• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Savory Nothings logo

  • Recipe Index
    • Easy Dinner Recipes
      • Slow Cooker
      • One Pot Meals
      • Quick Meals
      • Instant Pot
    • Side Dishes
    • Breakfast
    • Dessert
    • Small Meals
  • Dinner Ideas
  • 🌷Mother’s Day
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Dinner Ideas
  • Holidays & Occasions
  • About
  • Mother’s Day🌷
×
Home / Recipes / Dinner / Ground Beef / Unstuffed Pepper Skillet

Unstuffed Pepper Skillet

45 minutes mins
| 11 Comments |
4.85 from 26 votes
Jump to Recipe 01/10/21 | Updated: 02/07/21 | by Nora
Unstuffed Pepper Skillet Pin 1

Try this Unstuffed Pepper Skillet if you need a simple dinner for tonight! Made with rice, ground beef and peppers, this meal cooks in a single skillet for easy prep and a quick cleanup.

female hands holding skillet with unstuffed peppers

I love a quick skillet meal! My Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet is one of my most popular dinner recipes, so I’m thinking you’re going to love this Unstuffed Pepper Skillet just as much.

While I do enjoy a good stuffed pepper (especially my Crockpot Stuffed Peppers!), many days are just too hectic and I won’t think about dinner until it’s almost too late. And that’s when a quick prep, easy ingredient dinner like this one comes in handy!

Ingredients you’ll need

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

ingredients for unstuffed peppers with text labels
Ingredients for Unstuffed Pepper Skillet: Olive oil, ground beef, onion, ground paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, bell peppers, rice, beef broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and shredded cheese.

Ingredient notes

  • Beef: I prefer extra-lean ground beef here. Feel free to use regular and then drain off the fat after browning. Ground turkey is also a good alternative, or use a plant-based substitute to make it vegetarian.
  • Ground paprika: Use chili powder in place (or in addition) of the ground paprika if you want to add some heat.
  • Bell peppers: I used one red and one yellow pepper. Feel free to use any color you enjoy. I personally do really love green pepper here, but my family won’t eat it… So red and yellow it is for us!
  • Rice: I use parboiled white rice here (NOT instant rice) and it cooks in around 20 minutes in this recipe. If you use regular white rice or brown rice, the cooking time and liquid required may increase. If you use instant rice, reduce the broth to ¼ cup and then add more as needed during cooking. Instant rice will cook in around 8-10 minutes.
  • Broth: If you don’t have beef broth on hand, chicken or vegetable broth can be used. The flavor will be a little different, but still good.
  • Cheese: I love parmesan and mozzarella cheese for this recipe. If you prefer cheddar or an Italian cheese blend, feel free to go for it!

How to make Unstuffed Peppers

1. Start by browning the ground beef in olive oil in a large skillet (mine is a deep 12 inch skillet). Feel free to drain off any extra grease.

photo collage to show how to brown beef and onions in a skillet

2. Add the onion and seasoning and cook until the onion has softened. Make sure to stir in the seasoning well to have it evenly distributed!

3. Next, you’ll want to stir in the uncooked rice. Make sure to use medium-low heat here, you do not want the rice to crisp up/brown!

photo collage to show how to stir rice and peppers into ground beef skillet

4. Add the sliced peppers to the skillet and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring often. The peppers don’t need to fully cook at this point, they just need to start softening up a little.

