These stuffed peppers include a chili spiked ground beef filling topped with crunchy tortilla chips and plenty of melted cheese. Even better, this dish is both easy to make and affordable. Start to finish, these peppers will be on the table in about 45 minutes and cost just over $5 per serving!
For a vegetarian version of these stuffed peppers, check out this recipe for meatless stuffed peppers!
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These stuffed peppers are the result of being hungry with very little in our refrigerator and a deep determination to not go to the store. I know you've been there.
I rummaged around and found a couple of bell peppers, some ground beef, and sharp cheddar cheese.
45 minutes later, with a happy belly full of ground beef stuffed peppers, I was already scheming about making them again. Mostly, I wanted some extra crunch and thought that a handful of tortilla chips might do the trick.
That was a good idea and the crunchy chip and cheese covered top of these stuffed peppers just might be my favorite part.
These are deliciously satisfying, super easy to make, and won't break the bank. What's not to love about that?
xo
-Rebecca
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Ingredients needed to prepare this recipe
Cost of ingredients: $21 total/ $5.25 per serving
I purchased these ingredients at a Meijer's grocery store in Michigan. The cost will vary depending on where you are and where you shop.
- Bell peppers: I usually use red bell peppers because they are my favorite, but any color of bell pepper will work well in this recipe.
- Ground beef: I like to use ground beef with a ratio of beef to fat that's 85/15 or 90/10, but you can go leaner or fattier if that's what you have or what you prefer.
- Rice: Any medium or long grain white rice will do. You can also use brown or wild rice in this dish but those varieties take longer to cook, so plan accordingly.
- Green chilies: When I was first testing this recipe I made the filling with just ground beef and rice, and felt something was missing. A can of green chilies was just the thing! Their fresh, smoky, tangy flavor cuts through the ground beef and is a delicious compliment to the other flavors in the filling.
- Spices and salt: This recipe calls for smoked paprika, oregano, cumin, and chili powder. Or, use a packet of taco seasoning or any Mexican blend of spices. As always, adjust the level of spice to your personal tastes. If the chili powder or spice blend you are using is quite spicy, you may want to start with a lot less than the recipe calls for and work up from there. The same goes for salt. Some brands of beef broth contain quite a bit of salt, so more may not be necessary. Taste and adjust as you like.
- Tomato paste: Tomato paste is umami rich, which gives this filling an even meatier and more satisfying flavor.
- Garlic and onion: I like to use one small yellow onion and at least 4 cloves of garlic. But if you want more or less of either, or would rather use a white or red onion, go for it! Or, if you are one of those unfortunate people with trouble digesting Alliums, leave them out entirely.
- Oil: For sautéing the garlic, onions, and spices. Use any kind you like.
- Beef broth, or Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base mixed with water.
- Cheese: I like my stuffed peppers covered in sharp cheddar but Monterey jack, pepper jack, Colby, or Oaxaca are other great choices.
- Tortilla or corn chips: The salty crunch of tortilla or corn chips on these stuffed peppers is so, so good! I used blue corn tortilla chips, but any kind of tortilla chip will do. Another great option is Fritos!
How to make stuffed peppers even cheaper and easier
How to make stuffed peppers even more affordable:
- Omit the cheese and the chips to drop the cost of these stuffed peppers by $6 - $7 dollars.
- If you don't already have all of the spices for these peppers, use a Mexican spice blend or taco seasoning. Purchasing one container of a spice blend or a packet of taco seasoning will be much less expensive than purchasing the spices individually.
- Omit the green chilies to save another dollar or two. If you have it, add a splash of lime juice or vinegar for that tangy flavor instead!
- Buy ground beef in bulk. If you have a membership at a wholesale store, or can find it on sale, purchasing ground beef in bulk can be a great way to bring down the cost. Divide it into 1 pound portions and freeze for up to 3 months.
Time saving short cuts:
- Make a pot of your favorite ground beef chili one night and save the leftovers for these stuffed peppers! Simply scoop the leftover chili into the peppers, top with cheese and chips, and bake!
