Cheeseburger Stuffed Peppers made with ground beef, cheddar cheese, brown rice, and seasonings is a delicious heathy twist on juicy cheeseburgers. This tasty ground beef recipe comes together into a perfect portion-controlled dinner that is gluten-free and can easily fit into your weekly meal plan!
Stuffed peppers are some of my favorite clean eating recipes to prepare for the busy week. They are easy to make, filling, and the perfect portion-controlled main dish recipe.
These Italian stuffed peppers, taco stuffed peppers, quinoa stuffed peppers and crockpot stuffed peppers are always in our meal plan rotation. Now, we can add these cheeseburger stuffed peppers to the list.
Reasons you’ll love this recipe
- Let’s start with delicious! These cheeseburger stuffed peppers are a family favorite – even the kids eat them without any bribing.
- Nutritious. Fiber-rich bell peppers packed with lean organic ground beef, brown rice, tomato sauce, and seasoning. This healthy gluten-free recipe will keep you full without feeling bloated.
- Easy to prepare. After cooking the beef and rice, stuff the peppers, and bake in the oven. If you have the brown rice ready ahead of time, this recipe comes together quickly.
- Make-ahead. Step up your meal prep game with this stuffed pepper recipe! You can either assemble the ingredients to cook later in the week or cook thoroughly to heat and eat. You can even freeze stuffed peppers for dinner later on.
Ingredients
- Lean ground beef. Use 95/5 or 5 97/3 organic grass-fed beef for healthiest option.
- Seasoning. Salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder start the flavor foundation for the ground beef.
- Worcestershire sauce. This sauce is a great staple to have in the pantry – it adds flavor and richness to ground beef recipes. It’s also a secret ingredient I use to add flavor in all of my ground turkey recipes.
- Ketchup and mustard. This duo gives the seasoned beef that burger flavor. To keep this recipe clean, make sure to read the ketchup and labels, so you don’t want to grab any that include hydrogenated oil or high fructose corn syrup. Also, I often use spicy or brown mustard in this recipe which adds a tasty flavor.
- Grated parmesan cheese. If possible, grate the parmesan cheese fresh for the best flavor.
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Of course, what would cheeseburger stuffed peppers be without the cheese! I highly recommend using sharp cheddar cheese and shredding it fresh for the best flavor and to get that ooey-gooey cheesiness we all love.
- Cooked brown rice. Brown rice takes a while to cook, so I recommend cooking it ahead of time, so this recipe comes together quickly. I like to cook a batch every week (using my rice cooker) to have ready during the week to use in recipes. You can also freeze brown rice to use in future recipes.
- Canned tomato sauce. This adds flavor, adds moisture, and brings the rest of the ingredients together.
- Beef broth. This helps to steam the peppers as they cook in the oven. You can use chicken broth or even extra tomato sauce in place of the beef broth.
- Bell peppers. Depending on the size of your peppers, the filling will fill 5-6 bell peppers. I like to get medium-sized peppers with a flat bottom – this helps them stand upright in the baking dish. You can use any color of bell peppers.
FAQS
Do you cook ground beef before stuffed peppers?
In this recipe, I recommend cooking the ground beef before stuffing the peppers. It allows you to season the meat and drain any extra grease before adding it to the other ingredients.
Also, browning beef gives another layer of flavor that you won’t get by cooking it raw in the peppers.
Should I boil my bell peppers before stuffing them?
No, you don’t have to boil peppers or par-cook before stuffing them. Adding the broth to the pan, and covering it tightly with foil, will steam the peppers resulting in tender cooked peppers.
Cooking Tips
- Swap out the ground beef. If you want to lower the saturated fat in this recipe, you can use ground turkey or ground chicken in place of the beef.
- Switch up the cheese. Pepper jack, Colby jack, mozzarella, and even swiss cheese are all delicious in these cheeseburger stuffed peppers.
- Bulk up the veggies. Mushrooms, onions, and peppers are all tasty. Whatever vegetable you enjoy with a burger, you’ll love these stuffed peppers. I recommend sauteing the veggies and draining any liquid before adding it to the pepper mixture.
- Use different grains. You can use quinoa, farro, bulgar or other grains in place of the brown rice. Or keep it low carb or keto-friendly by leaving the rice out or using cauliflower rice instead.