5. Now, pour the beef broth into the skillet. Scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan – this is where a lot of the flavor sits!

photo collage to show how to stir broth and tomato sauce into unstuffed pepper skillet

6. Stir the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes into the rice. Bring to a simmer.

7. Now close the lid and cook over medium-low heat for around 20 minutes, until the rice is done.

photo collage to show how to cook unstuffed pepper skillet

8. Once the rice is ready, stir in the cheese. I like to stir in parmesan cheese and then sprinkle mozzarella on top – close the lid and allow the cheese to melt a few minutes before serving!

close up photo of melted cheese on top of unstuffed peppers

Recipe tips

  • Make sure to cook the onion until softened, otherwise it will retain a raw onion taste.
  • Only use medium-low heat when you stir in the rice, you do not want it to brown/burn! Burnt rice stays crispy and will ruin the meal.
  • I prefer to slice the peppers into short strips, but feel free to dice them if you want.
  • The cooking time and liquid requirement will greatly depend on your exact rice used. Feel free to add more broth if the rice isn’s soft after 20 minutes and the skillet seems dry. Be careful not to add too much though, or you’ll have unstuffed pepper soup!
close up of wooden spoon in unstuffed pepper skillet

Serving ideas

I enjoy a sprinkling of fresh parsley and some sliced cherry tomatoes on top of the skillet. Just adds a pop of freshness and flavor!

If you’re looking for more side dish ideas, try one of these:

Salad sides

  • Cucumber, Tomato and Avocado Salad
  • Caprese Cherry Tomato Salad
  • Tossed salad greens with Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Vegetable sides

  • Garlic Roasted Broccoli
  • Sautéed Green Beans
  • Roasted Asparagus

Bread sides

  • Honey Butter Cornbread
  • Homemade Dinner Rolls
  • Garlic Knots
bowl with unstuffed pepper skillet on light surface

More ground beef recipes

  • woman holding a pot of lasagna soup
    Easy Lasagna Soup
  • white bowl with rigatoni bolognese
    One Pot Rigatoni Bolognese
  • overhead view of instant pot filled with spaghetti and meat sauce with kitchen tongs stuck in
    Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
  • top down view on a skillet filled with beef and rice
    Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet

PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.

Printable recipe

Printable Recipe Card
female hands holding skillet with unstuffed peppers
Save Recipe Saved!

Unstuffed Pepper Skillet

Try this Unstuffed Pepper Skillet if you need a simple dinner for tonight! Made with rice, ground beef and peppers, this meal cooks in a single skillet for easy prep and a quick cleanup.
Recipe by Nora from Savory Nothings
made it? tap the stars to add your rating!
4.85 from 26 votes
Print Add Review

Recipe details

Prep 15 minutes mins
Cook 30 minutes mins
Total 45 minutes mins
Servings 6 servings
Difficulty Easy

Ingredients
 

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon ground paprika
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 cup long grain white rice I used parboiled; my rice says it cooks in 15 minutes on the package
  • 2 bell peppers seeded and sliced into short strips
  • 1 cup beef broth I used low sodium
  • 23 ounces tomato sauce I used one 8-oz can and one 15-oz can
  • ⅓ cup diced tomatoes I used cherry tomatoes, but regular OR drained from a can work, too
  • 1 cup shredded cheese I used ½ cup parmesan and ½ cup mozzarella

Instructions
 

  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and brown, crumbling beef as it cooks.
  • Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, garlic and all seasoning to the skillet with the beef. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until onion has softened.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir through uncooked rice, then stir through sliced peppers. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until peppers are starting to soften.
  • Stir through beef broth, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes and stir well. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low, making sure liquids are still gently simmering. Cover skillet with a lid and cook until rice is done, around 20 minutes for par-boiled white rice.
  • Once rice is done, take off the heat and stir well. Add cheese (I stir in ½ cup grated parmesan, then top with ½ cup shredded mozzarella). Cover with a lid again for 2 minutes, until cheese has melted. Serve immediately.

