beef with 4 to 7% fat and large, firm peppers in the colors you like. Roasting them first softens them and lets you peel them.

Nutritional Information

Each serving of stuffed peppers contains approximately 350 kcal, 20 g of protein, 20 g of fat (7 g saturated), 75 mg of cholesterol, 30 g of carbohydrates, 5 g of sugars, and 500 mg of sodium. These values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.

Baked Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 50 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 500 g (1.1 lb) of ground beef
• 4 large bell peppers
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of minced garlic
• 1 cup of cooked rice
• 1 teaspoon of dried parsley
• Fresh parsley
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• Fine salt
• Black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Cut the peppers in half crosswise, remove the insides, and place them cut side down in a baking dish. Drizzle with a little olive oil and roast for 20 minutes, until the skin browns and blisters.

2. Remove from the oven, let cool, and carefully peel off the skin with your fingers. In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium high, sauté the onions until translucent without browning, then add the garlic, ground beef, and dried parsley and cook for 15 more minutes.

3. Stir in the cooked rice, season with salt and pepper, and mix well. Fill the peppers with the beef and rice mixture, sprinkle with grated Parmesan, and arrange them in an oiled baking dish.

4. Bake at 180°C (356°F) for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is gratinated. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve right away, on their own or with a side.

Additional Tips

Vegetarian filling

Leave out the meat or use plant based meat, mushrooms, or zucchini.

Keep them whole

Choose firm, fresh peppers, cut with a sharp knife, and do not press too hard when removing the seeds; precooking makes them flexible but sturdy.

Rice alternatives

Use quinoa, couscous, millet, mashed potatoes, or brown rice.

Make ahead

Refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze cooked, wrapped individually; thaw in the fridge and reheat in the oven or microwave.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Why roast the peppers before filling them?

Roasting softens them and lets you remove the skin. Cut them in half crosswise, clean them, and roast cut side down with olive oil for 20 minutes at 180°C until the skin browns and blisters; peel when cool.

2. Is the rice raw or cooked?

Cooked. One cup of cooked rice is mixed into the beef cooked with onion, garlic, and parsley; since the filling goes in ready, the final bake just gratinates the Parmesan, about 10 minutes at 180°C.

3. Which ground beef is best?

Ground beef with 4 to 7% fat. The recipe uses 500 g for 4 large peppers, cooked about 15 minutes with the onion, garlic, and dried parsley.

4. Which pepper color is best?

Use the color you like, or mix several for a more colorful dish. They should be large and firm so they hold up to roasting and filling.

Benefits of Bell Peppers

Bell peppers are a good source of fiber and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and carotenoids, with few calories and a good potassium to sodium ratio.

Did You Know?

Peppers originated in Mesoamerica, where the plant was domesticated more than 6,000 years ago and wild varieties still grow.

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