Vibrant Greek Stuffed Peppers have healthy dinners wrapped. Think of them as your personal healthy dinner present!
Colorful orange, green, and red bell peppers stuffed with rice, seasoned ground meat, feta, and chickpeas, this Mediterranean twist on my master Stuffed Peppers recipe offers every food group in a single forkful.
- Vegetables. Tender baked bell peppers are the vehicle, and tomatoes help make the filling juicy.
- Lean Protein. Ground meat (use lean ground beef, bison, or lamb for a traditional flavor) and chickpeas make these peppers filling.
tip!
For more great ground beef recipes, check out Ground Beef Dinner Ideas.
- Whole Grains. Cooked brown rice, quinoa, or another whole grain of your choice provides fiber and nutrients.
- Good Stuff. Feta, herbs, and warm spices. Because for a healthy dinner to satisfy, it can and must taste fabulous.
Mediterranean and Middle Eastern-inspired foods are (at the risk of offending Mexican Stuffed Peppers and Italian Stuffed Peppers), perhaps my all-time favorite flavor profile and showcasing of ingredients.
Over the last several years, the Mediterranean diet has been popularized and promoted for its long-term health benefits such as preventing heart disease, stroke, and even depression (read more about the research and benefits here).
All of the above is good news, and we have great news too: Mediterranean food is DELIGHTFUL.
From warm spices like cumin, coriander, and even cinnamon, to zesty herbs, to the way vegetables and whole grains are allowed to shine, Mediterranean food is as lively, aromatic, pleasurable, and delicious as it is nutritious.
About Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed peppers are popular in many countries. They come from Spain, India, and North America mostly, though many other countries have developed iterations of the recipe.
In Greek food, vegetables that are stuffed then baked until tender are referred to as Gemista (or yemista), which means “filled with.” Most often, Gemista refers to Greek stuffed green peppers and tomatoes, that also includes mint, potato wedges, garlic cloves and red onions. This definitely makes me want to take a trip to Greece! The filling can be vegetarian or include meat.
How to Make Greek Stuffed Peppers
From classic iterations like Stuffed Zucchini to the less conventional Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers, I adore making stuffed vegetables because they are such a tasty and efficient way to serve up a healthy dinner.
Plus, the leftovers are fantastic, and you can 100% prep them in advance.
If you are looking for a nutritious, yummy meal to add to your dinner rotation, you are going to love these Greek stuffed peppers with feta!
The Ingredients
- Bell Peppers. Once baked, the bell peppers are lightly sweet, tender, and the perfect flavor complement for the filling. Plus, with oodles of vitamins, bell peppers are a healthy choice.
- Ground Meat. This recipe can be made with lean ground beef, bison, or lamb. For those who haven’t tried bison before, it will taste very similar to ground beef. Ground lamb also tastes similar to ground beef, but it will have a slightly more gamey flavor.
- Spices. A mixture of garlic powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper gives this recipe bold flavor. The cayenne doesn’t make the peppers spicy, but you can omit it if you prefer yours without any spice or even add a dash of black pepper.
- Chickpeas. Not only are chickpeas delicious in Mediterranean recipes, but they’re also healthy. Chickpeas are packed with protein, helping make these peppers more satisfying.
- Fire Roasted Tomatoes. Rich, smoky flavor in the convenience of a can.
- Brown Rice. Helps make these stuffed peppers more filling and nutritious. Brown rice is rich in fiber and magnesium.
- Fresh Parsley. For beautiful presentation and freshness.
- Feta. Creamy, salty feta cheese was made to be paired with Mediterranean flavors.
The Directions
- Hollow out the peppers and stand them up in a baking dish.
- Cook the beef and spices in a large skillet.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir in the chickpeas and tomatoes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the rice, parsley, and part of the feta.
- Mound the filling inside the peppers.
- Cover and bake Greek stuffed peppers at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with the remaining feta.
- Bake for 15 minutes more. Top with parsley and DIG IN!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. For the best results, cut the peppers into a few pieces first so that they warm evenly. Place stuffed peppers in the oven in a baking dish cut-side-up, and warm at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes. You can also gently reheat leftovers in the microwave.
- To Freeze. Place cooked leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Meal Prep Tip
Up to 1 day in advance, prepare the recipe as directed up until baking (no need to preheat the oven or put water in the baking dish). Cover the peppers and refrigerate until you’re ready to add the water and bake.
Leftover Ideas
Dice up leftover stuffed peppers and serve them over a bed of greens for a twist on a Greek salad, or toss them with Lemon Rice.
What to Serve with Greek Stuffed Peppers
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Baking Dish. Ideal for making Greek stuffed peppers.
- Non-Stick Skillet. Non-stick skillets make for easy cleanup.
- Sharp Chef’s Knife. A sharp, high-quality knife makes all the difference in recipe prep.
The Best Baking Dish
Whether you’re making stuffed peppers, a casserole, or Pumpkin Sheet Cake, this beautiful baking dish is perfect. It looks beautiful sitting on the table too!
