Dairy Free Stuffed Peppers
Filled with rich Italian flavor, these classic dairy free stuffed peppers are bound to be a dinnertime hit! Easy to make and perfect for meal prep, they feature tender bell peppers stuffed with an irresistible ground meat, veggie and rice filling. Egg free, gluten free, nut free and soy free.
I don’t know about you but I’m always on the hunt for recipes that make for fantastic leftovers OR are perfect for meal prep.
And these dairy free stuffed peppers?
They totally fit the bill.
They’re easy to make. Freezer friendly. Super delicious even after a few days in the fridge.
But even better? They’re packed to the brim with alllllll the good stuff.
We have classic Italian spices, rich tomato sauce, satisfying ground beef, plus plenty of tender rice and veggies to tie it all together.
Making them awesome for a regular ol’ dinner or even a fancier special occasion. You really can’t go wrong.
How To Make
So, let’s talk about how this simple dinner goes down:
Prep bell peppers. First up, we’ll halve our bell peppers from stem to base, rub with a bit of olive oil and bake for about 25 minutes to soften them up.
Cook meat. Meanwhile, we’ll brown some ground beef in a skillet until no longer pink.
Make filling. Next, we’ll saute plenty of veggies until tender, before stirring in the cooked beef, some spices, cooked rice, tomato sauce and a hint of nutritional yeast.
Fill and bake. Finally, the mixture gets spooned into the softened bell peppers and then we’ll pop them back in the oven for about 20 additional minutes.
Before serving, we’ll top the peppers with a quick drizzle of extra tomato sauce and a nice sprinkle of fresh herbs.
Tips & Tricks
- First things first. You can use any color bell pepper for this recipe. Keep in mind that the red / orange / yellow varieties are a bit sweeter, whereas the green kind has a hint of bitter flavor. It just depends on your personal preference and your budget – green peppers do tend to be cheaper!
- Now, if your peppers are nice and large you’ll have just the right amount of filling. However, if your peppers are more medium-ish in size, you’ll probably have some filling leftover. If that’s the case, just serve whatever doesn’t fit on the side.
- A muffin (or ice cream) scoop makes filling the peppers super easy and a bit neater.
- Let’s talk about the nutritional yeast. You can definitely leave it out if desired, although it does add a nice hint of “cheesy” flavor.
- Along those lines, you can absolutely top the peppers with your favorite dairy free shredded cheese of choice. I personally don’t find that it’s needed thanks to the nutritional yeast, but that’s me and my tastebuds.
- And finally, not feeling the rice? Cooked quinoa would make a great substitute.
How To Store
Fridge: Let the peppers cool completely then transfer to an airtight container. They’ll keep in the refrigerator for about 4 days.
Freezer: Alternatively you can store the peppers in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, let thaw in the fridge then rewarm gently.
Additional Dairy Free Dinner Recipes:
- Dairy Free Hamburger Helper
- Dairy Free Shepherd’s Pie
- Dairy Free Meatballs
- Dairy Free Chicken Meatballs
- Dairy Free Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
- Dairy Free Bolognese
- Dairy Free Meatloaf
Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.
Dairy Free Stuffed Peppers
Filled with rich Italian flavor, these classic dairy free stuffed peppers are bound to be a dinnertime hit! Easy to make and perfect for meal prep, they feature tender bell peppers stuffed with an irresistible ground meat, veggie and rice filling.
Ingredients
- 6 large bell peppers
- olive oil, for rubbing
- 1 pound ground beef*
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- 1 (8 ounce) package baby bella mushrooms, chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup cooked white or brown rice
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce, divided
- chopped fresh basil or parsley, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Halve the peppers from the stem to the base, then remove the seeds and membranes. Drizzle lightly with olive oil then use your fingers to rub all over. Arrange in two 9x13 inch baking dishes or one large rimmed sheet pan cut side down.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and use tongs to flip the peppers over (i.e. so they’re now cut side up), draining any juices into the pan(s). Maintain the oven temperature.
- While the peppers are baking, set a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add in the ground beef and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink and cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to remove to a bowl and set aside.
- Set the same skillet back over medium heat. If the skillet is dry, add in a good drizzle of olive oil. When hot, add the onion and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add in the zucchini, mushrooms, basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, salt and red pepper flakes. Continue to cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the veggies are all tender. Remove from the heat.
- Stir in the cooked beef, cooked rice, nutritional yeast and ¾ cup of the tomato sauce. Mix until well combined, then taste and season with salt / pepper / red pepper flakes as needed (I usually add about a scant ¼ teaspoon more salt). Spoon the mixture evenly into the pre-baked peppers.
- Return to the oven and bake for about 20 additional minutes, until the peppers are nice and soft.
- Drizzle the remaining tomato sauce over the tops of the peppers, then top with some fresh basil / parsley. Serve!
Notes
*You can absolutely use ground turkey, chicken or pork instead of the beef. If you’re using something leaner than beef, you may need to use some olive oil when cooking the meat in the skillet - just use your judgment.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 272Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 345mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 26g
Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.
Made these tonight! I left out the mushrooms cause I don’t like them but followed the rest of the recipe as listed. SO good!!! Will add to my rotation.
So happy to hear this! Thank you for taking the time to let me know Taylor 🙂
I got approval from my daughter so it’s a winner. I love roasted peppers and ended up layering the peppers rather than filling. I substituted ground chicken for the beef and through in chopped celery and spinach. Sprinkled a little feta cheese on top. Very good!!!
So happy to hear you all enjoyed Alexis! Thank you for taking the time to let me know!
These were so good. Will definitely be making again. Thank you for the recipe.
I’m so happy to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to let me know Andrea 🙂
I love stuffed peppers…delicious and very versatile too. You can fill almost anything you are fancy for. These look delectable.
Agreed! They’re so easy to play around with 🙂