With classic flavors, but much less work, this Unstuffed Peppers recipe is a 20-minute family dinner winner. Plus, the skillet stuffed peppers method needs only one pan and minimal clean up!
I love the flavors of classic stuffed peppers, but the whole having to cook the filling and then bake it inside the peppers is far too much work when I’m making a weeknight family dinner.
This skillet version uses similar ingredients for the same flavors, but serves them up in a deconstructed style for a much shorter cooking time.
Plus, serving Unstuffed Peppers also makes it easy for the kids to see what’s in the dinner, which can be helpful if they’re naturally skeptical of casserole-type foods like classic stuffed peppers.
Why this Recipe Works
You can sauté ground beef or turkey with chopped bell peppers, then add spices and top with shredded cheese for a fast, flavorful, and kid-friendly version of stuffed peppers.
Table of Contents
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Ingredients You Need
To make this Skillet Stuffed Peppers recipe, you need to have the following ingredients on hand.
- Bell peppers: I usually slice up fresh ones, but you can use frozen pre-sliced peppers if you prefer to cut down on the prep work.
- Ground beef: You can use any type of ground beef, just drain off any excess fat if needed. You can also use ground turkey or ground chicken if you prefer.
- Crushed tomatoes: I usually use plain crushed tomatoes, but if you want more flavor, you can go with crushed tomatoes with added basil and Italian spices.
- Onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, and salt: These add classic Italian flavor to the mixture without any additional chopping.
- Rice: Any kind of rice you like works here, whether white rice like jasmine or basmati or brown rice, either short-grain or long-grain.
- Shredded cheese: I use mozzarella, but you can use what you have or enjoy most.
Featured Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Delicious, my husband and I loved it. But most importantly our 12 month old really enjoyed it. She ate it all up!” —Kirstyn
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the process involved in making this Unstuffed Peppers recipe so you know what to expect. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the full information.
Step 1. Dice the peppers (or use precut ones from the store.)
Step 2. Warm a large skillet, then add the beef, the peppers, and spices.
Step 3. Add the tomatoes. Cover and cook until the peppers are soft and the beef is cooked through.
Step 4. Remove lid, stir, serve over rice and top with cheese, if desired.
TIP: Our other favorite skillet meals include my Skillet Lasagna, homemade Hamburger Helper, Easy Sloppy Joe’s, and Cheeseburger Pasta.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure, I like to make it with jasmine or short grain brown rice, but you can also serve this with quinoa, millet, pasta, noodles, or even boiled potatoes.
I like to keep them larger so the kids can skip right over them if they want to, but you could cook the beef separately, then cook the peppers and tomatoes in the same pan and puree it smooth.
No, you can skip it if needed or if preferred. Though it’s really yummy with shredded cheese or even crumbled feta or goat cheese.
How to Store
Store any leftover Unstuffed Peppers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Warm to serve. You can also prep the peppers ahead of time by dicing and storing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The rice can also be cooked up to 5 days ahead and stored in the fridge.
Best Tips for Success
- Cut the peppers to be similar in size so they cook evenly.
- Adults may like this with crushed red pepper or shredded fresh basil on top.
- Try my one-pan pasta recipes for more easy dinner recipes.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe so please leave a rating or comment below!
Unstuffed Peppers (aka Skillet Stuffed Peppers)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups rice (uncooked; or use fully cooked rice from the store)
- 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
- 4 cups sliced bell peppers (cores discarded; about 4 peppers)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 15 ounces crushed tomatoes
- Shredded mozzarella and basil (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the rice according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, warm a large skillet over medium heat. Add the beef, breaking up with a wooden spoon, the peppers, and spices. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes.
- Remove lid, stir, and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Serve over rice and top with cheese and basil, if desired.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Cut the peppers to be similar in size so they cook evenly.
- Cook with the lid on, as directed, to trap in steam and cook everything more quickly.
- Serve over your family’s favorite rice.
- Top with cheese if desired.
- Adults may like this with crushed red pepper on top.
- You can make the rice and cook the filling, and store them in the fridge until dinnertime. You can also make each component up to 3 days ahead and simply reheat when you’re ready to serve.
Nutrition
This post was first published April 2018.
I somewhat puree it for my baby & pair it with pasta. It’s tastes like spaghetti.
Excellent. Sub with any meat and vegetables and still a great meal
I want to try to make this tonight! Do you think it would freeze well?
Sure!
Another winner! My family loved it and it we’ll be making it again. Thanks, Amy!
I’m a new grandmother and when my one-year-old granddaughter visits I need to have good meals for her. I found your site and made this dish tonight. Your recipe was clear and I had the ingredients handy. It came together quickly. I am glad it can be reheated since I need it for tomorrow and wanted to make it ahead of time. I tasted a small sample over jasmine rice and topped with shredded cheese and it was delicious! I like that it is something she can eat and we adults can also enjoy. I will return for more recipes for sure!
I don’t have quite enough peppers to make this, so you think some zucchini would be okay?
Sure!
Delicious, my husband and I loved it. But most importantly our 12 month old really enjoyed it. She ate it all up!
So glad to hear it!
I cut the recipe in half-ish (2 bell peppers, half the spices, but I did use a whole can of diced tomatoes (not crushed.) I used meatballs I already had in the freezer. I used a 90 second microwave bag of brown rice. I served my 23 month old the components of meatball, pepper, tomato, rice, and mozzarella cheese stick in a deconstructed way….he ate the rice and the cheese stick. He ate some of the rice with the tomato mixture from my plate if I fed him off my fork. At least I offered him veggies. I enjoyed the meal with some Colby jack cheese (what I had shredded). I turned out a lot tastier than I thought it would as I stood agonizing what to make for dinner for us.
Easy to make and tasty for the whole family.
Love this easy yummy dinner! I’ve made it with chicken as well as beef. I prefer beef but the chicken was also good!
Thanks for all your recipes, your site is a life-saver!
Going to try this for dinner – realize I don’t have garlic powder, could I use minced garlic? If not, and I sub all the seasonings for Italian, how much Italian seasoning should I use?
Hi- yes, you can use minced garlic. I’d use 1-2 cloves depending on how much you like it. And I’d start with 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. You could probably bump it to 2, but I like to start with less and then taste it at the end and add more as needed.
Thanks so much!
I’ve made this several times and we love it! I wondered if you have ever tried it in the slow cooker? With the nice weather now my son wants to stay outside and enjoy every minute of the day (but he’s not old enough yet to be outside alone). Thought this could be a great walk in the door and serve recipe too! Any suggestions on if/how to do this would be appreciated!
Hi- I haven’t done it that way, but I bet you could. I would try about 7 hours on low. It may wind up a little saucier since nothing will evaporate, but you can adjust once you see how it turns out that first time. I hope that helps (and I totally get wanting to be outside more!)
You don’t need to drain the meat grease?
You can if there is a lot of it!
Super easy and so stinking good! I only had 2 peppers left in my fridge and used 1/2 c of uncooked rice instead of the 1 1/2 c — same amount of seasoning. All still perfectly delicious!