Notes

Ingredient notes

  • Beef: I prefer extra-lean ground beef here. Feel free to use regular and then drain off the fat after browning. Ground turkey is also a good alternative, or use a plant-based substitute to make it vegetarian.
  • Ground paprika: Use chili powder in place (or in addition) of the ground paprika if you want to add some heat.
  • Bell peppers: I used one red and one yellow pepper. Feel free to use any color you enjoy. I personally do really love green pepper here, but my family won’t eat it… So red and yellow it is for us!
  • Rice: I use parboiled white rice here (NOT instant rice) and it cooks in around 20 minutes in this recipe. If you use regular white rice or brown rice, the cooking time and liquid required may increase. If you use instant rice, reduce the broth to ¼ cup and then add more as needed during cooking. Instant rice will cook in around 8-10 minutes.
  • Broth: If you don’t have beef broth on hand, chicken or vegetable broth can be used. The flavor will be a little different, but still good.
  • Cheese: I love parmesan and mozzarella cheese for this recipe. If you prefer cheddar or an Italian cheese blend, feel free to go for it!

Recipe tips

  • Make sure to cook the onion until softened, otherwise it will retain a raw onion taste.
  • Only use medium-low heat when you stir in the rice, you do not want it to brown/burn! Burnt rice stays crispy and will ruin the meal.
  • I prefer to slice the peppers into short strips, but feel free to dice them if you want.
  • The cooking time and liquid requirement will greatly depend on your exact rice used. Feel free to add more broth if the rice isn’s soft after 20 minutes and the skillet seems dry. Be careful not to add too much though, or you’ll have unstuffed pepper soup!
Nutrition is an estimate.

More recipe information

Suitable for: Gluten Free
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nora Rusev from Savory Nothings
About Nora 
When I got married to my professional chef husband, I realized I had to step up my game in the kitchen. Now I share my favorite foolproof family recipes here on Savory Nothings: Chef-approved, kid-vetted and easy enough for everyday home cooks like you and me!   Learn more.

Reader Interactions

baked salmon on foil lined baking pan

< Previous Post

female hands holding white plate with mushroom orzo and chicken thighs

Next Post >

4.85 from 26 votes (19 ratings without comment)

Add a Review or Ask a Question Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Made this recipe? Rate it:




Comments

  1. Alyssa E says

    Aug 21, 2024

    5 stars
    This was phenomenal! Added a bit of hot sauce and sour cream to my bowl but my husband didn’t add anything and it was *chefs kiss* both ways. Also added sliced mushrooms when adding in the bell pepper and it worked great! Made 5 adult meals worth. Next time I’ll add some diced celery or carrot too if I have any veggies in the fridge I need to use up. Used long grain rice, 24 minutes was best.

    Reply
  2. Kathleen says

    Dec 4, 2023

    5 stars
    I used ground Turkey for this recipe, 2 red bell peppers, a 15.5 oz jar of Rao’s marinara and 2 cups of low sodium beef broth for my liquid. I also added some chunky cut mushrooms when adding the peppers to the pot. Regular Basmati was my choice for the rice and I cooked this after reducing the heat, covered, for about 23 minutes and it was perfect. My husband loved it.

    Reply
  3. Kallie says

    Sep 25, 2023

    5 stars
    I loved this recipe! It was exactly what I was looking for since I only had mini bell peppers on hand. My meal came out perfect with just a few changes – I used one 16 oz. can of tomato sauce and simmered the rice for 15 minutes before taking the lid off for the last five. Nothing stuck to the bottom and the rice was fully cooked. Next time, I’ll cut the rice in half because we like a meal heavier on meat. Delicious though and would recommend!

    Reply
  4. Marsha says

    Aug 22, 2023

    5 stars
    Girl! I love stuffed peppers but this! This has so much more flavor and it’s so so good! Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  5. Anna Smith says

    Jun 27, 2023

    1 star
    I NEVER rate recipes but this one is an epic fail. It never even made it to the table. First this recipe isn’t possible. onions don’t get soft in 3 minutes, neither do peppers and if they’re soft and basically boiled why do they looked so crisp in her pics? sigh. so after waiting 10 minutes for my onions to soften and another for my peppers I was getting frustrated. I added in my liquid ingredients and it didn’t say to reduce heat like most recipes.. I kept a close eye on it but my pot is now covered in burnt on beef and rice because I didn’t reduce heat. I don’t know how she made it possible but from experience cooking I guess I should have read the recipe better before trying..

