This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy. The bell peppers, carrots and tomatoes were fresh from the garden; still warm from the sun. I scraped the dirt from those vibrant little carrots myself. I posted stuffed bell peppers a couple years ago using a mix of ground turkey and pork. These are the beef version. Beef stuffed bell peppers are a meal in themselves; a classic Russian and Ukrainian dish. Enjoy!

Ingredients for Beef Stuffed Bell Peppers:

10-12 medium bell peppers (any color) 2 lbs ground beef (I used ground chuck) 2 1/2 cups cooked white rice 2 whole eggs, minus the shell of course (two yolks work well too if the whites don’t agree with you). 1 tsp salt 3 medium carrots, peeled and grated 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped 2 cups fresh chopped tomatoes (1 large tomato or 2 small) 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and pressed Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped (1 tbsp dried parsley would work as well) 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 4 Tbsp olive oil 1 tsp salt plus 2 Tbsp vinegar for boiling water

Ingredients for the Sauce:

2 medium carrots, grated 1 Tbsp mrs dash, or your favorite seasoning 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp sugar 1 heaping tbsp sour cream 2 cups freshly chopped tomatoes or 1 cup marinara 2 cups reserved water from bell peppers

Prepping the peppers:

  1. Cut the tops off each pepper and remove the junk from the inside with your hands.

  2. Fill a large soup pot 2/3 with water and bring to a boil. Add 2 Tbsp vinegar and 1 tsp salt.

  3. Place all of the peppers and their lids in the pot. Add more water if needed to cover the peppers. Cover and cook 3 minutes, then turn off the stove and let the peppers sit in hit water while you prep the rest of the ingredients (about 30-40 minutes). Reserve 2 cups of water from the pot.

The Meat Mix:

  1. In a large skillet, heat 4 Tbsp oil over medium/high heat. Add 3 grated carrots, 1 chopped onion, 2 cups chopped tomato and season with parsley, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Saute until soft. Press 2 cloves of garlic into the skillet and saute another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.

  2. In a large bowl (I use my KitchenAid with paddle attachment for this) mix: 2 lbs ground beef, 2 1/2 cups cooked white rice, 2 whole eggs and 1 tsp salt. Mix in the sauteed carrot mix until well combined.

  3. Loosely stuff the peppers with the beef mix. Fill them but don’t pack the mixture in. Arrange them in a dutch oven or a large soup pot with tight fitting lid.

The sauce for the Beef stuffed bell peppers:

  1. In a large skillet, saute 2 grated carrots, 2 cups freshly chopped tomatoes (or 1 cup marinara). Stir in 1 Tbsp Mrs. Dash, 1/2 tsp salt,  1/2 tsp sugar and a heaping Tbsp of sour cream. Add 2 cups water and stir to blend.

  2. Pour the sauce over the  stuffed peppers and cover peppers with their lids.

Two Ways to Cook beef stuffed bell peppers:

  1. If using the lidded soup pot, bring to a light boil, then cover and simmer 40 minutes over medium heat.
  2. If using a dutch oven (recommended method), cover with lid and bake at 450 ˚ F for 20-25 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 ˚ F and bake 1 hour. Serve with a generous dollop of sour cream.

Notes: To reheat leftovers, cut the pepper in half and spoon the sauce over each half. Also, if you have leftover meat mix, saute up some meatballs.

 

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