One-Pot Stuffed Pepper Recipe

There's certainly a time and a place for cooking an elaborate meal. Certain holidays, birthdays, or even a small dinner party may call for a big spread. But for weeknight dinners? It's definitely not the same. For many, it's all about making a delicious meal that's as simple as can be.

One of the best ways to make dinner quickly, and to eliminate a huge pile of dishes in the sink afterward, is by whipping up a one-pot recipe. And these one-pot stuffed bell peppers may just become your new dinnertime favorite. 

Stuffed bell peppers are the perfect little dinner package. Packed with delicious filling and flavor, these stuffed bell peppers are nutritious and totally customizable. Plus, this one-pot stuffed bell peppers recipe comes together in just one hour. With only one pot required to pull off this dish, it'll make your life that much easier. And with all of the options for customization and great toppings, this is definitely one recipe your whole family will want on repeat.

This one-pot stuffed bell peppers recipe comes together with just a handful of simple and easy-to-find ingredients.

To get started on making these stuffed bell peppers for dinner, you'll need four large bell peppers. Be sure to choose peppers with a flat bottom so they can stand up in your pot. In addition, you'll need two cloves of garlic, one yellow onion, one can of mild diced green chiles, tomato purée, one can of black beans, and ground beef. To season the filling for your peppers, this recipe calls for garlic salt, taco seasoning, and red chili pepper flakes. If you're not a fan of spice, the red chili pepper flakes can definitely be left out.

Once your peppers are ready for serving, you'll want to add a few garnishes on top. Add shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and minced cilantro to your list for toppings. Other great additions could include diced avocado or salsa.

Before you start prepping your one-pot stuffed bell peppers recipe, first preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, you'll need to prepare the vegetables.

Stuffed peppers come together easily by hollowing out fresh bell peppers. To hollow out the bell peppers, use a sharp knife to cut the tops off of each pepper. Slice horizontally to remove the top and the stem. Then, use a spoon to scrape out the inside membrane of the peppers. Be sure to get the entire membrane along with the seeds inside each bell pepper. Place the peppers upright on a plate until the filling is ready. 

As you're prepping your peppers, dice your onion and mince your garlic as well. To dice the onion, cut it in half and remove the skin. Place the onion face-down on the cutting board and make horizontal slices. Turn the onion 90 degrees and slice the opposite way. 

Once all of the vegetables for your one-pot stuffed bell peppers recipe are prepped, it's time to start cooking the filling! To prepare the filling for these one-pot stuffed bell peppers, start by cooking the garlic and the diced onions.

Put a tall saucepan or Dutch oven on the stove. You'll want to be sure this saucepan or pot is both stovetop- and oven-safe. Turn the heat on to medium and add in two tablespoons unsalted butter. Allow the butter to fully melt before adding anything else in the pot. 

Once the butter is melted, add in the minced garlic. Let the garlic cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden brown. Releasing the flavors in the garlic will add great flavor to your stuffed pepper filling. Next, add in the diced onions. Cook the onions until translucent and lightly golden brown before moving on to the next step.

Once the garlic and onions are lightly browned, it's time to cook the ground beef for this one-pot stuffed bell peppers recipe. With the heat still on medium, add the ground beef into your pot. Use a wooden spoon to break up the ground beef into small pieces as it begins to cook. By doing this, you'll ensure that the ground beef will cook evenly. 

Allow the ground beef to cook while stirring occasionally. Stirring the ground beef will ensure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan while cooking. As the ground beef is cooking, add in the garlic salt, and stir well to combine. 

Continue cooking the meat for about five minutes, until you don't see any more pink in the meat. You'll know the beef is fully cooked and you're ready to move on to the next step once there's no pink whatsoever. 

Once the ground beef mixture for this one-pot stuffed bell peppers recipe is ready, it's time to add in the rest of the filling ingredients.

Add in the 1/2 cup of tomato purée and stir the mixture. Stir the mixture continuously with the heat still on medium. Stir in the taco seasoning and red chili pepper flakes as well.

Add in the entire can of black beans, then add in the whole can of green chiles, and continue stirring. If you don't have the black beans on hand, you could swap them out for pinto beans or omit them altogether. This is also a great time to add in cooked rice if you've chosen to add it to this recipe. Once all of the filling ingredients are in the pot, stir well, and then remove it from heat. Allow the mixture to cool slightly before filling your peppers. 

Once your mixture is ready and your peppers are hollowed out, it's time to fill them.

With the peppers standing up on the plate, add the filling to the inside. Use a measuring cup or spoon to scoop and pack the filling into the peppers. You'll want to fill each pepper right to the top. Once the filling is scooped out, move the peppers back into the pot. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top of each filled pepper, and then put the tops back on the peppers.

Put the lid on your Dutch oven, and put the dish in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow your peppers to cook until tender for 40 to 45 minutes. Once the peppers are cooked, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool in the pot before serving. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and minced cilantro.

This one-pot stuffed bell peppers recipe was intentionally developed as a quick and easy dinner recipe that can be made in just one pot with very few steps. The fillings offer great flavor and nutrition without creating too many dishes along the way or calling for too many ingredients. However, if you'd like to add additional ingredients to the filling for these stuffed bell peppers, it's certainly possible.

Many stuffed pepper recipes include cooked rice as well. If you'd like to add rice, simply cook the rice in another pot, and then stir it into the filling mixture with the black beans and green chiles before stuffing the peppers. You could also use cooked Rice-a-Roni for great flavor.

If you prefer a vegetarian version, omit the ground beef. Add vegetables such as zucchini, broccoli, and additional diced peppers in when cooking the garlic and onions.