Easy Michael Symon Stuffed Peppers Recipe: A Cozy Family Favorite

Michael Symon’s stuffed peppers represent a hearty, satisfying meal that transforms ordinary ingredients into an extraordinary culinary experience.

Colorful bell peppers create the perfect vessel for a rich, savory filling bursting with robust flavors and textures.

Tender meat mingles with aromatic spices, creating a delectable combination that will delight your taste buds.

Crisp vegetables and perfectly cooked rice add depth and complexity to each mouthwatering bite.

Home cooks appreciate this versatile dish that brings comfort and excitement to the dinner table.

Michael Symon’s innovative approach elevates traditional stuffed peppers with clever seasoning and expert technique.

Each forkful promises a delightful balance of protein, grains, and vegetables that satisfies hunger and sparks culinary joy: dig in and savor every moment.

Why Michael Symon’s Stuffed Peppers Are a Hearty, Flavorful Delight

• Effortless Flavor Explosion: Michael Symon's stuffed peppers deliver a mouthwatering combination of tender beef, aromatic spices, and melted cheese that transforms simple ingredients into a restaurant-quality meal right in your kitchen.
• Smart Cooking Technique: The recipe uses clever methods like using baking soda to tenderize beef and pre-roasting peppers, which ensures perfectly cooked vegetables and incredibly juicy meat without complicated steps.
• Weeknight Dinner Champion: Ready in under two hours with minimal prep work, this dish balances nutrition and taste, making it ideal for busy families wanting a satisfying meal that doesn't compromise on flavor or require professional cooking skills.
• Customizable Comfort Food: Easily adaptable with different proteins, cheeses, or rice variations, these stuffed peppers provide a flexible template for home cooks to experiment and create their own signature version of this classic comfort dish.

Ingredients for Michael Symon’s Stuffed Peppers

• Bell Peppers: Sweet and colorful base for stuffing, choose firm and vibrant peppers without blemishes.
• Onion: Adds depth and sweetness to the meat mixture, select a fresh and firm onion.
• Garlic: Provides aromatic flavor to enhance the overall dish.

• Ground Beef: Main protein for the filling, choose lean ground beef for better texture.
• Chili Powder, Cumin, Oregano: Spices that create robust and warm flavor profile for the meat.

• Cheese: Adds creamy and melty topping, provides richness to the stuffed peppers.

• Tomato Sauce: Creates moisture and tang in the meat mixture.
• Salt: Enhances overall flavor of the dish.
• Baking Soda: Helps tenderize the ground beef.

• Rice: Adds substance and helps bind the meat filling together.

• Olive Oil: Used for roasting peppers and cooking meat mixture.

How to Prepare Michael Symon’s Stuffed Peppers

Step 1: Prepare the Oven

Preheat the oven to 425°F and position the rack in the middle of the oven for even cooking.

Step 2: Prepare the Beef

• In a bowl, combine ground beef with
• salt
• baking soda

Let the beef mixture sit for 20 minutes to tenderize.

Step 3: Prepare the Peppers

Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with aluminum foil. Place bell peppers in the dish with cut sides facing up.

Step 4: Season Peppers

• Drizzle peppers with olive oil
• Sprinkle salt over the peppers

Step 5: Roast Initial Peppers

Roast peppers in the oven for 20 minutes until they’re slightly browned and tender-crisp.

Step 6: Cook the Beef Mixture

• Heat olive oil in a skillet
• Add beef and spices
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Oregano
• Cook beef until browned
• Pour in tomato sauce
• Reduce heat and cook uncovered for 2-3 minutes until meat is fully cooked

Step 7: Sauté Aromatics

• Sauté onions until soft
• Add minced garlic and cook briefly

Step 8: Prepare Filling

• Mix in cooked rice
• Add shredded cheese
• Stir until cheese melts
• Remove from heat

Step 9: Stuff and Finish Peppers

• Spoon beef mixture evenly into roasted peppers
• Sprinkle remaining cheese on top
• Roast for 10-15 minutes until filling is hot and cheese is melted and bubbly

Serve hot and enjoy!

Pro Tips for Perfectly Stuffed Peppers

• Tenderize Strategically: Mashing beef with salt and baking soda breaks down protein fibers, ensuring juicy and soft meat texture.
• Colorful Pepper Selection: Vibrant red, yellow, and orange bell peppers create an eye-catching dish that pops with flavor and visual appeal.
• Marinate Smartly: Allowing beef mixture to rest for 20 minutes helps seasonings penetrate deeply, developing rich, complex taste profiles.
• Texture Transformation: Gently working salt and baking soda into ground beef helps maintain moisture during cooking, preventing dry, tough results.
• Flavor Layering: Letting ingredients mingle creates depth, allowing spices and meat to harmonize before final preparation.

