Easy One-Pot Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers Recipe
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Easy deconstructed stuffed peppers have all of the deliciousness of traditional stuffed peppers with less work! Unlike traditional stuffed peppers, the savory beef filling is cooked on top of the stove in one pan with peppers and a few other simple ingredients for a healthy and easy unstuffed pepper skillet dinner.
Updated December, 2025. Rewritten for clarity with new tips.
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Unstuffed Peppers Recipe Highlights
- Customizable: This recipe lets you get creative with fillings and toppings, see all of the variations below.
- Easy: It’s a 45-minute meal (15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook), just add more time if you need to cook the rice.
- Simple ingredients: Made with just a few ingredients such as bell peppers, tomateos, rice and cheese.
- Easy to clean up: Made in one skillet for a quick dinner.
- Meal prep friendly: Make a big batch to enjoy through the week.
Whenever I can make something easier to cook and clean up, I’m all in. These deconstructed stuffed peppers keep all the flavors of traditional stuffed peppers but are a breeze to make. Everything cooks in one pan, making them perfect for a quick and delicious weeknight meal. In less than one hour, you’ll have dinner ready and only one pot to wash.
Here is what you will need
Ingredients
- Olive oil or avocado oil
- Lean ground beef (85 to 90% lean), ground turkey or chicken will work too
- Onion
- Garlic or garlic powder
- Green pepper
- Red bell pepper, yellow or orange bell pepper or a mix of all
- Fresh or canned diced or crushed tomatoes
- Cooked rice (brown or white)
- Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
- Shredded cheese (cheddar)
Missing an ingredient? Find a substitute with the ingredient swap assistant!
Step-By-Step: Unstuffed Peppers
- Prepare the ingredients: If not already cooked, measure and cook the rice according to package instructions. Chop the onion & garlic, slice the peppers, shred and measure the cheese, and measure the tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce.
- Brown the meat: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the ground beef, reduce the heat to medium and cook for a couple of minutes until the meat begins to turn brown.
- Veggies: Add the chopped onions, garlic and sliced peppers to the skillet. Sauté peppers and onions until they begin to soften (about 3 to 5 minutes).
- Sauce and flavor: Add the tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and cooked rice to the skillet, and mix everything together.
- Lower the heat: Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes or longer.
- Add cheese: Sprinkle the deconstructed stuffed peppers with cheddar cheese and serve.
Try these vegetarian stuffed peppers, or unstuffed cabbage rolls for another easy dinner.
Tips
- Add up to one tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet if the meat sticks to the pan.
- Save time by using leftover cooked rice or whole grains, and chop the onion and garlic the day before.
- If you prefer soft peppers, loosely cover the skillet while simmering.
Substitutions and Variations
I love how flexible unstuffed peppers are! You can switch up the stuffing flavors easily. Here are some ideas.
- Low-carb – Replace the rice with one cup of steamed cauliflower rice.
- Vegetarian – Replace the beef with a vegetarian meat substitute or try the stuffing in my vegetarian stuffed peppers.
- Italian – Instead of diced tomatoes, use marinara sauce, a teaspoon of oregano or Italian seasoning, and top it off with provolone or mozzarella cheese. Or try these chicken parmesan stuffed peppers.
- Mexican – Use salsa instead of diced tomatoes, add diced jalapeño or poblano pepper, and top them with shredded jack or cotija cheese.
- Greek – Keep the diced tomatoes, add 1/2 cup of sliced kalamata olives and oregano, and top with feta cheese.
Craving more easy ground beef ideas? Don’t miss my complete guide to healthy ground beef recipes—it’s packed with simple, flavorful dinners for every night of the week. Check them out here.
Make- ahead Instructions
Deconstructed stuffed peppers is a great recipe to get a jump start on prepping and save prep time. Up to three days ahead of time, you can prep the rice and ground beef with onions, slice the peppers, and store each separately in the fridge for up to two days.
When it’s time to serve, combine the peppers, cooked rice, tomatoes and meat mixture, and cook until everything is heated through and the peppers begin to soften.
