Easy Meat & Rice Stuffed Peppers

This super easy, Eastern European recipe for stuffed peppers is bound to become a family favorite! It’s made with sweet bell peppers, juicy ground beef, rice, carrots and of course, dill! My Ukrainian family has been making this dish for decades and it never gets old. It’s one of those warming, comfort food recipes that you just keep coming back to, especially during the cold winter months! This dish calls for loads of fresh dill, which is the quintessential Slavic seasoning for any savory dish!

How To Make Stuffed Peppers

For my stuffed peppers recipe, I always use sweet, red bell peppers. I love the sweet flavor of red peppers! You can also use yellow or orange peppers; however, I don’t recommend green peppers – they tend to be a bit bitter.  You can even use this recipe with mini bell peppers! Make sure to scoop out all the seeds and the inner white part. The white part contains flavin, which can cause stomach aches and tastes bitter.

Beef & Rice Filling

For the juiciest filling, I recommend using 85% lean ground beef. I love using this higher fat content meat because the fat adds even more flavor. This recipe will work with just about any type of meat – chicken, turkey, pork or even lamb. Whichever meat you chose to go with, the filling will always come out juicy because of the baking method I use to cook these peppers.

The addition of the rice in stuffed peppers is also important! You don’t want too little or too much but it’s important to add, otherwise the beef filling would be too heavy. This recipe makes approximately 6 to 7 stuffed peppers. If you’re making this dish for just two, like in my case, just refrigerate the leftovers and reheat in a frying pan the next day!

How To Serve

This easy dinner recipe is delicious on its own but I like to add a few extras on the side! There’s a certain way that I always serve these – with a generous dollop of sour cream on top, with a side of small pickles, marinated tomatoes and toasted bread. If you want to experience traditional Eastern European cuisine, enjoy it this way!

Preparation and Storage Tips

• Make Ahead: This is a great prep-ahead meal. You can assemble the bell peppers, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. Allow the dish to come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before baking according to recipe instructions. Since the peppers and filling might still be cool, you may need to increase the baking time by about 10 minutes.
• How to Freeze: You can freeze the stuffed peppers before or after baking. Wrapped tightly, they will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Leftovers will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
• How to Reheat: Cover loosely with foil and bake in a 350°F oven until heated through. If baking from frozen, you’ll need to increase the total baking time by at least 30 minutes.

  Ingredients

  • 6 to 7 medium-sized red bell pepper
  • 1 cup white rice, uncooked
  • 1 pound ground meat
  • 2 to 3 medium-sized carrots, grated
  • 1 extra-large onion, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill
  • 2 teaspoons chopped parsley
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

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