- Purchase pre-shredded cheese so you don't have to grate the cheese yourself.
- Grab a container of pre-chopped onions in the produce section of your supermarket.
- Look for tubes of tomato paste instead of canned tomato paste. The tubes keep tomato paste fresh for much, much longer, and you can just squeeze out the amount you need when you need it.
Step-by-step photos and instructions
Add the chopped onion and a bit of oil to a large saucepan and cook until the onion is soft and starting to look translucent.
Add the minced garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes to caramelize the tomato paste and intensify the flavor.
Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until it's no longer pink.
Add the spices and green chilies to the ground beef and cook, stirring, for another minute or two.
Add the rice and beef broth to the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil then cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the rice is tender.
Lift the lid every now and then to check on things. If the pan is getting to dry and the rice is sticking to the bottom, add a bit more broth or water.
Cut the tops from the red bell peppers, then cut them in half from top to bottom. Lay the halves in a 9x13-inch baking pan.
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Spoon the filling into the peppers. Some of it will spill out over the sides of the peppers and this is ok.
Top the peppers with some tortilla or corn chips. Use your fingers to break them up as you add them to the peppers.
Top the whole delicious mess with shredded cheese and place in the oven to bake until the cheese is melted.
Serving suggestions
Serve stuffed peppers topped with a dollop of sour cream if you like. You might also consider serving them with your favorite salsa or some hot sauce.
This is a hearty meal, so I rarely serve stuffed peppers with anything else. But, if you're making them for a crowd, or want to add some additional veggies to the meal, here's a handful of delicious ideas:
Stuffed peppers are also delicious served with a stack of warm homemade flour tortillas! Because, let's face it, everything is good with a stack of homemade tortillas.
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Scroll down to leave a comment and rate it!
📖 Recipe
Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef
These stuffed peppers include a chili spiked ground beef filling topped with crunchy tortilla chips and plenty of melted cheese. Even better, this dish is both easy to make and affordable. Start to finish, these peppers will be on the table in about 45 minutes and cost just over $5 per serving!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable, canola, or olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 pound ground beef
- 7 ounce can chopped green chilies
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon chili powder, to taste (*see note)
- 1 cup medium or long grain white rice
- 2 cups beef broth, or Better Than Bouillon Beef Base mixed with water
- Salt, to taste
- 4 bell peppers
- about 7 ounces tortilla chips or corn chips
- 8 ounces grated cheddar cheese (or Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Colby, or Oaxaca)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
- Add the oil to a large saucepan, skillet, or braiser. Peel the onion and chop it into pieces that are no larger than black beans. Add to the pan with the oil and set the pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring from time to time, until the onion is soft and starting to look translucent.
- While the onion cooks, mince the garlic cloves. Add the minced garlic and tomato past t the pan with the onion and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes to caramelize the tomato paste.
- Add the ground beef to the pan and break it apart with a spoon. Cook until the ground beef is no longer pink. Add the green chilies and all the spices. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute longer.
- Add the rice and the broth. Bring the broth to a simmer then cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the rice is tender. Lift the lid from the pan from time to time and if the mixture is dry and the rice is sticking to the bottom of the pan, add more broth or water. Taste and add more salt if you like.
- Cut the tops from the bell peppers, remove the seeds, then cut them in half lengthwise. Lay the peppers, cut sides up, in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Fill the peppers with the ground beef mixture. Some will spill out of the peppers into the pan and this is ok. Top the peppers with tortilla chips or corn chips, breaking the chips apart with your hands as you do. Distribute the grated cheese over the top of the peppers.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted.
Notes
The amount of chili powder you use in this recipe depends on the heat level of the chili powder and how spicy you want the filling for these peppers to be.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1 whole stuffed pepperAmount Per Serving: Calories: 873Total Fat: 47gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 154mgSodium: 1132mgCarbohydrates: 63gFiber: 6gSugar: 8gProtein: 52g
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