Supplies
- Mixing bowls
- 9 x 13 ceramic baking dish.
How to Make Cheeseburger Stuffed Peppers
- Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut the tops of the bell peppers and clean out seeds and membranes. Set aside.
- While the oven is heating up, get out a large skillet and cook the ground beef over medium-high heat, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. After about 5-7 minutes, when the meat is almost done cooking and just a little pink, season it with salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, mustard, onion powder, granulated garlic, and parmesan cheese. Continue to cook until no longer pink, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the ground beef mixture into a large mixing bowl with ¾ cup of the shredded cheese, rice, and tomato sauce. Stir until all of the ingredients are combined.
- Stuff each bell pepper with the ground beef mixture, top the peppers with the remaining cheese and line up in a casserole dish. **note I had just enough ground beef mixture to fill the peppers. Depending on the size of your peppers, you may have a little less or more.
- Last, pour the beef broth into the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 – 50 minutes or until cooked and hot all the way through. Serve hot.
Serving suggestion
These cheeseburger stuffed peppers are a meal in itself, but If you want different sides to serve along with them, here are some ideas.
- Green or caesar salad
- Roasted broccoli
- Roasted asparagus
- Roasted carrots
- Crispy oven-roasted potatoes
- Ranch roasted potatoes
See more healthy side dishes for stuffed peppers.
Storage Tips
There are a few different ways I like to prepare these cheeseburger stuffed peppers.
- Cook the stuffed peppers thoroughly; after they are cooled, store them in an airtight container and refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 1-3 minutes or until hot. There might be some extra liquid from the peppers; drain and enjoy. The great thing about stuffed peppers is that they taste better by the day, making them perfect for this meal prep method. You can also freeze cooked stuffed peppers.
- Cook beef and rice ahead of time. These peppers come together fast when you make both of those ingredients in advance.
- Assemble the stuffed peppers, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Continue with the recipe. You may need to add on more cooking time since the stuffed peppers will be cold.
- Freeze stuffed peppers. Follow my how to freeze stuffed peppers guide for full instructions.
Other Healthy Beef Recipes
Cheeseburger Stuffed Peppers
Cheeseburger Stuffed Peppers made with ground beef, cheddar cheese, brown rice, and seasonings is a delicious heathy twist on juicy cheeseburgers. This tasty ground beef recipe comes together into a perfect portion-controlled dinner that is gluten-free and can easily fit into your weekly meal plan!
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Servings: 5
Calories: 422kcal
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- 9 x 13 ceramic baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1.5 cups cooked brown rice
- 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup beef broth or stock
- 5 medium bell peppers more or less deepening on how big the peppers are.
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut the tops of the bell peppers and clean out the seeds and membranes. Set them aside.
- While the oven is heating up, get out a large skillet and cook the ground beef over medium-high heat, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. After about 5-7 minutes, when the meat is almost done cooking and just a little pink, season it with salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, mustard, onion powder, granulated garlic, and parmesan cheese. Continue to cook until no longer pink, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the ground beef mixture into a large mixing bowl with ¾ cup of the shredded cheese, rice, and tomato sauce.
- Stir until all of the ingredients are combined.
- Stuff each bell pepper with the ground beef mixture, top the peppers with the remaining cheese and line up in a casserole dish. **note I had just enough ground beef mixture to fill the peppers. Depending on the size of your peppers, you may have a little less or more.
- Last, pour the beef broth into the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 – 50 minutes or until cooked and hot all the way through. Serve hot.
Video
Notes
Storage Tips
There are a few different ways I like to prepare these cheeseburger stuffed peppers.
- Cook the stuffed peppers thoroughly; after they are cooled, store them in an airtight container and refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 1-3 minutes or until hot. There might be some extra liquid from the peppers; drain and enjoy. The great thing about stuffed peppers is that they taste better by the day, making them perfect for this meal prep method. You can also freeze cooked stuffed peppers.
- Cook beef and rice ahead of time. These peppers come together fast when you make both of those ingredients in advance.
- Assemble the stuffed peppers, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Continue with the recipe. You may need to add on more cooking time since the stuffed peppers will be cold.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 422kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 610g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 840mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g
Did you make this recipe?
