Colorful stuffed peppers are made with lean ground beef, sweet Italian sausage, white rice, and shredded mozzarella cheese mixed into a tomato base. They’re a nutritious yet satisfying meal the whole family will love.

Why this recipe works

Stuffed peppers are a classic. Hollowed out bell peppers just beg for a stuffing of meat, cheese, and rice. When baked, the peppers become ultra tender and create the perfect vehicle for the cheesy beef and rice combination. With the bell peppers being nutrient-packed and the lean ground sirloin with sweet Italian sausage being a great source of low-fat protein, you won’t feel so guilty enjoying something so comforting!

For a vegetarian-friendly option, check out our enchilada stuffed peppers that use quinoa and beans for protein and are loaded with flavor!

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

FILLING – We are using ground sirloin as it has a lower fat content, which means less shrinkage. Mixing ground beef and Italian sausage is something we do in a lot of our recipes, but if you would prefer to use all of one or the other, feel free to do so.

PEPPERS – Choose bell peppers that are vibrant or deeper in color with a shiny exterior. You can use whichever color bell pepper you enjoy the most for this recipe. Green bell peppers are the least ripe, while red is the ripest and juiciest. Yellow and orange bell peppers are somewhere in the middle with yellow being known as the sweetest. All of which are fantastic for this recipe!

RICE – This recipe is perfect for using up leftover rice as you’ll want the rice to be cooked before stuffing into the peppers. You can also use brown or jasmine rice in its place.

How to Make Stuffed Peppers

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Cut the tops off all the peppers and hollow out the insides.

EXPERT TIP – After cutting the tops off the peppers, you can use the tip of a knife to cut out the stem, providing you with a decorative top for your peppers which makes for great presentation! You can easily remove the white pith from the insides of the pepper by holding the pepper in your hand upright and using a small spoon to scrape the pith off the sides and out of the pepper.
Boil or steam peppers before stuffing them. Steam for 15 minutes, or drop into boiling water and cook for 10 minutes.
In a large skillet, combine ground sirloin, Italian sausage, onion, smoked paprika, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the garlic salt. Cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, using a spatula or wooden spoon to break up the meat as it cooks. Drain any excess fat (there shouldn’t be much since you are using ground sirloin).
To the cooked meat, add cooked rice, tomato sauce, and remaining garlic salt. Stir to combine.
Place each pepper into a baking pan.
Fill each pepper halfway with meat mixture and top with cheese, leaving room for a second layer. Repeat with more meat mixture and top with more cheese.
Bake stuffed peppers in preheated oven for 20 minutes. If you would like the cheese browned, you can put them under the broiler for 1-2 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

Do I have to cook the peppers first?

Steaming or blanching the peppers cuts down on bake time significantly. The oven is basically used to melt the cheese topping. If you choose not to cook the peppers first, you will need to increase the bake time by about 20-25 minutes. We recommend boiling or steaming the peppers first as a longer bake time could result in dried out filling.

How do I store leftover stuffed peppers?

Store fully cooled leftovers in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Serving Suggestions

Pair your stuffed peppers up with a light side like broccoli, green beans, roasted carrots, corn, or a nice salad for a delicious budget friendly meal. You can also opt for something a little heartier on the side like mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, or dinner rolls. Serve warm from the oven and enjoy!

More Related Recipes

Looking for more ground beef ideas? See our collection of 90 best ground beef recipes here.

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