A New Orleans and South Louisiana classic: Bell Peppers stuffed with a mixture of ground meats simmered with sweet onions, chopped bell peppers, and traditional Creole and Cajun seasonings. Bind the filling with bread crumbs and that's a New Orleans-style Stuffed Bell Pepper fit for any South Louisiana table. Grab a couple of cold beers and let's get going.
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What Makes A Good Stuffed Pepper?
It's all in the stuffing. A rich, smooth, and almost creamy combination of ground beef, pork, and veal simmered with traditional South Louisiana seasonings, held together with just a touch of seasoned bread crumbs and then stuffed into a vine-ripe Bell Pepper. There's not much filler in this recipe as each ingredient adds to a remarkable flavor profile. One bite and you'll be wondering if your Mama or Grandma is in the kitchen.
Almost every cuisine has a version of stuffed peppers and these New Orleans-style Stuffed Bell Peppers are at the top of the list! Creole and Cajun cooks love to stuff just about anything and since Bell Peppers grow so well in Louisiana soils and particularly in home gardens, there are plenty of them to stuff. There's almost an unlimited variety of Stuffed Bell Pepper recipes revealing the Cajun and Creole cook's creativity and mastery of ingredients.
Here's What You Need
A complete list of ingredients with quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
Ingredient Notes
- Bell Peppers: Use any color Bell Pepper you like: green, yellow, orange, or red. Check out the FAQ section below for more information on the differences between those colors. Spoiler alert, the Green ones are the youngest and the red ones are the ripest and sweetest.
- Meats: This recipe was developed using equal amounts of ground beef (80/20), pork, and veal. The beef provides substance and flavor, the pork provides fat and a sweetness of flavor, and the veal provides moisture and tenderness with a mild flavor. The veal also contains more gelatin adding a smooth richness to the recipe. Check out the FAQs for substitutes.
- Vegetables: Use finely chopped bell peppers in the filling. The yellow onions and garlic should also be chopped very fine.
- Bread Crumbs: Bread Crumbs help absorb moisture in the meat mixture and distribute it throughout the filling. It also serves as a binder creating a cohesive filling for the peppers. I use seasoned bread crumbs. Plain bread crumbs, panko, and even stale bread can be substituted.
- Butter: For a delicious flavor dimension, about 5 tablespoons of bacon grease can be substituted for the butter and olive oil. You can also substitute straight olive oil.
- Salt: This recipe was developed using Le Bon Papa Creole Seasoning, an all-purpose Creole or Cajun seasoning with no salt. If you use a Creole Seasoning that contains salt, taste the filling before adding any additional salt. Other sources of salt in this recipe may be butter, beef stock, or bread crumbs.
Equipment
This recipe requires no special equipment. The filling is made in a Dutch oven or other large frying pan and the stuffed peppers are baked in a 9" X 13" baking dish, or an equivalent. Other than that, all you'll need are the usual ingredient prep tools.
Hints and Tips (FAQ)
Bell Peppers are categorized as Sweet Peppers, so they are very mild in flavor with no heat whatsoever. One pepper bush will produce green, orange, yellow, and red fruit depending upon the level of ripeness (how long they stay on the vine). The green version is the most immature, followed by the yellow, with the red bell pepper being the ripest and sweetest. Honestly, it is almost impossible to tell the difference in the flavor and any of these colors are suitable for stuffing.Â
Bell Peppers are a good source of vitamins A and C, potassium, folic acid, and fiber. The red bell pepper provides almost 11 times more beta-carotene and 2 times more vitamin C than the green bell pepper. Here's a great article from WebMD.com about the health benefits of bell peppers.
Leftover Stuffed Bell Peppers will last 5 to 6 days in the refrigerator and up to six months in the freezer. Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container. Defrost frozen stuffed peppers in the fridge overnight. To reheat leftover stuffed pepper, wrap them in aluminum foil and place them in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven until warmed through, usually about 30 minutes. See the Lagniappe Tip below about how I prepare them for freezing.
This recipe can be made in advance and held in the refrigerator for a couple of days until you are ready to bake them. If made in advance, don't add the bread crumb and butter toppings until you are ready to bake them. Whether you refrigerate or freeze before or after baking, make sure to cool them off before hitting the fridge or freezer.
Bell Peppers can be stuffed with almost anything; meat, shrimp, crawfish...you name it. Many in South Louisiana add rice instead of bread crumbs to the stuffing (if you want to add rice, use cooked rice, not raw); my grandmother used a mixture of ground beef and ground ham in her stuffed bell peppers but no rice. If you have some leftover Cajun Jambalaya or some Cajun Dirty Rice stuff it in some parboiled bell peppers, sprinkle bread crumbs on top, and bake them at 350 for about 20 to 30 minutes. You may want to moisten the Jambalaya or Dirty Rice with a little stock if it looks dry before you stuff the peppers. Delicious!
The peppers are soft and delicious and will melt in your mouth! Make sure to eat the pepper along with the filling.Â
A blend of these three meats (beef, pork, and veal) is a delicious combination. The veal is a little more expensive than the others and sometimes hard to find. You can leave that out if necessary, or you can use a premixed "Meatloaf Mix" from the grocery meat department.
