This stuffed peppers recipe is a super easy and healthy way of making Middle Eastern style stuffed peppers! The filling for this Lebanese stuffed bell peppers recipe is a mixture of ground beef and uncooked rice with Lebanese spices and it is cooked in tomato sauce. Not only is it a dairy free recipe but it is also a gluten free stuffed peppers recipe as well.
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Lebanese food is absolutely delicious and healthy as well! Traditionally, Middle Eastern foods stick with veggies as the star of the dish, I think that's why there are so many dishes with stuffed veggies (Stuffed Cabbage Leaves, Stuffed Grape leaves, Stuffed Squash etc). This Lebanese stuffed bell peppers recipe is no different!
The standard Lebanese style filling for stuffed vegetables consists of raw ground beef or lamb, rice, Lebanese 7 spices (or my family uses cinnamon) and tomato sauce. Some stuffed vegetables are cooked in tomato sauce with lemon and mint as well.
But always, Lebanese food is served with Labneh, which is a thick, strained yogurt that is so good for gut health! Leave it to Lebanon and the Middle East to rock healthy oils and foods that are super heart and gut healthy! You can read more about what is Lebanese food by clicking that link!
Easy Lebanese Stuffed Peppers
I am not joking when I say this recipe is soooo easy. Since I had an overabundance of bell peppers from my parent's garden this year, I froze a ton of them for later use, and made a whole meal with this Mediterranean stuffed peppers recipe.
🥘 Ingredients
This is such a SIMPLE recipe! All you need for the ingredients for Middle Eastern stuffed peppers are...
- bell peppers (I used green and red, but you can use any color, or tricolor peppers or whatever your preference is)
- ground beef
- white rice
- tomato sauce
- salt
- pepper
- cinnamon
And BONUS! This Lebanese style stuffed peppers recipe is GLUTEN FREE and DAIRY FREE!
This stuffed peppers recipe does not have cheese! Most other recipes call for cheese, but this one does not have cheese, and you won't miss it!
🔪 Instructions
How to Stuff Peppers:
Ok guys, EASY PEASY! All you need to do is cut the tops off of the bell peppers, and make sure the seeds are removed, stuff the peppers with the filling and cook them in a DUTCH OVEN for 40 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Check out this one from Amazon
This is such a simple stuffed peppers recipe!
One of the reasons I love this recipe is because it is QUICK and EASY! Stuffing peppers is quite easy, it tends to be easier than stuffing other vegetables because it is not labor intensive.
Because you are using bell peppers, this recipe will be slightly bitter. If you don't want any bitterness to your meal, I would suggest making stuffed cabbage or stuffing yellow squash instead (recipe to come).
How to make the filling for stuffed peppers:
Take the uncooked ground beef in a large mixing bowl, add the uncooked rice, spices and 4 tablespoon of the tomato sauce. Cut it together with a spoon until it is mixed. It will still have chunks in it, it won't be fully incorporated and that's ok.
Stuff each pepper with about ½ cup of the filling, or until it is to the top. Don't pack it too tightly or else it won't cook right.
Places the stuffed peppers upright into the Dutch oven and pour the remaining tomato sauce over the top.
Pour another 3 cups or so of water into the Dutch oven with the peppers or until the water barely reaches the top of the peppers.
Bring to a boil and simmer on medium heat for about 30-40 minutes or until rice is tender.
🥗 Serving suggestions
Serve with a dollop of Mint Yogurt Sauce, Lebanese Pita Bread or Za'atar Bread.
🎥 Video
Check out this short video of how to make stuffed peppers. You will see how easy it is!
Check out these other popular recipes from A Pinch Of Adventure!
- Lebanese Rice with Vermicelli
- Lebanese Stuffed Cabbage Leaves
- Arayes Kafta (grilled meat stuffed pita)
- Lebanese Chicken Shawarma
- Baklawa (Lebanese Baklava with Walnuts)
- Burrata Caprese Salad
- Fried Kibbeh Balls
- Caramelized Mushrooms
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📖 Recipe
Lebanese Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 6 bell peppers any color, although green will be more bitter
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 cup rice long grain white
- 2 teas salt
- ½ teas pepper
- ¼-½ teas cinnamon
- 3-4 cups water
Instructions
- In a large mixing bow, cut together the uncooked ground beef, uncooked rice, spices and 4 Tbs of tomato sauce until the ingredients are mixed, it will not be smooth
- Wash the bell peppers and cut off the tops, removing the seeds from the inside
- Loosely stuff the peppers with the ground beef and rice filling, being careful not to stuff it too tight
- Places the stuffed peppers upright into a Ducth oven
- Add the rest of the tomato sauce over the top of the peppers
- Add 3-4 cups of water, or until the water just barely reaches the tops of the peppers
- Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer at medium heat for 35-40 minutes, or until rice is tender
- Serve with Lebanese Pita Bread or Za'atar bread. Enjoy!
Rhonda
If I want to use 7 spice instead of just cinnamon, how much would you recommend?
Looking forward to trying this!
Emily Ackerman
I would recommend replacing the cinnamon with the same amount of 7 spice. Enjoy!
Paul
Not sure if I'm missing something here, What do you mean by tomato sauce? Tinned tomatoes, ketchup, tomato puree?
Emily Ackerman
I use 15 oz Hunt's canned tomato sauce.