Have you tried this cheeseburger stuffed peppers recipe? If so, I’d love for you to rate this recipe and leave a comment below. We all learn from each other’s experiences. Also, it would be awesome if you could share a picture on Instagram and tag it #organizeyourselfskinny. I can’t wait to see it.
Kelley says
I make this recipe over and over for a few years now and every single time I love it even more! I have substituted the rice with quinoa and even leftover couscous at times and they are both great substitutes! One other tweak I’ve made is to omit the tomato sauce and instead add a can of fire roasted tomatoes. Adds some extra veggies to the mix and tastes just as good as the sauce! Thank you for sharing this!
Tammy Overhoff says
Hey! I’m so happy you love these. Thanks for sharing your swaps those sound delish!
Laurel says
These are an easy delicious meal plus leftovers for me and my husband.They are full of flavor but not spicy. I par boiled my huge peppers before filling and used quinoa instead of rice. We’ll definitely keep making these in the months ahead!
Tammy Overhoff says
SO glad you loved these! I love the quinoa idea, I’ll need to try that next time!
Emma says
Is some of the beef broth supposed to go into the meat mixture? If so how much?
Halie says
I’m confused as well, recipe says 1 cup divided… But what for??
Tammy Overhoff says
Sorry about that. The broth goes on the bottom of the casserole dish. I updated the recipe.
Natalie says
This recipe was great, I’ll be making it again – thank you! But just in case anyone is confused, rice is gluten free, just low protein unlike quinoa, I use both all the time!
Tammy Kresge says
SO glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for clarifying.
Carol Zuegner says
I loved these. I’m looking forward to lunch today for the leftovers. Easy to make with things I had on hand. Delicious.
Marion says
these look yummy. Any recommendation of what I can put in instead of rice. I can’t have complex carbs. I was thinking maybe some roast butternut squash. Would this work.
Sarah says
This recipe was super yummy! I doubled the batch and froze most for future meals. I used vegetable broth instead of beef broth and it still turned out great. I would recommend this recipe to a friend!
Shannon says
Just curious…1.5 “what” of cheddar cheese? I’d love to try these tonight so hopefully, somebody sees my SOS. 🙂
Barbara says
1.5 cups cheddar cheese
Barbara says
I have been shopping twice now for this and other meals. Both times I forgot ground beef. However I do have ground turkey so I’m going to try this recipe with ground turkey. I’ll come back with the results later.
Lauren says
I loved this recipe. I only used 3 bell peppers and still used all the meat. I waited to put the cheese on the top until the last 10 minutes and did not put the foil back on. I also only used 1 cup cooked brown rice and 1/2 cup raw quick oats. My Mother-in-law wants the recipe because she loved them. Thank you so much!!
Gloria says
I have been making my recipe, which is very good, but, this is excellent. I used Farro, (no brown rice)
Jacqueline smith says
These were yummy and so say to make. My family found them to be filling. You get your vegetable and your protein in one dish. Goes great with a light salad.
Jacqueline smith says
I mean to say easy to make.
Katharine in Brussels says
Hi Tammy, thx for t his recipe–I planned it for this week and have just made a batch. It’s delicious and a great family style dish. As I’m veg I made it with veggie burgers. I didn’t have any brown rice ready so I made it with quinoa, which is probably even better nutrionally to adjust the balance of carb and protein. Here in Belgium it’s hard to source dried onions so I made it with a finely chopped onion and, while I was at it, garlic; then added some chopped celery for some crunch and to add more vegetable (why not?). It’s truly delightful. I have fond memories of Kraft parmesan cheese but here it is hard to source once again so my version has slivered fresh parmeggiano-reggiano: wow. My toddlers liked this dinner and when my husband comes home has a plate waiting. Cheers!
Kristi says
Stumbled across your recipe while looking for one I had seen earlier for stuffed peppers. Sounded good, I had all the ingredients, so I tried it. It was DELISH! My family gave it a thumbs up. I was talking on the phone while making them and dumped too much tomato sauce in and they were still good. Definitely a keeper. In fact, I just printed it for my recipe binder.
Tammy Kresge says
That is fantastic! SO glad you liked them!
Laura says
I made these last night and they were amazing!
alyssa says
does this count as half pepper for serving or the whole pepper serving?