Ingredients
For the peppers:
- 6 bell peppers red, yellow, or green; tops cut off and seeds removed
For the filling:
- 1 lb 450 g ground beef or turkey
- 1 cup cooked white rice slightly undercooked works best
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium carrot grated
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon optional
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the topping:
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- ½ red bell pepper diced
- ½ yellow bell pepper diced
- 1 small carrot grated
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup vegetable or chicken broth
Instructions
- Prepare the peppers: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Slice the tops off the peppers, remove seeds and membranes, and set aside.
- Make the filling: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and carrot; sauté 3–4 minutes until softened. Add ground meat, cooking until browned. Stir in paprika, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in rice and parsley.
- Stuff the peppers: Fill each pepper with the meat and rice mixture, packing lightly. Arrange upright in a baking dish.
- Prepare the topping: In the same skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, diced peppers, and carrot; sauté for 3 minutes. Stir in broth and cook for another 2–3 minutes. Spoon over stuffed peppers.
- Bake: Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10–15 minutes until peppers are tender and heated through.
- Serve: Spoon juices from the baking dish over peppers before serving. Garnish with extra parsley if desired.
Notes
- You can swap the beef for lamb if you want a richer flavor, or go with turkey or chicken for a lighter option.
- If you’re not into white rice, try brown rice, farro, or quinoa, they all add a nutty flavor and extra texture.
- A little squeeze of lemon right before serving really wakes up all the spices!