This classic recipe has been a family favorite for decades! No tomato sauce; V-8 juice is used instead. You won't believe the difference in flavor!!
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- Stuffed bell peppers are a hearty, inexpensive meal that can easily be made ahead or frozen for another time.
- This easy recipe is great for making on the weekends and warming up as needed during those weeks when everyone is on a different time schedule.
- Stuffed peppers freeze like a charm. Be sure to read the storage section for details.
The ground meat and rice mixture is stuffed inside of the colorful veggie. You get every food group in one simple dish—no sides required!
Wondering what to serve with your peppers? Check out these 49 ideas for what to serve with cabbage rolls. They'll all work here, too!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
🍅 What can I substitute for the tomato sauce?
Although this is a stuffed pepper recipe with no tomato sauce, the classic recipe (when cooked the original way) does call for it.
Here are some tomato sauce substitutes:
- Condensed tomato soup
- Tomato juice
- Plain or lightly seasoned spaghetti sauce
- Marinara sauce
- Tomato puree
- Stewed tomatoes - try my homemade recipe!
- A mixture of one part tomato paste to one part water
- Pizza sauce
The best substitute for a fresh and flavorful stuffed bell pepper is V-8 juice!
That's what we'll use in today's recipe. The whole family will love this subtle, modern upgrade.
📖 Variations
The best part about this easy stuffed peppers recipe is how you can customize it! These ideas are only the beginning—adjust according to your personal preferences.
- Mix up your meat. Try ground turkey, ground pork, ground chicken, lamb, venison, game, or Italian sausage. Alternatively, go meat-free with a vegetarian option like Beyond Beef.
- Swap the starch. Classic white rice is great, but you can also try Minute rice, brown rice, quinoa, or go low-carb with cauliflower rice.
- Have fun with flavor. If you like it, add some red or black pepper, a pinch of Italian seasoning, garlic powder, a sprinkle of cheddar cheese, or a dash of hot sauce. Some families love to add a small spoonful of brown sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes (helpful for picky eaters!) Taste test the cooked ground beef mixture before filling the peppers and adjust as you'd like.
- Cook in the Crockpot. Prepare stuffed peppers as directed. Place them upright in the crockpot and add ¼ cup of V-8 around the peppers. Set the
slow cooker to low for 5-6 hours. - Simmer on the stove. Halve the peppers, then fill them open-face style. Next, place the peppers in a large pan and add the V-8 juice to cover the bottom by about an inch. Cover tightly and simmer for 45 minutes. Add more juice if needed.
- Keep it classic. If you want to try stuffed bell peppers the way I grew up eating them, replace the tomatoes and V-8 with ½ of a can of condensed tomato soup. Then, mix the remaining ½ can of soup with one teaspoon Worcestershire sauce and spoon it over the peppers with about ten minutes of cook time to go.
- Cheese it. I don't care for cheese on my stuffed peppers but lots of people do. If that's you just add your favorite shredded cheese to the top about 10 minutes before the peppers are done.
Try this super easy stuffed pepper casserole!
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Brown lean ground beef with onion in a large skillet.
- In a large bowl, mix together the meat, rice, tomatoes, and seasonings.
- Fill each of the red bell peppers and pour V-8 juice into the bottom of the baking dish.
- Bake and enjoy.
🥫 How to store stuffed peppers
When it comes to storage this recipe is one of the best for family meal prep!
Refrigerate
You can store leftover stuffed bell peppers in the refrigerator for three to five days. Cover with plastic wrap or put in an airtight container.
Freeze
You can freeze stuffed peppers for up to 6 months. This makes them great for meal prepping.
Uncooked
- Cut the peppers as instructed in the recipe card.
- Stuff.
- Add to a casserole dish and cover with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil.
- Label and date.
Pull them out the night before you're ready to bake them. Thaw in the refrigerator until it's time to bake. Uncover, and continue with steps 10- 13.
Cooked
Have leftovers? Here's what to do.
- Let the stuffed peppers cool to room temperature.
- Wrap individual peppers in plastic wrap then carefully place in an airtight container or larger freezer bag like a Ziploc.
- Label and date.
- Freeze.
Reheat
Thaw peppers in the refrigerator overnight before you reheat them.
Place refrigerated bell peppers into an oven-safe casserole dish. Then, heat at 350 degrees F until warmed through (165F).
Check the center of the pepper with an instant-read thermometer for accurate temperature. It should be 165F degrees.
