Italian Stuffed Bell Peppers
Updated Jul 04, 2025, Published Sep 21, 2020
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These Italian Stuffed Bell Peppers are a one-stop meal packed with veggies, meat, and rice. With a few pantry staples and fresh ingredients, you are off to a healthy and easy make-ahead dinner. They are even better as leftovers!
My nonna made them often when feeding all her teenage grandchildren. She snuck extra veggies in them to make sure we got our daily dose (smart nonna). They are filling and packed with veggies, meat, rice, and Italian seasoning. They seem to hit the spot every time. My mamma typically made them for Sunday supper, and we ate the leftovers as an after-school snack!
What are Italian Stuffed Peppers?
Stuffed Peppers are a common dish in Italy. It consists of hollowed or halved peppers filled with a variety of fillings, often including meat, vegetables, cheese, rice, or sauce. The dish is usually assembled by filling the cavities of the peppers and then baking them in the oven. The peppers get soft, and all the fillings and flavors intensify.
Recipe Ingredients
- 4-5 bell peppers (I prefer a mix of colors or just red)
- 1 pound ground beef (use 90% lean, or ground turkey)
- 1 chopped onion (yellow or white)
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (leave out if you don’t like the heat)
- 3 Roma tomatoes, diced (you can substitute tomato sauce or marinara sauce if you like!)
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup cooked long-grain rice
- 1 cup grated parmigiano cheese (more for topping), finely grated
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar (good quality variety from Modena Italy)
- 1/8 cup of red wine
- 2 cloves garlic, cut in quarters
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
- 3 tablespoons fresh oregano, minced
- 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary, minced
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil, minced
- Coarse sea salt + black pepper to taste
- 8 fresh basil leaves for garnish
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese for topping
How To Make Stuffed Peppers
To make these authentic Italian stuffed peppers, start by halving and pre-baking sweet bell peppers until just tender. While they bake, cook a flavorful filling of ground beef (or turkey), sautéed onions, celery, carrots, fresh tomatoes, and garlic.
Add a splash of balsamic vinegar for depth, then stir in cooked rice, Parmigiano cheese, and fresh herbs like basil, rosemary, and oregano.
Stuff each pepper generously, top with mozzarella and more Parmigiano, and bake again until bubbly and golden.
Finish with a sprinkle of fresh basil for that final Italian touch. They’re hearty, rustic, and full of flavor—just like nonna used to make!
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating Instructions
- Make Ahead: Assemble stuffed peppers up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bake just before serving—add 5 extra minutes if baking straight from the fridge.
Store: Cool completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheat: Bake at 350°F (175°C) covered for 10–15 minutes or microwave in 60-second bursts.
Freeze: Wrap individually and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
More Italian Recipes
Looking for more rice recipes? Try these:
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Italian Stuffed Peppers Recipe
Ingredients
- 5-7 bell peppers, I prefer a mix of colors or just red
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 stalks celery, diced
- 1/2 cup carrots, diced
- 3 Roma tomatoes, diced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, leave out if you don’t like the heat
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
- ⅛ cup balsamic vinegar, good quality variety from Modena Italy
- 1 pound ground beef, or ground turkey
- 1 cup cooked rice, long or short grain are okay
- 3/4 cup grated parmigiano cheese, more for topping, finely grated
- Coarse sea salt + black pepper to taste
- 8 fresh basil leaves , for garnish
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese , for topping
Instructions
Prep the Peppers
- Rinse and dry bell peppers. Cut off the top (save) and remove seeds and membranes. Place peppers on a baking dish. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Pre-Bake the Peppers
- Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 15-20 minutes to soften slightly and golden brown on the edges.
Cook the Vegetables
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, tomatoes, herbs, and red pepper flakes. Sauté for 8 minutes until softened. Stir in balsamic vinegar. Simmer until slightly reduced. Season with salt.
Brown the Meat
- Add ground beef to the skillet. Break it up with a spoon, smash into the veggies, and cook until browned. Turn off heat.
Combine Filling
- Stir in cooked rice and grated Parmigiano. Mix until fully combined.
Stuff the Peppers
- Fill each pre-baked pepper with about ¾ cup of the meat and rice mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella and extra Parmigiano. Place pepper tops on, if desired.
Bake Again & Broil
- Return stuffed peppers to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes. Broil for 1–2 minutes at the end to brown the cheese- if desired.
Garnish & Serve
- Garnish with a litte chopped prsley and fresh basil leaves.
Notes
- Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil – It’s not just for flavor—it brings everything together. Look for cold-pressed oil from Italy (like Colavita or another DOP-certified brand).
- Grate your own Parmigiano Reggiano – Skip pre-shredded cheese. Freshly grated Parmigiano melts better and brings deep, nutty umami flavor.
- Cook the soffritto low and slow – Onion, celery, and carrot (soffritto) are the flavor base of so many Italian dishes. Sauté until soft, not browned, to release their sweetness.
- Add a splash of red wine and balsamic – Italians love layering acidity for depth. The red wine cooks off, and the balsamic adds a subtle richness without overwhelming.
- Fresh herbs are essential – Italians cook with herbs like oregano, rosemary, and basil straight from the garden. Use fresh whenever possible for fragrance and brightness.
- Pre-bake the peppers – Softening the peppers in the oven (instead of boiling) keeps flavor in and texture perfect. Italians often roast vegetables first before stuffing.
- No breadcrumbs needed – Unlike American versions, traditional Italian stuffed peppers don’t need breadcrumbs. The rice and cheese bind the filling naturally.
- Don’t overdo the mozzarella – A little mozzarella adds creaminess, but let the Parmigiano and herbs shine. Keep it balanced and rustic.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These are absolutely delicious! I used organic bell peppers, so they were smaller, so I had a lot of filling leftover. I ended up freezing them to make peppers again later. They are great leftover as well.
Yes! SO happy you loved them as much as we do!
Best stuffed peppers I have ever had! The combination of red wine, balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs made these very flavorful and my kitchen smelled amazing! This will be my go to recipe for stuffed peppers.
Yes! Happy you loved!
My fiancรฉ like his stuffed peppers saucy (me too) but am excited to try this. What would you recommend to make this saucy?
Hi! You absolutely can make it saucy. We love it this way too!
This recipe brings back memories of when my nonna Laura used to make this recipe for us! Hope you love it!
Healthy and delicious. Also they freeze well for a make ahead meal.This is delicious! This will be made often!5 stars
Yes! They are perfect for making ahead and freezing. Happy you love them.
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