The next time you need an easy, healthy dinner that your family will adore (ummmm, tonight), turn to these Greek stuffed peppers.
For more easy, healthy recipes, check out my collection of 30-Minute Meals and One-Pot Meals too!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you will cook the meat before stuffing peppers for this recipe. While I have other stuffed pepper recipes that don’t require cooking the meat beforehand (like Crockpot Stuffed Peppers), it is necessary for this particular recipe.
No, you do not need to blanch the peppers before stuffing them. Blanching them first may cause them to become soggy during baking.
I prefer this recipe with ground beef, bison, or lamb to best highlight the Greek spices. However, if you prefer, you can swap ground turkey or ground chicken.
Yes, you can make low carb stuffed peppers. Use cauliflower rice instead of brown rice.
Greek Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 8 large bell peppers (we like red or a mix of red, orange, and green)—look for ones with flat bottoms if possible as they are the easiest to stand up in the pan
- 1 pound lean ground beef, lamb, or bison
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 1 (14-ounce) can reduced sodium chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes in their juices
- ¾ cup cooked brown rice bulgur, quinoa, or cauliflower rice
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley plus additional for serving
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese divided
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour a little bit of water into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish, or a similar casserole dish that is large enough to hold the peppers with them standing up (if they all won’t fit in one dish, you can divide them between two and bake on the upper/lower thirds of the oven instead).
- Prepare the peppers: Cut the tops off of the bell peppers (cut as close to the top as possible to allow max space for stuffing). With your fingers, carefully remove and discard the ribs and seeds, leaving the walls of the peppers intact. Stand them up in the baking dish side by side so that they do not fall over.
- Prepare the filling: Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, salt, garlic powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, cinnamon, and cayenne. Cook, breaking apart the meat, until the beef is browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. If at any point the meat begins to stick to the pan or looks very dry (this will vary based on the fat content of your meat), drizzle in a bit of olive oil as needed.
- Stir in the chickpeas and diced tomatoes and their juices. Let simmer for 1 minute.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the rice, parsley, and 2/3 cup feta. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. If the filling seems overly dry, splash in a few tablespoons of water (I added about 2 tablespoons).
- With a small spoon, mound the filling inside the peppers, pressing it down lightly with your fingers as needed so you can use it all (the peppers will be very full).
- Cover the pan with foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup feta.
- Return them to the oven to bake until the feta is slightly browned and the peppers are fork tender, about 15 minutes more. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: For the best results, cut the peppers into a few pieces first so that they warm evenly. Place stuffed peppers in the oven in a baking dish cut-side-up, and warm at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes. You can also gently reheat leftovers in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Place cooked leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
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Are the chickpeas soft?
Ok, this is going to sound weird but those chick peas, can they be grounded up or something? I love chickpeas (when i do remember to eat it), but i can’t help but think it will throw of the texture of eating stuffed peppers.
Usually everything is consistent in it. Nothing crunchy, if this makes any sense.
Thanks!
Hi Kate! They are chewy but certainly not crunchy, since canned chickpeas are already cooked. I think if you already enjoy the texture of canned chickpeas, you’ll enjoy the peppers too. If in doubt, you can omit them.
Do you add the rice cooked or raw.it doesn’t state that in the instructions
Hi George! Listed in the ingredients, #12 it says cooked brown rice. Hope this helps!
I LOVED this one. I’ve been on a Mediterranean kick so this was perfect. Instead of beef, I subbed for ground turkey, and I did quinoa instead of rice and full disclosure I didn’t have Coriander on hand, but I was surprised at how flavorful the filling was. (I also only made it with 4 peppers so I just ate the extra filling on side.) Can’t wait to make this one again!
Hi Robyn! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Made this tonight. Perfect !
Hi Jeannie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I remember requesting that you develop a Greek stuffed pepper recipe a few years ago when my husband & I were wolfing down all your other varieties. I did make an adaptation on my own with farro , chopped baby spinach and of course, feta and it was okay. Okay but not great. I was thrilled to find you had developed a Greek version and even more thrilled when I tasted the filling as I stuffed the peppers. Oh my gosh! You have the seasonings spot on! Absolutely delicious and even better once the peppers were cooked! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I always liked stuffed peppers but you taught me to love them . I encourage the stuffed pepper doubters to try any one of your recipes. Mexican, Italian and now Greek. Something for everyone…………..Asian anyone? Go Erin Go
Hi Pam! So glad you did! And So glad you enjoyed the peppers! Thank you for this kind review!
Delicious! Both my kids ate it, too. I used Beyond beef crumbles, and millet for the grain. I added some chopped spinach and minced onion to the filling, and topped the peppers with parmesan cheese. Loved the hint of cinnamon in the filling. Will make these again!
Hi Sheri! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Yes I don’t use water I use chicken broth it adds to more flavorful peppers and sauce.