Stuffed Peppers with Mince and Rice

A white bowl with a red pepper stuffed with rice and ground beef

5 from 4 votes

Stuffed Peppers with Mince and Rice

Stuffed Peppers with Mince and Rice, a healthy and really easy dinner recipe with fantastic flavours. The bell peppers are stuffed with a mince and rice mixture, then boiled with the lids on until the peppers are tender, and the rice and beef and fully cooked. A classic recipe that is filling, delicious, and goes well with the whole family.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Romanian

Servings: peppers

Calories: 239kcal

Author: Daniela Apostol

Ingredients

6 bell peppers (any colour)
½ lb beef mince (250 g)
6 tablespoon long grain rice
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon tomato puree
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
4 cups beef stock/broth
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Instructions

Rinse the peppers with cold water, then cut the top in the shape of a lid, and deseed the peppers.
Arrange the peppers in a pot, making sure there is not much room between them.
In a separate pan, heat up the oil on a medium heat.
Peel and chop the onion, and sautee it gently until it softens.
Peel and chop the garlic and add it to the pan, and sautee for a further 30 seconds.
Add the ground beef, and use a wooden spoon to break it into pieces.
Cook the beef until no longer pink, and the water evaporates.
Rinse the rice with cold water, then add it to the pan together with the seasoning and herbs.
Stuff the peppers, dividing the beef mixture evenly.
Add the beef stock to the pan, making sure the peppers are nearly covered with broth, and pour some broth inside the peppers too.
Place each pepper lid back on the peppers, add the tomato puree and bay leaves to the broth, and cover the pot with a lid.
Leave to cook until the peppers and tender, but still holding shape, and the rice and beef are cooked through.
Garnish with fresh parsley or coriander.

Video

Notes

Before we start preparing the filling, we need to know exactly how many peppers are going to be used. I usually use one tablespoon of rice per pepper, and that's actually enough, given that the rice doubles its volume during cooking, plus we have the beef mixture as well.
When you pour the broth in the pan, pour some over the peppers too, before putting the lids on, the stock will help the rice cook properly. Add enough broth to nearly cover the peppers, a lot of the liquid will just evaporate during cooking, so at the end there is not much left.
It is crucial to have the peppers cook on a low to medium heat, otherwise the filling will overflow. Having the lid on means the peppers will become tender a lot quicker, so I do recommend using one.

Nutrition