If you notice some peppers have 3 nodes and some have 4 nodes on the bottom, you're paying attention. It's been said that is how you tell the difference between male and female peppers, but don’t believe it, peppers have no gender! The number of nodes is usually a result of pepper variety and growing conditions. The 4-node bell peppers are great for slicing lengthwise. Here's an article from Rueter's Fact Check that dispels the rumors!
Lagniappe Tip: My favorite method for freezing is to place the stuffed peppers on a baking sheet in the freezer until completely frozen. Then, using a vacuum sealer, seal two frozen peppers together in a bag. This method assures the vacuum sealer will not crush the peppers and you can then take out only the amount of peppers you want to reheat without having to defrost them all.
Here's What You Do
First, you have a beer. To make cooking this recipe easy and enjoyable, you have to get in the right frame of mind. Enjoy a beer while you read the recipe from top to bottom. Make sure you have all the ingredients and equipment you need and you know what you'll do with each. Next, perform your mise en place and most of the work will be done and all you'll have left is to assemble the recipe as you cook.
Mise en Place
- Wash the peppers under cold running water with a soft vegetable brush or cloth to remove any wax coating the grocer may have applied to keep the peppers looking good.
- The peppers should be softened a little before you stuff them. Here's how you do that:
- Slice peppers in half lengthwise and hollow out the inside.
- Place halves in boiling water for about 2 minutes.
- Remove the pepper halves to a bowl of ice water.
- Place the peppers upside down on a cooling rack to drain.
Lagniappe Tip: Peppers can either be sliced in half, lengthwise, or the top can be sliced off and the inside hollowed out. Unless the bell peppers are tiny, I usually slice them lengthwise so that each pepper makes two servings.
Prepare the remaining ingredients:
- Combine the Herb and Spice Blend in a small bowl.
- Measure the butter and oil and set aside.
- Finely chop the onions and bell peppers and place them in a small bowl.
- Finely chop the garlic and set it aside.
- Measure the stock, the bread crumbs, and Worcestershire.
Prepare the Filling Base
What happens in this step? The flavor profile begins in this first layer of flavor by sauteeing and seasoning a vegetable base onto which the meat blend is added.
- Place a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the butter. When the butter is bubbly, add the yellow onions and bell peppers.
- Stir occasionally until the onions are starting to become translucent, which will take about 8 minutes.
- Add the garlic and about â…” of the Herb and Spice Blend. Mix well, stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes.
- Crumble the meat mixture into the seasoned vegetables.
Make the Filling
What happens in this step? The filling is completed in this step by lightly browning the meat, and then adding additional seasonings. Flavors are concentrated and intensified by reducing the rich stock and adding a binder.
- Combine the meat mixture and vegetables and saute just until the pink has cooked out. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Add the Worcestershire and about 1 to 1 ½ cup of beef stock. Stir well and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes until the stock has been absorbed. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.
- Combine the bread crumbs with the meat mixture a little at a time until you get the consistency you want. You should have the consistency of a filling.
- When everything is mixed well, taste again for seasonings and make any needed adjustments. Take the pan off the heat and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
Lagniappe Tip: The texture of the different meats, slowly reducing the stock and adding the correct amount of binder will give the filling a smooth, almost creamy consistency.
Stuff and Bake the Peppers
What happens in this step? The consolidated filling is stuffed into bell peppers and baked to a golden brown.
- After resting for 10 minutes, once again mix the filling well.
- Using a spoon, place the filling in the prepared green peppers, stuffing down the filling so that it fills all the voids.
- Place the filled bell peppers in a prepared 9" X 13" baking dish and top with a light coating of bread crumbs and a tab (about ¼ Tablespoon) of butter. Add about ¼ inch of water to the bottom of the baking dish.
- Place the baking dish, uncovered, into a preheated 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for about 30 minutes, or until the top is browned.
Lagniappe Tip: Bake the Stuffed Bell Peppers uncovered. However, if the Peppers are browning more than you want, simply cover the baking dish with aluminum foil while it finishes baking.
Serving Suggestions
Stuffed Bell Peppers are versatile enough to serve as a special side dish or star in the lead role.
- As a Main Dish, pair them with Baked Macaroni and Cheese or a simple Spaghetti Bordelaise.
- Stuffed Bell Peppers can be served naked (no sauce or anything) or sauced (not sauced like the chef, but you know what I mean). Here are some great sauces for this: Tomato Sauce or Red Gravy (great on the Baked Macaroni and Cheese) or my favorite: Creole Sauce.
If you're serving Stuffed Bell Peppers as a Main Dish, here are other great sides in addition to the ones mentioned above:
Are these Stuffed Bell Peppers your Side Dish? They go well with these Main Dishes:
Do you have the urge to stuff some Bell Peppers with Crawfish? Check out my Cajun Stuffed Pepper Recipe for how to do that!
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Yeah You Right!
Publishers Note: This recipe was originally published in 2017. This revision includes improved step-by-step photos with instructions, as well as FAQs and Hints and Tips.
