Greek Stuffed Bell Peppers
Updated Dec 11, 2025, Published Apr 26, 2022
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A Flavor-Packed One-Dish Meal
Bring a burst of bright Greek flavor to your dinner table with these Greek Stuffed Bell Peppers — a savory, colorful dish that combines sweet bell peppers with a hearty rice and seasoned beef filling. Tender peppers are baked until perfectly soft and filled with juicy ground beef, aromatic herbs, ripe tomato, and fluffy rice, creating a satisfying meal that feels like a Mediterranean escape in every bite.
Whether you’re serving this as a comforting weeknight dinner, a crowd-pleasing main course for guests, or prepping ahead for easy leftovers, this recipe checks all the boxes: vibrant colors, rich flavor, and wholesome ingredients.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need
- Long grain rice, cooked
- Olive oil
- Yellow onion, finely chopped
- Garlic, minced
- Lean ground beef
- Sweet paprika
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Dried thyme
- Ripe plum tomato, chopped
- Fresh parsley and basil, finely chopped
- Small bell peppers (tops cut, seeded, and ready to fill)
- Sunflower seeds for a little crunch
These simple ingredients come together to turn humble bell peppers into a comforting, satisfying dish that’s both wholesome and packed with Mediterranean flair.
What Makes This Dish So Delicious
Mediterranean Flair Meets Comfort Food
This dish combines the classic comfort of stuffed peppers with bright Greek-inspired herbs and ingredients. The fresh parsley and basil add herbal brightness, while paprika and thyme lend depth and earthiness to the meat and rice filling.
Beautiful on the Table, Delicious on the Plate
Roasted bell peppers become sweet and tender in the oven, creating an edible vessel that holds all the savory goodness inside. Once baked, they’re tender yet still structured — delivering the perfect bite with every forkful.
Easy Enough for Weeknights, Special Enough for Company
Stuffed peppers look elegant on the table but are totally doable for everyday meals. You get layered flavor without complicated techniques or hard-to-find ingredients.
A Few Tips for Success
- Choose colorful peppers — red, yellow, and orange peppers not only look stunning but bring natural sweetness that balances the savory filling.
- Cook the rice ahead of time — pre-cooked rice ensures the stuffing has perfect texture and avoids overcooking the peppers.
- Season generously — fresh herbs and spices are key to building bold flavor in every bite.
- Add optional extras — a sprinkle of feta on top adds salty creaminess, and a squeeze of lemon before serving brightens the whole dish.
When to Serve Greek Stuffed Bell Peppers
These peppers are wonderfully versatile and can shine in many settings:
- Family weeknight dinners
- Casual weekend meals
- Potluck gatherings or shared meals with friends
- Meal prep lunches — they reheat beautifully
- A healthy, complete one-dish dinner full of protein and vegetables
The blend of rice, lean beef, and vegetables makes this a balanced, satisfying entrée any night of the week.
Why You’ll Make This Again
Greek Stuffed Bell Peppers combine savory, herby, and slightly sweet flavors with hearty texture, making them a dish that appeals to everyone at the table. They’re comforting yet fresh, colorful yet simple, and make excellent leftovers. Plus, you can easily customize the stuffing with feta, olives, or additional herbs for your own twist on Mediterranean flavors.
This is the kind of recipe that becomes a favorite, easy enough for weeknights, impressive enough for guests, and flexible enough to adapt to your pantry and tastes.
Greek Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- 4 ounces long grain rice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, , finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, , minced
- 4 ounces lean ground beef
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 ripe plum tomato, , chopped
- 4 tablespoons fresh parsley, , chopped
- 4 tablespoons fresh basil, , chopped
- 6 small bell peppers
- 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 360°F.
- Cook the rice according to the directions on the package. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over low heat, add the chopped onion, and cook for 5 minutes; do not brown the onion. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add ground beef and season with sweet paprika, salt, black pepper, and dried thyme. Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring constantly. Once cooked, stir again, add the rice, chopped tomato, and fresh herbs.
- Cut off the tops of the peppers. Place together in an ovenproof dish and fill them evenly with the meat and rice mixture. Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 25 minutes, until the peppers are tender but not falling apart.
- Serve immediately with a light sprinkling of sunflower seeds.
- Tip: If you’d like, you can also add some feta cheese or one more red bell pepper (chopped) to the rice and meat mixture before stuffing the peppers. Optionally, you can also serve this meal with an additional portion of roasted tomatoes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
