ONE-PAN MEALS · GROUND BEEF
All the flavors of stuffed peppers without hollowing or baking anything. Ground beef, diced peppers and onion brown in a deep skillet, then uncooked rice simmers right in the tomato sauce and broth. Mozzarella melts on top under the lid.
Jump to Recipe
- Serves
- 4
- Total time
- About 50 minutes
- Skillet
- 12 inches, deep, with lid
- Protein
- About 37 g per serving
- Beef done at
- 160°F / 71°C
Why You’ll Love This Skillet
- No stuffing or baking. Everything is diced and cooked in one pan on the stovetop.
- The rice cooks in the sauce. Uncooked rice absorbs the tomato and beef broth as it simmers.
- Easy to scale. It is simple to double in a large Dutch oven.
Ingredient Notes
Use a mix of red, yellow and green peppers for color and a balance of sweet and savory. Green peppers alone taste more like classic stuffed peppers.
Regular long-grain white rice needs about 20 to 25 minutes in this liquid. Tomato acidity slows it a little, so check before adding more time.
Low-sodium beef broth keeps the salt in check because the canned tomatoes and sauce already contain salt.
The recipe card below lists every quantity in one place.
How to Make Unstuffed Pepper Skillet
Brown the beef and peppers
Cook the beef with the onion until browned, then add the diced peppers and garlic.
Simmer the rice and add the cheese
Add the tomatoes, sauce, broth, rice and seasonings, cover and simmer until the rice is tender. Melt the mozzarella on top.
Photos in this article are AI-generated illustrations of the recipe, created for AllRecipeEasy.
Tips and Troubleshooting
- Stir once halfway. Rice on the bottom can stick. Give it one good stir after about 10 minutes, then cover again.
- Adjust the liquid. If the pan looks dry before the rice is tender, add ¼ cup of broth or water and keep cooking.
- Rest before serving. A few minutes off the heat lets the rice finish absorbing the sauce.
Substitutions and Variations
- Ground turkey: Use 93% lean ground turkey and cook it to 165°F.
- Cooked rice: Stir in 2 cups of cooked rice, reduce the broth to ½ cup and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Cheese: Cheddar or a Mexican blend works in place of mozzarella. The nutrition will change slightly.
Serving Suggestions
Serve it straight from the skillet with a green salad. For another one-pan beef dinner, try the ground beef and broccoli. If you would rather bake, the chicken taco cottage cheese bake is a family favorite.
Storage, Reheating and Meal Prep
Refrigerate leftovers in covered containers within 2 hours for up to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of water, covered, until the center reaches 165°F. Freeze cooled portions for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Food safety: Cook ground beef to 160°F / 71°C. Refrigerate leftovers that contain cooked rice within 2 hours.
Unstuffed Pepper Skillet
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oil in a deep 12-inch skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. Add the beef and onion and cook for 6–8 minutes, breaking up the beef, until browned with no pink remaining (160°F / 71°C). Spoon off any excess fat.
- Add the bell peppers and cook for 4 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juices, the tomato sauce, broth, rice, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
- Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20–25 minutes, stirring once halfway, until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. If the pan gets dry before the rice is done, add ¼ cup of broth or water.
- Turn off the heat, sprinkle with the mozzarella, cover and let stand for 2–3 minutes, until melted. Top with parsley and serve.