For a quick option, you can reheat individual peppers in the microwave.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: To keep the peppers upright during baking, try to buy the kind with four points on the bottom. If you have a stubborn pepper that just won't stay standing up, you can make a tin foil ball and use it to prop up the pepper. You can take a thin slice off the bottom.
- Spray the casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray so the peppers don't stick.
- Be sure to use cooked rice in this recipe! Raw rice won't work.
- If you like your peppers very soft (rather than crisp-tender) parboil them in the microwave. Place the peppers in a microwave-safe dish, sprinkle with a bit of salt, and fill the dish with no more than a cup of water. Heat for four to five minutes. Then, stuff peppers and bake as directed.
- I use lean beef (90/10) in this recipe. If you are using a fattier blend of ground beef then be sure to drain off the extra fat and pat with paper towels.
- Don't waste a thing! Chop the tops of the peppers (the part you removed) and add to the meat while cooking. Extra flavor!
Sometimes I just want something a little different and that's when I make these salsa chicken stuffed peppers. SO perfect for summer!
👩🍳 FAQs
Sure, any color of bell pepper will work. Red peppers are the sweetest, then orange and yellow. Green peppers are the least sweet, but if you like them, go for it!
Absolutely! Prepare the bell peppers as directed, cover, and refrigerate for up to three days. You can also freeze the peppers before cooking and save the meal for up to three months. It makes a great freezer meal for a friend in need!
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Bake as directed - you may need a few extra minutes.
Not with my method! In my recipe the peppers are stuffed raw. The casserole dish is covered with aluminum foil during baking. This allows the bell peppers to steam to perfection!
Yes. The ground beef needs to be thoroughly cooked before mixing it with the rice and stuffing the peppers.
Yes. Just follow the recipe through step 8. Place the peppers upright in your
📚 Related recipes
- How do you make anything better? Bacon. These Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf Stuffed Peppers combine everyone's favorite comfort foods.
- When you're craving stuffed peppers but don't want any prep, just throw all the ingredients in your
slow cooker for yummy Stuffed Pepper Soup!
🍽️ Serve with...
This really is a complete meal in one dish but a crispy side salad or some southern green beans work really well to round it out. I like this rustic bread served alongside it to help get all of the tomato-y goodness.
My family loves sweets so we have dessert often. My pick for this meal is an easy banana pudding pie!
📞 The last word
Stuffed peppers are high on my list of comfort foods. A tomato-y beef and rice mixture is stuffed into green peppers.
Bake in the oven until the house smells like you want to chew on the walls and your stomach is turning somersaults in anticipation.
It's a gloriously easy meal that your wallet will thank you for.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Old Fashioned Stuffed Bell Peppers
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 8 bell peppers, cleaned and seeds removed
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- 2 cups cooked rice
- ¼ cup finely minced onion
- 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno, optional
- 1 cup tomatoes , canned, diced
- ½ cup V-8 juice
- 1 tablespoons fresh mint or basil, chopped - optional
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet with the onion and jalapeno (if using)
- Drain well, blotting away excess fat
- Add cooked rice, beef mixture, tomatoes, mint,lemon peel, salt and pepper to a bowl
- If you want the filling to be more compact you can add a beaten egg to the rice mixture before stuffing peppers
- Mix well
- You can stuff the peppers one of two ways, either cut them in half vertically and stuff each half or just cut the tops off and stuff the whole thing upright.
- Fill the cavity of the peppers with the rice mixture, don't pack it too tight
- Place the peppers upright in a baking pan, for halves place them with the filling mounded upwards
- Pour ½ cup V-8 juice around the peppers - it should come just a little way up the sides but not cover the halves
- Cover pan with foil
- Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes, remove the foil for the last 10 minutes
- Let cool slightly before serving
For Crockpot
- Use the whole peppers stuffed. Place in the crockpot upright and pour ¼ cup of V-8 in the crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours.
For Top of the Stove
- Use the halves. Place filled pepper halves in a large pan and add V-8 to cover the bottom of the pan by an inch. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until done, adding more juice as needed.
Notes
- My mom used to make it with a can of condensed tomato soup. I prefer to use diced tomatoes in the rice and meat mixture. It is just lighter, more flavorful, and more natural than what mom used. If you want to use tomato soup in it read the notes at the bottom of the recipe.
- Use ground beef, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey, venison, game, or leave the meat out and go vegan. Mom said in the Depression they made them with chopped walnuts sometimes.