How to Store Michael Symon’s Stuffed Peppers

• Vacuum Sealing: Lock in freshness by using a vacuum sealer to remove air completely, preventing freezer burn and maintaining optimal taste for up to 4 months. Perfect for preserving the peppers' robust flavors and tender texture without compromise.
• Individual Portioning: Wrap each stuffed pepper separately in heavy-duty aluminum foil before freezing, creating convenient single-serve meals that thaw quickly and retain their original delicious quality. This method helps prevent freezer crystallization and makes reheating a breeze.
• Refrigeration Strategy: Transfer cooled stuffed peppers to a glass container with a tight-sealing lid, which prevents moisture absorption and preserves the ingredients' integrity for 3-4 days. Glass containers also eliminate potential plastic chemical transfer and maintain the dish's authentic flavor profile.

Delicious Twists on Michael Symon’s Stuffed Peppers

• Spicy Southwest Pepper Feast: Replace chili powder with chipotle powder for a smoky, intense heat. Swap white rice with quinoa for added protein and a nutty flavor. Top with fresh cilantro and jalapeños for extra zest.
• Mediterranean Lamb Pepper Fusion: Substitute ground beef with ground lamb. Mix in crumbled feta cheese and chopped mint. Use couscous instead of rice and add a dollop of tzatziki sauce on top.
• Vegetarian Black Bean Pepper Delight: Replace ground beef with black beans and diced mushrooms. Add corn kernels and use vegetable broth for cooking. Incorporate nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor without dairy. Sprinkle with smoked paprika for depth.
• Tex-Mex Chicken Pepper Fiesta: Use ground chicken instead of beef. Mix in taco seasoning and black beans. Add roasted corn and green chiles to the filling. Garnish with fresh avocado slices and a lime wedge.

A Savory, Filling Meal: Michael Symon’s Stuffed Peppers

Michael Symon’s stuffed peppers emerge as culinary poetry, blending robust flavors and textures into one memorable meal.

Classic comfort meets gourmet technique through strategic ingredient selection and precise cooking methods.

Mediterranean-inspired spices dance across tender beef and roasted bell peppers, creating harmonious bites loaded with warmth.

Cheese melts provocatively, binding meat and rice into irresistible pockets of deliciousness.

You’ll savor each carefully crafted bite, craving seconds before finishing firsts.

Michael Symon Stuffed Peppers Recipe

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4.7 from 31 reviews

• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

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Description

Michael Symon’s Stuffed Peppers deliver a hearty Italian-American classic with bold Mediterranean flavors. Juicy bell peppers cradle seasoned ground beef, rice, and melted cheese, creating a satisfying meal that brings comfort and excitement to your dinner table.

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Ingredients

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Main Protein:

• 1 pound (454 grams) 90% lean ground beef

Spices and Seasonings:

• 1¼ teaspoons salt
• 1½ teaspoons chili powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• Heaping ¼ teaspoon baking soda

Vegetables and Additional Ingredients:

• 3 large red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, cut in half from the stem to the bottom and cored
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 (8-ounce/227 grams) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup cooked rice, quinoa, or any grain
• 1½ cups shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar Jack cheese

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C) and position the rack in the center of the oven.
2. Combine ground beef with 1 teaspoon salt and baking soda, then let it rest for 20 minutes to tenderize.
3. Cover a 9×13-inch (23×33 centimeters) baking dish with aluminum foil and arrange bell peppers cut-side upward.
4. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the peppers and sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt evenly across their surface.
5. Roast the peppers for 20 minutes until they develop a slight golden color and maintain a crisp texture.
6. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
7. Add the seasoned ground beef along with chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Cook until the meat browns thoroughly.
8. Pour tomato sauce into the skillet, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered until the meat is completely cooked (approximately 2-3 minutes).
9. In the same skillet, sauté diced onions until they become translucent, then add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
10. Incorporate cooked rice and ¾ cup shredded cheese, stirring until the cheese melts completely.
11. Remove the rice mixture from heat and evenly distribute the meat filling into the roasted peppers.
12. Sprinkle the remaining ¾ cup cheese over the stuffed peppers.
13. Return the dish to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until the filling is heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbling.

Notes

• Tenderizing the beef with salt and baking soda helps break down protein fibers, creating a more succulent and soft texture.
• Colorful bell peppers add visual appeal and provide a sweet, crisp contrast to the rich meat mixture.
• Allowing the seasoned beef to rest enables the flavors to meld and the meat to absorb the seasonings more effectively.
• Mixing different colored peppers introduces a playful and appetizing element to the dish, making it more enticing.
• Resting the beef before cooking ensures a more even distribution of salt and helps maintain moisture during the cooking process.
• The brief marination period allows enzymes to work, resulting in a more tender and flavorful meat preparation.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Category: Dinner, Lunch
• Method: Roasting
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4
• Calories: 395 kcal
• Sugar: 3 g
• Sodium: 475 mg
• Fat: 22 g
• Saturated Fat: 10 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 29 g
• Fiber: 2 g
• Protein: 23 g
• Cholesterol: 75 mg