Stuffed Pepper Skillet

Name: Stuffed Pepper Skillet
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef; 4 bell peppers (mixed colors), diced; 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes; 1 cup cooked rice; 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese; 1 small onion, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; Fresh cilantro, for serving

Published by Fork Around & Find Out Kitchen — presented in the Lila editorial voice. Editorial standards

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Stuffed peppers are excellent until it is 6:18 p.m. and you remember the part where you are supposed to hollow, fill, balance, cover, uncover, and bake four individual vegetables like tiny edible apartment buildings. This skillet keeps the same ground beef, bell pepper, tomato, rice, onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and melted cheese, but removes the architecture.

The beef browns first so it develops flavor instead of simmering in tomato juice. Diced peppers then cook just long enough to soften while keeping some texture, followed by tomatoes and already-cooked rice. Once everything is hot and cohesive, shredded cheese goes over the top and melts under a lid. Cook the ground beef to 160°F, then finish with cilantro. You get the savory, tomato-rich filling and sweet pepper flavor of a traditional stuffed pepper, only in a form that recognizes you may have other plans before bedtime.

Prep20 minutes

Cook25 minutes

Total45 minutes

Serves4 servings

DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

Servings

1 pound ground beef
4 bell peppers (mixed colors), diced
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Fresh cilantro, for serving

Instructions

1Brown ground beef with onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat, 6 to 7 minutes. Drain fat.
2Add garlic, diced peppers, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Cook 4 minutes until peppers soften.
3Add diced tomatoes and cooked rice. Stir and simmer 5 minutes.
4Sprinkle cheese over the top. Cover and cook 2 minutes until melted. Cook ground meat until it reaches 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.
5Serve straight from the skillet with cilantro on top.

Nutrition Information

Estimated per serving: 1 of 4 servings.

520Calories

30 gProtein

26 gCarbohydrates

32 gTotal Fat

14 gSaturated Fat

5 gFiber

9 gTotal Sugars

860 mgSodium

105 mgCholesterol

Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.

Pro Tips

This is all the flavor of stuffed peppers without the tedious stuffing and long baking.
Keep the peppers slightly crisp — they should have a little bite, not be mushy.
A cast iron skillet keeps everything hot at the table.

Substitutions

ground beef → ground turkey or chicken Turkey is lighter; chicken is mildest.

rice → cauliflower rice for low-carb Cauliflower rice makes this keto-friendly.

Mexican blend cheese → pepper jack for more heat Melts well and adds spice.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet.

Make Ahead

Cook the whole skillet and reheat. The flavors improve overnight.

Freezing

Yes. Freeze the cooked beef, pepper, tomato, and rice base before the final cheese and cilantro. Thaw in the refrigerator, reheat, then melt fresh cheese over the top; the peppers and rice will be a little softer after freezing.

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