- To make in a slow cooker just put about ¼ cup V-8 juice or water in the bottom of the slow cooker and add the peppers. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- To make in a dutch oven you'll add liquid to the bottom of the pan, add your green peppers, cover, and simmer for about an hour.
- Top each pepper with a spoonful of tomato sauce or tomato soup about 15 minutes before they're ready to come out of the oven.
- You can assemble these ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before cooking.
- You can make these ahead of time and freeze for up to 6 months.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
Originally published August 7, 2012. Last updated October 20, 2023, for editorial improvements.
Sherlyn says
I've not made stuffed peppers in years! Wonder if I could use Rotel tomatoes instead of the regular ones?
Catmom says
I've been making stuffed peppers like this for years. I even cut the peppers into halves. Over the years I have made a few changes to the recipe. Instead of browning the meat, I mix the sauteed onions and some garlic and cooked white rice into the raw meat really well (I use lean ground beef 85/15). I add a little parsley, oregano and basil , black pepper to taste and a bit of italian seasoned bread crumbs, so it is the texture of a meatloaf mixture. I also add (1) packet of Goya Sazon (with annato) for more flavor. This way it comes out more compact, not crumbly and you don't even need to add a beaten egg. Sometimes for the sauce I just pour a large jar of really good marinara sauce over them. (like Victoria, Rao's, Mezzetti). I bake at 350 degrees covered in a dutch oven for about 1 hour or until peppers are tender when pierced with a fork. I find that Green Bell peppers give the most flavor. The red and yellow peppers look colorful but don't have as much flavor..
Rebecca A Perez says
Finally I have found a recipe that comes close to what my mother used to make. Although you only have it listed for the crock pot recipe we've always cooked our stuffed peppers on the stove. After placing stuffed peppers in large soup pot(this also allows us to place the meatball mixture rolled into balls on top of the stuffed peppers for the family members who don't like green peppers).Fill pot to cover all with tomato juice. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer 3-4 hours. Remove peppers and make gravy with the cooked juice.
Kathy says
I used to make in the oven. It's been years.
DENISE ALLEN says
I can remember my mum making stuffed peppers (capsicums) When I was a kid they were certainly very good to eat am looking forward to trying out your recipe.
Marye Audet says
Let me know what you think! I love them.
Connie E. Lee says
Hi Marye. Great recipe! I remember it well and looked up retro recipes because I got tired of seeing recipes with cheese on top. ICK!
Marye Audet says
So glad you liked it! 🙂
Bruce Haskin Sr says
In the crockpot, I don't think it is necessary to cook the rice ahead of time. But you will need to stuff the pepper less full to allow the rice to expand and absorb the moisture. I have prepared stuffed grape leaves on the stove top and the crockpot using a meat & uncooked rice (or pre-soaked bulger wheat) without pre-cooking. You just have to allow for the expansion of the rice as it cooks, not so much for the bulger wheat. Since your recipe calls for 2-cups cooked rice, I would adjust the amount of uncooked rice to 1-1/2 cups. My rule of thumb is 1 cup of rice for each pound of meat.
Marye Audet says
I have not had good results not cooking the rice. 🙂
Kathy Harwood says
I like just cutting up the peppers and putting them into the mix, rather then putting mix inside the peppers. I find my stomach likes it better that way and my husband seems to like it better that way. I used to do it the right way--with the mix inside of the peppers, but since we both would like less pepper and more mix it works out well.
Marye Audet says
🙂 I've done that, too. 😉
Kathy says
Great idea. Never thought of doing this even though my hubby won't eat the pepper part of the stuffed peppers. If I chop them up and add to meat maybe I get some vegetables into him. Thanks for the idea.
Marye Audet says
🙂 sure! Thanks for reading.
Megan says
so excited to use this recipe. seems a lot easier than the one my dad uses. we also sprinkle a lot of parmesan cheese on top and broil it at the end so it gets a nice cheesy crust.
Diana says
Marye, I have looked for years for this recipe. I have fond memories of my grandma making this dish. Like your family, my grandparents lived in the country and raised their own vegetables. My mother was born (in 1934) during the Great Depression. Growing up, I always heard stories of the hardships they faced. Now I can make a recipe favorite of their time, and relive some delightful childhood memories. Thanks for posting this recipe.
Cheryl knight says
I find cooking stuff peppers without parboiled green peppers they r hard not soft what can I do so they aren't hard
Marye Audet says
Add a little water (maybe 1/2 cup) to the bottom of the pan and then cover with aluminum foil before baking. They steam that way. 🙂