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Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers

Shadi HasanzadeNemati

4.86 from 14 votes

Oct 11, 2019, Updated Apr 06, 2020

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Mediterranean stuffed peppers are filled with delicious spices and are perfect for a family weeknight dinner. Bring the flavors of the Mediterranean to your table with this tasty healthy stuffed peppers recipe. 

We love stuffed peppers for lunch or dinner. You can make spicy stuffed peppers, Mexican stuffed peppers and Italian stuffed peppers. They’re all easy and simple to make. This Mediterranean stuffed peppers recipe is another delicious recipe that you can enjoy for lunch or dinner. 

Mediterranean stuffed peppers

Like many other Mediterranean recipes, this stuffed peppers recipe is great for time that you’re looking for an easy recipe that’s packed with wonderful flavors. The combination of cinnamon, cumin and cardamom gives a wonderful aroma to the stuffed peppers filling and will take the classic stuffed peppers recipe to a whole new level.

What makes this stuffed peppers recipe a winner?

This is my all time favorite baked stuffed peppers recipe for a few reasons:

• It’s easy: The steps are very simple and any home cook can whip it up in no time.
• Flavors: Just like my stuffed acorn squash, this recipe is a flavor party! We’re talking cinnamon and cardamom in a savory dish. It gives a subtle warmth to the dish.
• Versatility: You can add or leave out some of the ingredients based on your preference or what you have at hand.

So, if you’re looking for an easy stuffed peppers recipe that is also super delicious, your search ends here. This is the ultimate stuffed peppers recipe!

Stuffed peppers ingredients

To make these Mediterranean stuffed peppers you need the following ingredients: 

• Bell peppers: I love using colorful peppers like red, orange and yellow bell peppers for this recipe. Of course, green bell pepper works just as fine. 
• Onion
• Ground beef: Lean ground beef is preferred in this recipe. 
• Spices: Cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, paprika and salt. 
• Tomato paste
• Rice: The recipe calls for cooked rice. Leftover rice is perfect for stuffed peppers recipe. 

And of course, you will need some kitchen staples such as olive oil, broth, garlic and fresh herbs. This is such an easy stuffed peppers recipe and you can make it easily at home. I love making this recipe for meal prep and enjoy it through the week. 

Do you have to boil bell peppers before stuffing?

You don’t have to “boil” the bell peppers necessarily but I do steam them for about ten to fifteen minutes while I’m preparing the filling. Steaming bell peppers makes the process of cooking a bit faster and also helps the stuffed bell peppers keep their shape and color while they’re cooking in the oven.

Learn more about bell peppers and how to pick and store them. 

How to make stuffed peppers in the oven

• Prepare the bell peppers: Wash the peppers and cut the top part. Empty the seeds and clean the inside. Bring a pot of water to boil and place a colander on it. Place the bell peppers in the colander and put the lid on. Steam the bell peppers for 10 to 15 minutes. 
• Make the Mediterranean rice and beef filling: While the bell peppers are steaming, saute onion and garlic in some olive oil and add the ground beef and cook until completely browned. Add in the spices, cooked rice and tomato paste and cook for some more minutes.
• Fill the bell peppers: Stuff the peppers with the filling and place them in a baking dish. Top with some olives and pour vegetable broth in the dish. Cover and bake in the oven until the peppers are soft to taste. Enjoy warm out of the oven!

These healthy stuffed peppers are absolutely perfect for a weeknight dinner especially if you’re trying to eat healthy but also delicious food.

How long to cook stuffed peppers?

It usually takes about 45 minutes to one hour for stuffed peppers to cook completely. The stuffed peppers are ready when the peppers are fork tender and soft. 

Can I make stuffed peppers ahead of time? 

Yes, you can make these Mediterranean stuffed peppers ahead of time. Follow the recipe and stuff the bell peppers with the filling. Place the bell peppers in the oven safe dish but don’t add the broth. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. When ready to cook, add the broth to the dish and bake as instructed. 

Can I freeze stuffed peppers?

Yes! Follow the instructions to cook the stuffed peppers and then freeze them in an airtight freezer safe dish for up to 2 months. To serve, bake the frozen stuffed peppers in the oven at 350F for twenty to thirty minutes until they’re heated through.

Can I make these without rice?

To make stuffed peppers without rice, use quinoa, couscous or bulgur instead of rice. Follow my instructions on how to make couscous, and mix with the browned ground beef and the spices. As for the quinoa and the bulgur, you can use the instructions on the packaging.

What to serve with stuffed peppers

While these delicious easy stuffed peppers are a whole meal on their own, we love having them with a s light side dish. You can serve these Mediterranean stuffed peppers with so many delicious side dishes including:

• Fattoush Salad 
• Tabboule Salad
• Roasted vegetables
• Mediterranean Couscous Salad
• Greek Tzatziki sauce
• Mediterranean salad
• Cucumber tomato feta salad 

Notes and tips to make this recipe

• Use orange, red and yellow bell peppers as they are sweeter when cooked.
• Use lean ground beef for this stuffed peppers recipe. I used 90% lean ground beef.
• This stuffed bell peppers recipe calls for vegetable stock but you can also use chicken broth.
• You can top these Mediterranean stuffed peppers with crumbled feta cheese. 
• Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. 

4.86 from 14 votes

Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers

By Shadi HasanzadeNemati

Bring the flavors of the Mediterranean to your table with this tasty stuffed peppers recipe. Mediterranean stuffed peppers are filled with delicious spices and are perfect for a family weeknight dinner.

Prep: 30 minutes mins

Cook: 45 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

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Ingredients 

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• ▢ 6 bell peppers, orange, yellow and red
• ▢ 2 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
• ▢ 1 large onion, diced
• ▢ 1/2 lb ground beef, 90% lean
• ▢ 1 tsp cinnamon
• ▢ 1/2 tsp cumin
• ▢ 1/4 tsp cardamom
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 1 tsp paprkia
• ▢ 1/2 tsp salt
• ▢ 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ▢ 1 1/2 cup cooked white rice
• ▢ 1 cup broth
• ▢ 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• ▢ 1 cup olives, to top

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Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 375F. 
• Cut the top of the bell peppers, clean out the seeds and set them aside.
• Bring a pot of water to boil and steam the bell peppers for almost 5 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute onion until translucent. 
• Add ground beef to the onion and cook it until it’s brown. 
• Add in cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, mined garlic, paprika and salt. 
• Add tomato paste and mix well until fully combined. 
• Add in cooked white rice and combine. 
• Fill the bell peppers with the filling, top with olives and parsley. Place the top part of the bell peppers on as lids and place the bell peppers in an oven safe dish.
• Pour the broth into the dish and cover with aluminum foil. 
• Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes until the bell peppers are soft to your preference.
• Serve warm. 

Notes

• You can use garlic powder instead of minced garlic. 
• You can use ground turkey instead of ground beef.

Nutrition

Serving: 6servings | Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 461mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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