Grilled Stuffed Peppers - with Ground Beef

Stuffed peppers are a delicious way to get a well-rounded meal in every bite. A filling made with ground beef and rice, seasoned with tomato sauce, cheese and Italian seasonings.

The pepper shells or skin make a natural bowl to hold the filling which is both delicious and fun.

And by using the grill, you add another layer of flavor. There is just something about that smoky essence that only a grill can give your food.

Just in case you needed another reason to love grilled food, these grilled stuffed peppers could be the perfect answer!

Why I love this recipe

Stuffed peppers are such an iconic meal, for good reason. They are delicious and hearty, and easily customized to individual preferences.

What I did differently this time is to do all the cooking on the grill. In this way I can enjoy my backyard in all its summer glory while I cook, plus I don’t heat up the house in the process.  

The grill provides a particular smoky quality to whatever you make on it, and it is truly great for these peppers. I love that bit of “char” you get; it’s a taste you just can’t replicate indoors!

Ingredients

• ground beef
• onion
• cooked rice
• tomato sauce
• cheese
• garlic powder and Italian seasoning

How to make grilled stuffed peppers

Just like any other stuffed peppers, you make the filling, stuff the peppers, and cook. Usually it is recommended to pre-cook the peppers slightly before stuffing.

When I'm cooking stuffed peppers in the oven, I usually microwave the peppers or briefly dip in boiling water. For this recipe, I did this step on the grill in addition to the final cooking step.

When you stuff peppers, it’s common to cut off the top and remove the seeds and membranes. This creates a cavity suitable for stuffing.

I use this method when oven cooking, as the peppers fit well in a baking dish and can lean against each other in order to keep them upright. (also the best way when making Jack O’Lantern faces in your peppers)

But for the grill, I’d rather not deal with tippy peppers. Plus I like to maximize the surface area of the pepper that is in actual contact with the grill.

So I cut the peppers in half lengthwise and then remove the seeds and membranes. This creates a nice shallow “bowl” of pepper skin and the filling can be scooped right into the bowl and even heaped up slightly if needed.

The other thing that helps control the peppers is using a grill basket. Even though these should work just fine directly on the grill grates, I like putting them all in a grill basket so I can just lift them all on and off the grill at the same time. Very handy, since those peppers will become quite soft once cooked.

Variations

The variation options for grilled stuffed peppers are pretty vast! The Carnivore loves stuffed green bell peppers, but I really prefer yellow or orange bell peppers for mine. Pretty easy to mix and match your peppers for these!

And what you choose to stuff with is also up to you. My usual filling is a mix of ground beef and rice, with a tomato sauce lightly seasoned with Italian flavors.

My go-to is brown rice, but really any rice will work. I sometimes substitute the rice with cauliflower rice for a really low carb version.

And the ground beef could instead be ground chicken or turkey or even a plant-based substitute like Impossible burger.

Want to go completely vegetarian? Use some canned beans for the protein. You can totally make this your own!

And of course, cheese. Because I use Italian seasoning I tend to default to mozzarella or an Italian blend. But the world of cheese is out there!

Try some lovely Monterey Jack – it’s delicious and melty! And if you want to spice it up a little you can always use pepper jack.

Some people are all about the cheddar, and I’m not going to argue with you- go ahead and use whatever cheese you love most. There has been many a stuffed pepper in this house that used whatever cheese I had on hand that day!

While you’re grilling those stuffed peppers, here are a few more ideas for you

• Grilled peppers & onions
• Beef kabobs
• Grilled chicken tenderloins
• Cajun grilled shrimp
• Grilled broccoli (in foil)

Like your food stuffed? There are lots of ways to do it!

• Twice Baked potatoes (grilled)
• Cheesy stuffed tomatoes
• Grilled stuffed burritos
• Fajita chicken
• Juicy Lucy stuffed burger
• Vegetarian stuffed acorn squash

5 from 63 votes

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Grilled Stuffed Peppers

A classic meal is made even better by cooking on the grill!

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4

Calories: 478kcal

Author: Sula

Ingredients

• 4 bell peppers any color
• 2-3 Tablespoons chopped onion
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• 1 cup shredded cheese mozzarella or Italian blend
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Instructions

• Split peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds and membrane. Brush the cut edges with a little oil. Preheat grill to medium-high heat and place the peppers, cut side down, directly on the grill grates. Grill 5-10 minutes, until char marks appear and the peppers have started to soften slightly. Remove from grill and allow to cool slightly before handling.
• Cook the onions and ground beef in a skillet on medium heat about 8-10 minutes, until the beef is browned. Stir in rice, seasonings and tomato sauce and cook until heated through. Allow to cool slightly before adding cheese.
• Arrange the peppers halves in a grill basket (if using). Add ¾ cup of cheese to the cooled filling, then spoon the filling into each of the pepper halves. You should have enough filling for all 8 of the pepper halves.
• Place grill basket full of stuffed peppers on the preheated grill. Grill for 20 minutes on medium heat, until peppers are charred on the outside and completely heated through.
• Add the remaining ¼ cup shredded cheese in the last few minutes of cooking, to give it a chance to melt onto the filling.
• Remove from grill and serve right away!

Video

Notes

I use brown rice but any rice will work, including riced cauliflower.

Cheeses may also be substituted with your preferred type.

Nutrition

Calories: 478kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 554mg | Potassium: 798mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4169IU | Vitamin C: 156mg | Calcium: 191mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.