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Mediterranean Ground Beef Stuffed Peppers are bell peppers that are roasted with a delicious Mediterranean ground beef mixture, rice, diced tomatoes and warm spices. They are then topped with fresh herbs, feta cheese and served warm.
These Mediterranean stuffed peppers are bell pepper halves filled with ground beef, rice, diced tomatoes, and the warm cinnamon and allspice blend I grew up with in my Lebanese family’s kitchen. You brown the spiced beef, mix it with cooked rice and tomatoes, then bake the peppers covered until they’re tender enough to cut with a fork. Feta goes on at the end and melts right into the top.
The filling stays juicy, the peppers turn sweet and soft, and dinner is ready in about 1 hour 15 minutes with only 15 minutes of hands-on work. I make a pan on Sunday and we eat them all week. If you like this recipe you might also like this Easy Poblano Pepper Recipe, Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup, Slow Cooker Stuffed Pepper Soup, One Pot Mexican Stuffed Pepper Casserole or these Tabbouleh Stuffed Peppers.
Why This Recipe Works
Stuffed peppers are one of my favorite meals. Here is why we love them:
• Cooked rice goes in, so nothing comes out crunchy. Raw rice needs more liquid and time than the peppers get, which is why so many stuffed pepper recipes end up with hard grains.
• Halved peppers cook evenly. There’s no undercooked bottom or overcooked top, and each half is one easy portion.
• Lebanese warm spices add depth without heat. Cinnamon, allspice, and clove make the beef taste rich and savory, and kids don’t find it spicy.
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s a quick look at what you need. The full amounts and printable instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Ground Beef: 80/20 makes the juiciest filling, and 90/10 works too. Drain the fat before mixing it with the rice.
- Bell Peppers: Red peppers are the sweetest, but any color works.
- Rice: Use cooked jasmine, long grain white, or brown rice.
- Diced Tomatoes: Drain them well. They add moisture and brightness.
- Spices: Cinnamon, allspice, clove, paprika, and a pinch of cayenne are the classic Lebanese blend for beef and rice.
- Feta Cheese: Sprinkle it on for the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking, or use it as a garnish.
- Pine Nuts: Toast them in a dry skillet for 2 to 3 minutes for a buttery, very Lebanese crunch.
Modifications and Variations
The method stays the same no matter what you swap.
- Meat: Ground lamb is the traditional Lebanese choice. If you use turkey or chicken, add an extra tablespoon of olive oil.
- Vegetarian: Use 1 1/2 cups cooked lentils in place of the beef for a filling that tastes a lot like mujadara.
- Grain: Use 1 cup cooked quinoa, bulgur, or farro. Bulgur adds a nutty Lebanese twist.
- Spices: Use 2 teaspoons Lebanese seven spice instead of the cinnamon, allspice, and clove. For a Greek version, use oregano, cumin, and kalamata olives.
- Pan Sauce: Swap the water for tomato sauce with garlic and dried mint, the way my family makes stuffed vegetables.
- Cheese: Use goat cheese for tang or mozzarella for extra melt. For dairy free, skip the cheese and drizzle with tahini.
- Toppings: Add plain yogurt, toasted pine nuts, or a squeeze of lemon.
How to Make Stuffed Peppers
Step 1: Prepare the Peppers: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the peppers in half and remove seeds and the membrane. Lay them in a 9 by 13 baking dish {you might need two baking dishes depending on how big the peppers are}. Add one cup of water or tomato sauce to the bottom of the dish (the bell peppers will steam and cook faster this way).
Step 2: Cook the Beef: In a large skillet heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef, salt, pepper, garlic and spices and cook until the beef is browned. Optional: you can add in the pine nuts at this step if you want.
Step 3: Mix in Rice and Tomatoes: Drain the beef and add to a large mixing bowl. Mix in the diced tomatoes and rice with the beef and stir well.
Step 4: Stuff Peppers: Spoon the stuffing mixture evenly into the bell peppers.