Recipe
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Here's What You Need
- 6 large Bell Peppers See Notes
- 2 tablespoons Butter See Notes
- 2 -3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion Chopped Fine
- 1 cups bell pepper Chopped Fine
- 5 cloves garlic Chopped Fine
- 1 pound ground beef 80/20
- 1 pound ground veal
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 tablespoon Worchestershire Sauce
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 - 1 ½ cups Italian Bread Crumbs
Herb and Spice Blend
- 2 teaspoons Oregano
- 2 teaspoons Basil
- 1 teaspoon Thyme
- 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons Black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
Here's What You Do
Prepare the Peppers
- Wash the peppers under cold running water with a soft vegetable brush or cloth,
- Slice the peppers in half through the stem and scoop out the veins and seeds.
- Parboil the peppers in boiling water for about 2 to 3 minutes (after the water comes back to a boil), remove immediately to an ice bath to stop the cooking process for 5 minutes. Place the cooled peppers upside down on paper towels to drain; set them aside.
For the Filling
- Heat the oil and butter in a cast iron dutch oven over medium-high heat until starting to foam; add the chopped onions and bell peppers and sauté until almost clear, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, stirring until aromatic-about a minute or two. At this point add most of the Herb and Spice Blend, reserve the rest. Mix well.
- Crumble the meats into the veggie mixture by hand. Stir to combine well and brown the meat until just the pink is gone, breaking up all the lumps as you go. Once browned you may want to remove some of the rendered fat, but not all.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce and about 1 to 1 ½ cup of beef stock, reserving the rest. Bring to a full boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and simmer until the stock is almost evaporated, probably around 15 to 20 minutes. Taste the mixture for seasoning.
- Add the bread crumbs a little at a time until you have the consistency you want, be careful not to add too much. Add a little more stock if needed. At this stage it should have the consistence of a filling or stuffing, no large lumps of meat and very nicely blended and smooth. Taste again for salt/seasoning, add some of the reserved spices if needed.
- Let the stuffing sit covered for about 10 minutes while you get ready for the next step.
Stuff and bake the Peppers
- Heat oven to 350 deg. Prepare an oven safe casserole dish with low sides by spreading soft butter or spraying cooking spray in the bottom.
- Remove bay leaves from the stuffing, then stuff the filling into the peppers, making sure to press down to fill all the voids. Once filled, place each pepper in the baking dish.
- Sprinkle a little bread crumbs and place a small tab on butter top of each one. Pour about ½ inch water in the bottom of the baking dish and adjust the peppers to make sure some of the water gets underneath them.
- Bake at 350 deg for about 30 minutes, uncovered; they are done when an instant read thermometer reads about 160. If they are starting to brown too much, just lay a piece of aluminum foil over them in the oven until they are finished baking.
- Take out and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Estimate
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Louisiana is a wonderful place where the rich cultural heritage enriches and entertains. I'm Dave Howson, aka Sweet Daddy D. I'm glad you found my website and I look forward to exploring the cultural mosaic of Louisiana with you…
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Deb Kacher
Oh my, these stuffed peppers were wonderful! I was searching for a recipe that didn't have a tomato sauce base, and this hit the mark. I followed the recipe except I used a pound of spicy Italian bulk sausage and nearly a pound of ground round I had cooked the day before for sliders and didn't use all of it. Not sure if it mattered, but I kind of think it did: the cooked ground beef had a 1/4 cup of mayo and a tablespoon of Worcestershire in it. The result was creamy, spicy goodness. I loved the spice mixture result as well as the use of beef stock. Cooking time and temperature was spot on. This will forever replace my old tomato based stuffed peppers!
Sweet Daddy D
Hey Deb, thanks for giving the recipe a try. Sounds like you made some great modifications to fit what you had on hand. The Worcestershire fits right in, but the mayo is an interesting twist. I'm so glad the recipe was a hit! Yeah, you right!
Doug MacHutta
Kind of changed this up to a TEX-MEX stuffed peppers by exchange the diced bells with diced jalapenos, added a teaspoon of chili powder instead of the Creole...
OMG this filling is the bomb!
Sweet Daddy D
That sounds fantastic, Don. I love some Tex-Mex. I stuffed that filling into some poblanos once and it was great. Thanks for reaching out.
Scot
I grew up in Slidell, LA and had many local variations of stuffed bell pepper. A family member from da parish shared this with me. I made these stuffed bell peppers tonight according to recipe exactly. They were very good. My friends and I were pleased.
As a personal preference, I would probable use regular bread crumbs or crackers next time. Not a big fan of Italian bread crumbs.
One other person in my group commented he preferred his with rice mixture. I can very easily see myself make a couple of cups of rice and adding all the left over stock from this mixture and adding it to the meat. I say that because I really liked these and the taste profile it and the stock gave off. Anyways, great recipe!
Sweet Daddy D
Thanks for the comments, Scot. I wish I had a nickel for every stuffed pepper I've eaten with rice mixed in. As you know, it's very common. Also very good, although my preference is to skip the rice but I would never turn it down. My grandmother added ground ham (no rice) into the mix, which was also good and gave a distinctive flavor profile. The best part is modifying the recipe according to your personal tastes-make it yours! Thanks again for reaching out. Enjoy!