Greek Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Greek stuffed peppers topped with feta and parsley in an oval baking dish.

Greek Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: greek

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: baked stuffed peppers, Greek stuffed peppers, mediterranean stuffed peppers

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 1 10

Total Time: 1 15

Servings:

Calories: 743kcal

This Greek stuffed peppers recipe is gluten free and has a shorter active cooking time. Full of classic Mediterranean flavors, and easy to make!

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Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup basmati rice
2 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano
1 pound ground lamb or other ground meat
2 teaspoon kosher salt divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley plus more for serving
28 ounces canned whole or crushed tomatoes preferably San Marzano
½ cup feta cheese plus more for serving
8 bell peppers any color

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Add one cup of rice and 2 cups water to a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then cover, turn heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the rice and set aside.
While the rice cooks, finely dice the onion, garlic and parsley.
Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium high heat. Once shimmering, add the onions and a pinch of salt. Sweat onions until soft and translucent, about 5-8 minutes.
Add the garlic and Greek oregano to the onions, and stir for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Add the ground lamb and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt to the skillet, breaking the meat apart with a wooden spoon or bamboo spatula. Cook for 6-10 minutes, until the lamb is starting to get brown and crispy. Stir in the parsley and cook for 1 more minute.
While the lamb cooks, transfer the canned tomatoes to a bowl and crush them by hand. Fill the can half full of water and set aside.
Add the canned tomatoes, water from the can, par-cooked rice, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to the skillet. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat and cook for about 10 minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens. Stir in ½ cup of the feta and remove from heat. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
While the filling is simmering, cut the tops off of the bell peppers, then remove the seeds and trim the ribs from the interior. Fill a deep baking dish large enough to hold 8 stuffed peppers about ¼ of the way with water. (Or use two smaller dishes.)
Fill each pepper with filling, being careful that they are not over stuffed, and nestle them into your baking dish. They should be snug enough that they don't fall over.
Cover tightly with foil and cook the stuffed peppers in the oven for 30 minutes, then carefully remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes more. (See tips below.) Top with more feta and chopped fresh parsley for serving.

Notes

We'll be multi-tasking while we make these peppers—chopping veg while the rice cooks, prepping tomatoes while the lamb cooks, prepping the peppers while the filling cooks—but it's not stressful. Just have all of your ingredients ready to go before you start!
Be very careful when removing the foil covering the stuffed peppers, as steam will release and it can burn you.
Depending on how you like the texture of your Greek stuffed peppers, they can be baked longer. I like mine with some integrity to them, so this cooking time is a little shorter. My husband likes his falling apart, so I leave his in the oven longer!
Try to choose bell peppers that have flat bottoms, so they stand up without falling over when stuffed and baked. You can also ensure that they remain upright by using a baking dish that isn't too large, so they fit into it very snugly.

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Nutrition