Step 5: Cook Peppers: Cover the baking dish with the foil tightly and place in the oven. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the peppers are tender. Remove the foil and sprinkle the feta cheese {optional} and bake another 5 to 10 minutes or until the feta is starting to melt. Serve warm with fresh parsley, fresh basil and fresh dill {and pine nuts if you didn’t add them into the mixture}.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using uncooked rice. It won’t cook through inside the pepper. Use leftover or freshly cooked rice.
- Baking uncovered the whole time. The peppers stay firm and the filling dries out. Keep the foil on until the feta step.
- Skipping the drain. Undrained beef fat and tomato juice pool in the peppers and make the filling greasy and watery.
- Leaving the white membranes. They taste bitter. Scrape them out along with the seeds.
- Under-seasoning the filling. The peppers mellow everything out. Taste the beef before stuffing, and it should taste a little bold on its own.
Tips for the Best Stuffed Peppers
- Halve the peppers instead of stuffing them whole. Halves cook more evenly, they’re easier to eat, and one half is one portion. If you prefer whole peppers, trim a thin slice off the bottom so they stand up, and add about 10 to 15 minutes of covered baking time.
- Choose red, yellow, or orange peppers for sweetness. Green peppers work too, but they taste more bitter and grassy.
- Mound the filling. There’s enough to pile it a little above the rim, and it settles as it bakes.
- Taste before you stuff. Adjust the salt and spices while the filling is still in the bowl.
Storage Tips
- Fridge: Store stuffed peppers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze baked peppers for up to 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Make Ahead: Stuff the peppers, cover, and refrigerate them for up to 24 hours before baking. Add about 10 minutes to the covered bake time.
Reheating Instructions
- Oven (my favorite): Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, then uncover for 5 more. They heat evenly and the peppers don’t get soggy.
- Microwave: Heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Check the center and add another minute if needed.
- Air Fryer: Microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, then air fry at 350°F for 5 to 7 minutes.
More Ground Beef Recipes:
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Mediterranean Ground Beef Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 3 large bell peppers, red or any color, seeds removed and peppers cut in half {6 halves}
- 1 cup water or tomato sauce, for the baking dish
- 1 cup cooked rice {I used white jasmine rice, white or brown rice}
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef, 80/20
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon clove
- 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup pine nuts , optional
- Fresh parsley and mint for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds and membranes. Lay them cut side up in a 9×13 baking dish (use two dishes if the peppers are large).
- Pour 1 cup of water or tomato sauce into the bottom of the dish. This steams the peppers so they cook faster.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, salt, pepper, garlic, and spices and cook until browned. Stir in the pine nuts here if you’d like them in the filling.
- Drain the beef and transfer it to a large bowl. Stir in the diced tomatoes and rice.
- Spoon the filling evenly into the peppers, mounding it slightly.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a knife slides into the pepper with almost no resistance.
- Remove the foil, sprinkle on the feta, and bake 5 to 10 minutes more until the feta softens. Serve warm with fresh parsley, mint, and pine nuts.
Notes
- Rice: Use cooked rice. Uncooked rice won’t soften inside the peppers.
- Peppers: Red, yellow, or orange peppers are the sweetest. For whole peppers, trim a thin slice off the bottom so they stand upright, and add 10 to 15 minutes of covered baking time.
- Spice Shortcut: Use 2 teaspoons Lebanese seven spice instead of the cinnamon, allspice, and clove.
- Make Ahead: Stuff, cover, and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking. Add about 10 minutes to the covered bake time.
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen peppers overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat: Cover and bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, then uncover for 5 minutes. You can also microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, or microwave for 1 to 2 minutes and then air fry at 350°F for 5 to 7 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Great flavor!
Is it 3 peppers or 6? Looks like 3 cut in half in all the photos but recipe says 6?
It is 6 peppers- I couldn’t fit them all in the photos. It would be 6 full peppers or 12 halves. It makes a good amount of filling so I used 6 peppers. It also depends how big the peppers are. If you want to do for example 3 or 4 peppers you could just fill them as much as possible to use the filling up.