What to serve with deconstructed stuffed peppers
Serve this deconstructed stuffed pepper casserole with side dishes like:
If you are looking for more easy and delicious ground beef recipes, check out these Grass Fed Ground Beef Recipes!
How to Store and Use Leftover Unstuffed Peppers
This is one of those recipes that tastes even better after a day or two so go ahead and ahead and make extra.
How to store leftovers
Store room temperature leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat until warmed through, or use the microwave. For longer storage, freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen leftovers overnight in the fridge before reheating.
How to use up leftovers
Repurpose your leftover stuffed peppers in creative ways. Serve them as they are or try one of these variations:
- Chop them up and toss with romaine lettuce for a tasty unstuffed pepper salad.
- Stuff them into a pita pocket, wrap or lettuce wrap for a sandwich
- Top a baked potato or sweet potato with the stuffed pepper mixture
Do you like this recipe? You might also like our recipe for stuffed zucchini with ground beef and rice or this mini pepper nachos recipe!
Frequently Asked Questions about Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers
No, uncooked rice, especially brown rice, needs more liquid and a longer cook time than this recipe uses. If you want to cook the rice in the skillet, you need instant rice. For the best texture and simplest method, cook the rice ahead of time and stir it into the pan as written in the recipe.
To make vegetarian stuffed peppers, replace the ground beef with a plant-based meat substitute, beans, tofu, or tempeh. To make the recipe vegan, use a plant-based protein and swap the cheddar cheese for dairy-free cheese or skip the cheese and add extra veggies or avocado on top.
The basic recipe is gluten-free except for the Worcestershire or soy sauce. Some brands of Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce contain gluten, so check the ingredient labels or use a gluten-free version to keep the recipe gluten-free.
This recipe takes about 45 minutes from start to finish. Prep time is around 15 minutes for chopping vegetables and cooking the rice, and cook time is about 30 minutes while the beef browns, the vegetables soften, and the flavors blend in the skillet.
Deconstructed stuffed peppers have the same flavors as classic stuffed peppers, but everything cooks together in one skillet instead of stuffing whole peppers. Ground beef, peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, rice, and cheese are simmered in one pan to create a simple, hearty dinner with less prep and easier cleanup.
This recipe is very flexible. You can switch the ground beef for turkey, chicken, pork, sausage, or plant-based meat. For an Italian version, use marinara sauce, oregano or Italian seasoning, and top with provolone or mozzarella cheese. For a Mexican-style version, use salsa instead of tomatoes, add jalapeños or poblano peppers, and top with jack or cotija cheese. For a low-carb version, replace the rice with cauliflower rice.
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Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 3/4 cup chopped onion approximately 1 small onion
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 3 bell peppers julienne sliced any color
- 2 cups diced or crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 to 3 ounces grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to the package instructions.
- Prepare the ingredients: cook and measure the rice, chop the onion & garlic, slice the peppers, shred and measure the cheese, and measure the tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the ground beef, reduce the heat to medium, and cook it for a couple of minutes until the meat is almost cooked through.
- Add the chopped onions, garlic, and sliced peppers. Sauté peppers and onion until they begin to soften (about 3 to 5 minutes).
- Add the tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and cooked rice to the skillet, and mix everything together.
- Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes or longer. Sprinkle the Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers with cheddar cheese and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used
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This looks yum! I going to try the vegetarian version.
Easy to make, great flavor, enjoyed by my family. If you like it spicier add jalapeños along with the peppers! A great recipe for children to enjoy vegetables. Very colorful if you use a variety of peppers.
Thank you Heidi, I am happy to hear that your family enjoyed it!
I do love this recipe. I’ve been making them for years as trad green peppers is a love too, albeit very time consuming. I use less tomato but add vegetable juice to loosen it up a bit.
Thank you Frank for your comment. Vegetable juice sounds like a nice addition!
I love love this recipe! So easy and so good
thank you Sally for your comment!