Make Stuffed Peppers without rice in 45 minutes following my easy, delicious stuffed pepper recipe. With tex-mex flavors from homemade or store bought taco seasoning and a cheesy topping, they're delicious served as they are or with a side of tortilla chips.
Jump to:
Why you will love this recipe
- It's quick and all done in 45 minutes
- It's easy with just a few simple steps
- It's hands-off with just 20 minutes of hands-on cooking
- Packed with tex-mex flavors
- Low carb, gluten free and keto approved - suits many diets
- Use store bought taco seasoning - or make it yourself
- Great reheated - you'll be very happy for leftovers!
What you need to make them
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Bell peppers: I like red, but any color will do. Yellow bell peppers are sweeter and green less so.
- Ground beef: You can use other ground meat as well. The best option is a mix of ground beef and pork, but you can also use all ground pork, ground turkey or ground chicken
- Spices: you can swap them for store bought taco seasoning, or use your favorite homemade mix
- Shredded cheese: choose a kind that melts and browns well - I like a combo of mozzarella and cheddar cheese and always go for the pre-shredded kind
- Olive oil / butter / vegetable oil will be needed to brown the beef
How to make them
- Place all the ingredients for the taco seasoning in a small bowl
- Mix well, then set aside for now
- Brown the ground beef in a pan
- Sprinkle over taco seasoning
- Pour over water
- Simmer 5 minutes on medium heat, stir occasionally
- Add cream cheese and sour cream
- Mix and simmer until well combined
- Place bell peppers in a baking dish
- Fill with ground beef mixture
- Top with shredded cheese
- Bake 30 minutes at 400°F (200°C), until cheese is melted and browned. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or a side of rice!
Tips & tricks
- Make them vegetarian by using a vegetarian ground meat alternative, or black beans
- Lower the carb count by using green bell peppers
- Adjust the seasoning to suit your taste - this version is just a tiny bit spicy
- Cut a small piece of the bottom of the bell peppers so they can stand upright
- Prep ahead by making a batch and either refrigerating them (2-3 days max) or freezing them (up to 3 months) before cooking. Cook them straight from refrigerated (add 5 minutes to the cook time) or straight from frozen (add 15 minutes to the cook time).
- Store leftover stuffed peppers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days
- Freeze leftovers to keep them for up to 3 months
- Reheat leftovers in the microwave in 1 minute increments. Cut the bell pepper in half first for quicker and more even reheating.
- Reheat leftovers in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes if refrigerated/room temperature and 45 minutes if frozen. Cover in aluminium foil and remove it just for the last 5 minutes.
Recipe FAQ
Do you have to cook meat before stuffing peppers?
You don't have to cook the meat first, but if you don't you will need to make sure it cooks fully inside the peppers. This means a longer cook time, and more risk for the peppers drying out or burning.
For this reason I recommend cooking the meat before stuffing the peppers.
Do you have to boil bell peppers before stuffing?
You don't have to boil bell peppers before stuffing them, but if you use green peppers and wish to remove some of the bitterness, you can.
To do this, boil them for 3 minutes, then place in ice water to stop them from cooking further.
Which bell pepper is healthiest?
Red peppers have the most nutrients, as they have been on the vine the longest. Green have the least nutrients, but are also the lowest in carbs, which can be important if you're on a low carb diet.
More quick weeknight dinners
Looking for more quick weeknight dinners, like these Stuffed Peppers without Rice?
- Beef Chow Fun
- Gnocchi with Bacon & Mushrooms
- Shrimp Mei Fun
- Salmon Crème Fraîche Pasta
- Baked Cod in Foil
Did you love this recipe? Rate it five stars!
...and let me know what you loved about it in the comments.
Recipe
Stuffed Peppers without Rice
Print RateServings: 4
Calories: 607kcal
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 red bell peppers or another color
- 1 Tbs vegetable oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup cream cheese
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup shredded cheese
Taco Seasoning (or use store bought / your favorite mixture)
- ½ tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
To serve
- 4 handfuls tortilla chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the taco seasoning.½ tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon paprika powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- Remove the top and core from the bell peppers, making as wide a hole as possible. Cut off a small part of the bottom so that they can stand upright. Be careful not to cut off too much, you don't want any holes in the bottom.4 red bell peppers
- Heat vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat, then place the ground beef in the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, until browned.1 Tbs vegetable oil, 1 lb ground beef
- Add the seasoning to the meat, and pour over the water. Mix well, lower the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.¼ cup water
- Add the cream cheese and sour cream to the pan and mix and simmer until well combined.½ cup cream cheese, ¾ cup sour cream
- Place the bell peppers upright in the baking dish and spoon in the beef mixture. Top with cheese.¾ cup shredded cheese
- Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden. Serve with tortilla chips.4 handfuls tortilla chips
Equipment (may contain affiliate links)
- Measuring cups (metric or US)*
- Small bowl
Notes
- Nutritional information excludes tortilla chips
- Prep ahead by making a batch and refrigerating (2-3 days max) or freezing (up to 3 months) before cooking. Cook straight from refrigerated (add 5 minutes to the cook time) or straight from frozen (add 15 minutes to the cook time).
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days
- Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months
- Reheat leftovers in the microwave (1 minute increments) or covered in the oven at 350°F / 175°C (refrgierated: 15 minutes , frozen 45 minutes)
Nutrition
Calories: 607kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 151mg | Sodium: 649mg | Potassium: 722mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4984IU | Vitamin C: 152mg | Calcium: 224mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.
Did you make this? Tag me today!Tag @alwaysusebutter and use the hashtag #alwaysusebutter!
Comments
No Comments