This easy Stuffed Pepper Skillet imagines what would happen if a stuffed pepper exploded everywhere. But, you know... in a good and yummy way.
Stuffed Pepper Skillet
I have a saying: If you love something, make it as a casserole.
I'm beginning to like a variation on that saying: If you love something, make it in a skillet.
A skillet holds many possibilities. One of those possibilities is an amazing meal that's easy to prepare and hard to resist eating. This is what we have on our hands with this stuffed pepper skillet recipe.
What goes in a stuffed pepper?
A classic stuffed bell pepper tends to contain some combination of meat, cheese, rice, and sauce. They're fun, because stuffed things are fun. It's why children love stuffed animals, or college students love stuffed crust pizza.
Well, everyone is going to love this stuffed pepper skillet—including you, while you're making it!
Why's that? Well, it's really, really easy. You'll barely think about it. You might decide to add to it, like making some rice to go along with it, or changing up the spices. You might decide to make a substitution, or just leave it as is. But that's about as complicated as things are going to get for this recipe.
Here's what goes into it:
Ingredients to make stuffed pepper skillet
- ground beef
- bell peppers
- onion
- chicken broth
- water
- garlic
- tomatoes
- tomato sauce
- colby jack cheese
- salt & pepper
- paprika
- olive oil
- parsley
How to make stuffed pepper skillet recipe
Here's how to make this stuffed pepper skillet:
- Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add garlic and onion. Cook for 3 mins.
- Add meat and brown on all sides before breaking up, about 8-10 mins.
- Add salt, pepper, and paprika. Stir.
- Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, water, and quinoa.
- Bring to a boil, then cut heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Uncover, stir and scrape quinoa off the sides of the skillet. Stir in peppers. Let simmer for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add cheese and cover. Let sit for another 5 minutes.
- Top with parsley.
Substitutions for stuffed pepper skillet
See something you don't care for? Want to get creative? There are plenty of options to change things up here.
- The meat: Use a different kind of ground meat (turkey, pork, chicken), or eliminate entirely.
- The cheese: Use any kind of ground or crumbled cheese, or go for a non-dairy option.
- The broth: Use beef, veggie, or another kind of broth.
How to meal prep this recipe
After making the recipe in one skillet, divide 6 even portions into separate airtight containers. This one is great for meal prep, and lasts about 6 days in the fridge.
What can I make with an abundance of peppers?
Maybe consider making this stuffed pepper skillet!
This recipe actually only calls for two good-sized bell peppers. However, you could definitely up the amount that you put in here, or just go ahead and make a couple of batches while you're prepping.
While you're in the pepper mood, you could make these egg white bites or these shrimp fajitas (which also come in a skillet).
Want more recipes?
Check out one of these Jordo's World staples:
Stuffed Pepper Skillet
Equipment
- Large Skillet
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs ground beef 93% lean, raw
- 1 cup quinoa (176 grams)
- 2 large bell peppers diced (400 grams)
- 1 small onion diced (100 grams)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup water
- 3 cloves garlic minced, 1 tablespoon (15 grams)
- 1 can diced tomatoes 15 oz
- 1 can tomato sauce 8 oz
- ½ cup colby jack cheese shredded (56 grams)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1.5 teaspoon olive oil
- Optional: parsley
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add garlic and onion. Cook for 3 mins.
- Add meat and brown on all sides before breaking up, about 8-10 mins.
- Add salt, pepper, and paprika. Stir.
- Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, water, and quinoa.
- Bring to a boil, then cut heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Uncover, stir and scrape quinoa off the sides of the skillet. Stir in peppers. Let simmer for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add cheese and cover. Let sit for another 5 minutes.
- Top with parsley.
Notes
- 1 serving is 1.5 cups or 345 grams
- Serve with tortilla chips, greens, or tortillas
- Stir in plain greek yogurt for creaminess & extra protein
- Can use whatever kind of cheese
- To track on MyFitnessPal, search “Jordo’s World Stuffed Pepper Skillet”
- Vegetarian: swap meat for beans
- To make GF: This recipe is gluten-free.
- To make DF: Use dairy-free cheese.
- Prepare recipe as instructions say. Split into 6 airtight containers to heat up as needed.
Rachel B says
Absolutely fabulous family dinner!! The 7 year old twins could not wait to have leftovers…TWICE!! Thank you!!
Caitlyn Landau says
One of my favorite recipes to meal prep!
Collette says
Just made this recipe last week and it will now be a weekly staple. It was so easy to make and was delicious. My husband was skeptical of it, but loved it. It fed us for dinner the first night and then had it for lunches the next few days.
Allison Nickelson says
A very easy delicious recipe. Great meal to prep and eat later in the week!
Jordan Smith says
I think it tastes even better as leftovers! Hope you enjoy 🙂
Renee C says
This was such an easy quick flavorful recipe… my lunches were set for the week 🙂
Rachelle says
Yum! Made this for the first time tonight, and I can tell I’ll be making it again! Great for dinner and then lunches for the rest of the week. Thank you!
Leah S says
My hubby loved this one! He was excited to come home every day and eat the PLENTIFUL leftovers this one allowed for. Packed with protein and flavor, really simple to follow, I swapped the cheese for a vegan option (dairy hurts me) and still super tasty. Minimal prep time, quick, tasty, lasts. Love it. I’m such a fan and firm believer in all of Jordos World recipes.
Chris says
I love this recipe, and highly recommend. I have to use vegan cheese, so I have to stir it in as vegan cheese doesn't melt well, especially when it is on top. I also like my peppers to be on the softer side, so I leave it on the stovetop for longer, covered. I used a quinoa / rice mix, and it's very tasty.
Jordan Smith says
Hi Chris, thanks for sharing your modifications! I'm glad you can make this recipe work to your liking!
Adrien L. says
We liked it and it reheated super well! We did think it lacked some flavor so next time, we are going to add the spice count up a little more. I’m weird about meat being reheated but this tasted better each day!
Jordan Smith says
Hi Adrien, glad it reheated well for you (I love when recipes are able to do that). Feel free to add any spices you think it's missing to make it more suitable to your needs. Enjoy!
Jen says
LOVED this recipe! Tasted just like a stuffed pepper, but felt like less work. I did add some extra spices based on my dads stuffed pepper recipe (1 tsp mint & dill each and used 1 tsp parsley). It was perfection! Will definitely be making again! Thanks for another great recipe!
Rachel says
So good!!! I kept craving it after the first time I made it. Instead of ground beef, I used 1 lb of ground turkey and a can of black beans. I also added a bit of garlic powder. Excellent recipe, thank you!
Neely says
Oh my goodness!! I made this today and am floored at how delicious this is. Will definitely be making this again…on repeat!! 😋
Chloe says
I have cooked rice to use for the recipe. I’m going to omit the broth and water. Anything else you would recommend changing?
Jordan Smith says
Hi Chloe, I haven't tested using cooked rice, though I imagine omitting the liquids and lessening the simmer time would work well to accommodate! Let me know if you try that and it works for you!
Booher Rebecca says
SOOOOO delicious! I ate it all week long and loved it! Husband loved it too!
Jordan Smith says
YAY for delicious meals the whole family loves!
Kayla says
This tastes so yummy and comforting and couldn’t have been easier to make. I scooped mine up with some Siete tortilla chips. Will definitely make for meal prep again! Thanks for the great recipe!
Jordan Smith says
Yummy, comforting, and easy are our favorite things! 🙂 So glad this recipe worked well for you!