Stuffed Bell Pepper
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground beef
- ½ cup rice, uncooked
- 1 onion, medium, grated
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 4 tbsp tomato sauce
- 2 tomatoes, peeled, diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Optional: 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 7 green bell peppers, small, any color works
- 3 tomatoes
- 3 tbsp avocado oil
- 8 tbsp tomato sauce
- Salt, to taste
- Water, enough to reach 3/4 height of peppers
Method:
Start Cooking- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, rice, grated onion, grated garlic, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, olive oil, salt, paprika, black pepper, and parsley (if using). Mix until fully combined.
- Wash the peppers. Cut off the tops and remove the seeds. Set peppers and their tops aside on a tray.
- Wash the tomatoes. Cut off the tops (keep as caps). Carefully scoop out the inside and add that tomato flesh to the filling mixture. Set tomatoes aside with their caps.
- Fill each pepper and tomato about 3/4 full using a spoon (the rice needs room to expand).
- Cover both peppers and tomatoes with their caps, then arrange everything upright on a tray.
- In a large pot, heat avocado oil. Add tomato sauce, then place the stuffed peppers and tomatoes upright in the pot.
- Lightly sprinkle salt over the vegetables. Add water until it reaches about 3/4 of the height of the peppers.
- Cover and cook over medium heat for about 45 minutes. Every 15 minutes, gently lift the caps and spoon a little of the cooking liquid over the fillings, then replace the caps.
- Gently smash the cooked tomatoes into the pot and stir them into the sauce. Simmer uncovered for another 5 minutes.
- Serve warm with plenty of tomato broth spooned over the top. Bon appétit.
Kitchen Tools:
Notes:
- Don’t pack the filling tightly. Loose filling helps the rice cook evenly and keeps the peppers tender.
- Choose similarly sized small bell peppers so they cook evenly and serve beautifully.
- Spoon some cooking liquid into the peppers every 15 minutes to keep the filling moist.
- Swap ground beef for ground turkey or lamb.
- Add fresh herbs like dill or mint along with parsley for extra brightness.
- Add a pinch of chili flakes or Aleppo pepper to the filling for a little heat.
- Serve with plain yogurt, garlic yogurt or cacik on the side.
- Enjoy with a tomato cucumber salad.
- Finish with a squeeze of lemon and extra parsley.
- Great for meal prep and even better the next day.
Nutrition:
FROM THE PANTRY
Stuffed bell pepper
WHY WE LOVE IT
Stuffed bell pepper (biber dolması) is the ultimate edible bowl—a complete, nutrient-dense meal of complex carbs and protein wrapped in a tender pepper that feels like a warm, home-cooked hug in every perfectly portioned bite.
A LITTLE STORY
The term dolma comes from the Turkish word for “something stuffed.” While stuffing vegetables is an ancient Middle Eastern practice, peppers arrived from the Americas in the 15th century, and the modern version of stuffed peppers (biber dolması) was refined in Ottoman palace kitchens as elite court cuisine before spreading across the Balkans, Greece, and Central Asia.
Today, you’ll find versions like gemista in Greece, ardei umpluți in Romania, and töltött paprika in Hungary, each with its own local twists.
DID YOU KNOW?
The pepper stem or a slice of tomato is used as a natural lid to keep rice from floating out during cooking.
Meat-filled versions are served hot, while vegetarian olive-oil dolmas are traditionally enjoyed at room temperature or cold.
One of the few cooked vegetable dishes that freezes and reheats beautifully, making it perfect for meal prep.
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