Grilled Stuffed Peppers Take The Stress Out Of Weeknight Dinners
This untraditional method for cooking stuffed peppers will become a new tradition in your house once you fire up the grill and get a batch going. Why grill your stuffed peppers? Because it’s summer and we want to be outside! Don’t stay indoors and turn on the hot oven. Instead, step outside to the grill and take advantage of the great weather and the nice smoky charred flavor grilling brings to this classic comfort dish.
Want to switch it up? Although stuffed peppers are already one of our favorite healthy dinner recipes, for an even lighter version, try using ground turkey or chicken in place of the ground beef. Or sub out the rice for a different grain like quinoa, or skip the rice altogether. This recipe is also super-customizable in terms of the flavor—feel free to add your favorite spices or ingredients!
Grilled peppers cook faster than baked. You want to make sure to keep the peppers intact so they stay right side up on the grill. This means you will get a just-tender pepper with a touch of crisp, which is a nice contrast for the summer months when we crave fresh and light foods. If you're finding that the peppers don't want to stay up straight, use some foil to create a boat for the pepper to stand upright in before placing the pepper back on the grill to cook.
Made these peppers? Let us know what you think!
Yields: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 55 mins
Ingredients
2 tbsp.
extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1
medium yellow onion, chopped
3
cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp.
tomato paste
1 lb.
lean ground beef
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1
(14.5-oz.) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 tbsp.
Italian seasoning
1 tsp.
Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 c.
cooked white or brown rice
6
medium any color bell peppers (about 7 oz. each)
1 c.
shredded Mexican blend cheese
Chopped fresh parsley, for serving
Directions
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add beef; season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain excess fat, if needed.
Add tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and Worcestershire to beef mixture and cook, stirring, until liquid is slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in rice; season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
Prepare a grill for medium heat; preheat 5 minutes. Cut tops off peppers and remove cores and seeds; reserve tops and discard cores and seeds. On a sheet tray, drizzle peppers and pepper tops with oil and rub to coat.
Grill peppers and pepper tops, covered and turning whole peppers occasionally and tops halfway through, until lightly charred and crisp tender, about 2 minutes per side for whole peppers and about 4 minutes per side for pepper tops.
Transfer pepper tops to a plate. Return peppers to sheet tray, arranging cut side up. Spoon beef mixture into each pepper. Generously pile cheese on top of beef mixture.
Arrange stuffed peppers next to each other, cheese side up, on grill, wrapping with foil but keeping cheese exposed if desired so peppers stay upright. Grill, covered, until cheese is melted, 8 to 10 minutes.
Arrange peppers and pepper tops on a platter. Top with parsley.
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