    Reply
    • Nora says

      Jul 9, 2023

      “Reduce heat to medium-low, making sure liquids are still gently simmering.” Reading the recipe would definitely have helped, Anna.

      Reply
      • Shari says

        Nov 6, 2023

        I’ve made this several times now and it is perfect. It does help to read recipe and follow directions. 😉

        Reply
        • Nora says

          Nov 19, 2023

          I’m so glad you like the recipe, Shari! And yes, first lesson in Home Ec… Always thoroughly read the entire recipe before starting 🙃

          Reply
    • Vera says

      Jul 19, 2023

      Step 5 does say to reduce heat to medium low. Personally, I loved this recipe. I did add some adobo seasoning, and used a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes with all the juice, and only a 15 oz can of tomato sauce.

      Reply
  6. Leslie says

    Apr 7, 2023

    5 stars
    Delicious! Made with ground turkey and the kids absolutely LOVED it. The smell of it cooking sent the kids to retrieve friends to eat with us, and they hadn’t even tasted it yet. Needless to say, no leftovers and I’ll be adding this to my easy dinner rotation.

    Reply
  7. Sandy says

    Dec 14, 2022

    5 stars
    I made this last night added some v8 about 2 cups diced tomatoes seasoned garlic basil & onion and yellow and orange peppers top with pepper jack cheese served over mashed potatoes. I would make this again.

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Nora Rusev from Savory Nothings

welcome to

logo for the Savory Nothings brand

Hi, I'm Nora! I wasn't always a good cook, but then I fell in love with a professional chef and learned my way around the kitchen. Now I share all my secrets to effortlessly great food here on my blog, bite-sized for home cooks just like me and you.

More about me →

Mother's Day 🌸

  • slice of sausage spinach quiche being lifted from pan
    Sausage Spinach Quiche
  • maple syrup drizzling over slices of brioche French toast casserole
    Less Egg Brioche French Toast Casserole
  • sour cream blueberry muffins on counter with fresh blueberries
    Sour Cream Blueberry Muffins
  • sliced lemon bread on table
    Lemon Blueberry Bread

see all >

Popular

  • overhead close up view of fried chicken piece
    Crispy Oven Fried Chicken
  • overhead view of Italian meatballs and spaghetti on plate
    Easy Italian Meatballs
  • overhead close up view of beef stew in slow cooker
    Crock Pot Beef Stew
  • frontal view of shepherd's pie on white plate
    Homemade Shepherd’s Pie
  • overhead close up view of crock pot chicken tacos with toppings on wooden platter
    Southwestern Crockpot Chicken Tacos
  • overhead close up view of garlic parmesan oven fried chicken piece on black pan
    Garlic Parmesan Crispy Oven Fried Chicken
  • overhead view of three oven baked chicken breasts in white casserole dish
    Oven Baked Chicken Breast
  • overhead close up photo of chocolate chip baked oats
    TikTok Baked Oats: 6 Ways!

Trending on Pinterest

  • Balsamic Chicken Marinade
  • Swedish Meatballs
  • Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet
  • Instant Pot Pot Roast
  • Homemade Salisbury Steak
  • About
  • Contact

Footer

Footer

Follow Along





Recipes

Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Sides
Dessert
Appetizers

Instant Pot
Slow Cooker
One Pot
Casseroles
Ground Beef
Chicken

Featured On

different logos of publications Savory Nothings' content has been featured on

↑ back to top

About | Contact | Work with Us

Copyright Savory Nothings © 2025

Made with lots of love and spices ♥︎
PRIVACY POLICY | ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT |
As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Email
  • Yummly
  • Mix

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




Thank you for taking the time to review this recipe. I appreciate it! Your eMail will not be shared with anyone.

Let us know what you thought of this recipe:

This worked exactly as written, thanks!
My family loved this!
Thank you for sharing this recipe

Or write in your own words:

A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.