Stuffed Peppers with Ground Meat and Tomato Sauce

Here comes a simple recipe for stuffed peppers with ground meat, rice and tomato sauce.

This classic recipe of Austrian cuisine is from my grandma and is simpler and more suitable for everyday use than other traditional recipes, because the peppers are not blanched beforehand and the tomato sauce is prepared without a roux.

To be able to prepare the dish even if you don't have so much time, you can cook the rice the day before (to another dish for example).

Jump to:

• What sets this recipe apart from the traditional recipes for stuffed peppers?
• Instructions for preparation
• Stuffed peppers with rice and tomato sauce in the oven
• How to cook stuffed peppers in a pot
• How long to cook stuffed peppers in a pot?
• Roast ground meat before filling stuffed peppers?
• Side dishes for stuffed peppers
• Similar Recipes
• How to freeze Stuffed Peppers
• Shelf Life & How to Reheat Stuffed Peppers
• Stuffed Peppers with Ground Meat and Tomato Sauce

What sets this recipe apart from the traditional recipes for stuffed peppers?

In most traditional recipes for Stuffed Peppers, the peppers are left in hot water for 10-20 minutes to soften them. This step is left out here, therfore the baking time is longer.

Some other stuffed bell pepper recipes require more preparation time for the tomato sauce, which is also simplified in this recipe.

Instructions for preparation

• Whether the specified amount of meat and rice fits exactly into the peppers depends strongly on their size. Who wants to play it safe, can buy 1-2 peppers extra.
• If you have leftover rice that is already cooked, you can count on about 2 US cups {~400 g} of rice. This corresponds approximately to the amount of ⅔ US cups {~125 g} of raw rice.
• I use a lot of parsley for my stuffing mix because I like it when traditional comfort food gets a fresh touch with more greens.
• For an extra portion of vegetable protein, half or all of the minced meat can also be replaced with cooked lentils. In this case, the seasoning should be a little stronger.
• Instead of the rice, quinoa, millet or similar can also be used.

The recipe at the bottom of this post can be made both in the oven and in a pot. In the oven, however, the peppers get a more roasted flavor and taste more aromatic overall.

Stuffed peppers with rice and tomato sauce in the oven

The following recipe is designed for the oven, but the peppers can also be stewed in a pot.

For instructions on how to make Stuffed Peppers with Ground Meat and Tomato Sauce in the oven, see the recipe card below.

JUMP TO RECIPE

For instructions on cooking in a pot, see the next paragraph.

How to cook stuffed peppers in a pot

Alternatively, you can braise the stuffed peppers in the pot. To do this, mix the filling shown in the recipe below and then stuff the peppers. Layer them in a large (or two smaller) pots. The peppers should be close together in the pot so they don't fall over. Pour tomato sauce just under the edge of the Stuffed Peppers and add the seasonings. If the tomato sauce is not enough, you can top up with a little extra water.

How long to cook stuffed peppers in a pot?

The cooking time for Stuffed Peppers in a pot depends greatly on the size of the peppers, but is similar to the oven, about 45-60 minutes. The Stuffed Peppers are done when the ground meat is cooked through. To test this, it is best to check the middle of the filling after the cooking time and see if the meat is still raw.

Roast ground meat before filling stuffed peppers?

For a shorter cooking time with crispy peppers that are firm to the bite, the minced meat can also be sautéed in the pan with the onions beforehand. Then, however, the meat becomes firmer and the consistency of the filling is not quite the same ;).

Side dishes for stuffed peppers

Stuffed peppers with tomato sauce go particularly well with potatoes as a side dish. However, since the filling already contains rice anyway, an additional side dish is not absolutely necessary.

The classic side dish for stuffed peppers with tomato sauce is boiled potatoes. For the boiled potato, the potatoes are peeled and boiled until soft with a good amount of salt. Alternatively, the potatoes can be cooked unpeeled (especially if the skin is still nice). This preserves more nutrients and is more practical if the cooked potatoes are to remain fresh the next day after cooking.

Other possible side dishes are parsley potatoes or baked potatoes from the oven. Also "crispy smashed potatoes", which are already cooked the day before, mashed with skin and then roasted in the oven with olive oil fit well.

Leftover cooked rice or similar grains such as quinoa, millet, etc. can also be served as a side dish.

Similar Recipes

How to freeze Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers can be frozen in a container along with the tomato sauce. However, because the stuffing takes a relatively long time to reheat, they are not the ideal dish to freeze.

To thaw, store in the refrigerator overnight and heat in the oven the next day. Because it takes a long time for the stuffing to get hot, in that case I recommend cutting the peppers in half. They then taste very good with some grated cheese on top.

Alternatively, cook them in the microwave (be sure to cover!), in a small pot with a little extra water, or heat them in the defrost function of your steamer.

Shelf Life & How to Reheat Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days. However, because the inside takes a relatively long time to reheat, I recommend cutting the peppers in half when reheating them. The halved peppers also taste very good with some grated cheese on top.

Be sure to cover when reheating in the microwave because the tomato sauce likes to explode. ;D In the oven, they dry out a bit when reheated, so covering them (or sprinkling them with cheese 😉 also helps here. In the oven, you can also add some extra water to the tomato sauce.

Some ovens and steamers have a reheat function, which heats the dishes with steam and thus saves them from drying out.