One Pot Unstuffed Peppers

These unstuffed peppers are truly a one pot wonder!

Seasoned ground beef gets tossed with tomatoes and rice and a bounty of colorful sliced bell peppers!

This meal is one easy dinner that the whole family will love!

This super easy one pot meal is perfect for any night of the week. Packed with meat, rice, flavor, and bell pepper goodness you can’t help but ask for another serving or two. This recipe is so much faster and easier to throw together than actually stuffing a bell pepper, which makes it far better for busy days when you want something filling, healthy, and delicious but without a long prep time or the countless pile of dirty dishes to clean up afterward. Coming together in about 20 minutes this recipe is one of our favorite go-to’s.

What are Unstuffed Peppers?

Stuffed peppers are bell peppers that have been hollowed out and prebaked before being filled with a cooked rice and meat mixture. This unstuffed version takes all of the best parts and flavors from one of those recipes and twists it into a much faster and more convenient skillet meal that the whole family will love. Made in just one pan and packed with so much goodness like rice, colorful bell peppers, meat, seasonings, and onions, there’s nothing in this dish that doesn’t sound delicious!

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• Chopped onions
• Minced garlic
• Ground beef
• Salt
• Oregano
• Basil
• Beef broth
• Crushed tomatoes
• Tomato pasta
• Basmati rice
• Red pepper
• Yellow pepper
• Orange pepper

For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.

How to Make One Pot Unstuffed Peppers

1. Heat your olive oil in a large deep-sided skillet over medium heat.
2. Add in the onions, and garlic, sauteing until the onions are translucent.
3. add in the ground beef. crumbling and cooking it until it is no longer pink.
4. season with salt, pepper, oregano, and basil.
5. stir in the beef broth, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste until well mixed.
6. Bring the mixture to a boil and add in the rice.
7. Cover the pan and reduce the heat. Cook for about 10-15 minutes or until the rice has absorbed the liquid.
8. Add your peppers to the mixture just a few minutes before the rice has finished cooking. The heat from the meat mixture helps to soften the peppers a bit, but they still have a firm enough texture that they are pleasing.
9. Serve warm and enjoy!

Recipe Tips

• You can use any type of rice desired for this dish but the cooking time might vary depending on the rice of your choice. Unless I am making risotto, I almost exclusively use basmati rice. I prefer the texture and the taste of it, but you could use whatever rice you prefer or have on hand.
• Using green peppers is okay, but I like the colorful variety of adding in the red and the yellow to the pot. I also used the colored bell peppers in this Italian Stuffed Pepper recipe and this Grilled Stuffed Pepper Recipe. Those sweet peppers made a huge difference in taste!

FAQs

Can you freeze unstuffed peppers?

Yes, this dish does quite well in the freezer making it perfect for a make ahead meal or storing leftovers. You can keep store your leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Then to reheat, place it in a covered pot over medium-low heat until warmed through and enjoy. You may wish to add in a little water or a few pads of butter to help give the dish some moisture as it cooks.

What bell pepper is the healthiest?

Red bell peppers have the most nutrition because they sit on the view for the longest amount of time which means that they have more time to soak in the nutrients. They are also packed with beta-carotene and vitamin c. If you are looking to make this dish healthier, opt for the brighter bell peppers.

Continue to Content

Yield: 6

One Pot Unstuffed Peppers

Print

Seasoned ground beef gets tossed with tomatoes and rice and a bounty of colorful sliced bell peppers! This meal is one easy dinner that the whole family will love!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped onions
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 lbs ground beef, I used Simple Truth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 32 oz carton beef broth, I used Kroger Brand
• 1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes, I used Simple Truth
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste, I used Simple Truth
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 orange pepper, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet that has been placed over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sautee until translucent. Add ground beef. Crumble and cook beef until no longer pink. Season beef with salt, pepper, oregano and basil. Stir in beef broth, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste.
2. Bring beef mixture to a boil, stir in rice, cover and reduce heat. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until rice has absorbed, adding peppers a few minutes before rice has finished cooking.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 540Total Fat 28gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 13gCholesterol 135mgSodium 1181mgCarbohydrates 25gFiber 2gSugar 5gProtein 46g

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