Stuffed Peppers without Rice

These delicious stuffed peppers are made without rice. Instead, I use cauliflower in the very flavorful, well-seasoned mixture.

While the recipe as written is not low-carb, you can easily make it low-carb by slightly changing the ingredients and portion size.

These peppers are wonderful. They are hearty and bursting with flavor. The combination of peppers, onions, garlic, and spices is phenomenal. It's also such a pretty and colorful dish.

But I love making this recipe not just because it is so delicious. This recipe also evokes strong childhood memories for me.

Grandma's peppers

My late grandma Chava used to make amazing stuffed peppers and stuffed cabbage leaves (I make cabbage casserole instead).

Sadly, she passed away way too young when I was only twelve years old, so my memories of her are dull and scattered. But some of the sharpest memories are food memories.

Grandma was an amazing cook. She stuffed her vegetables with a mixture of rice, tomatoes, and seasonings. Just like all her dishes, something about the way she seasoned food made it taste wonderful.

Grandma belonged to a different generation. A generation of women who worked hard in the kitchen, cooked without recipes, and created masterpieces out of the simplest ingredients.

There were no blogs back then, no fancy grains and high-end oils, yet her food tasted so good, that some flavors linger even after 30 long years.

These days I make my own version of her recipe. It's nothing like grandma's, but it is very very good.

Ingredients

Traditionally, you fill stuffed peppers with a mixture of ground beef, rice, and seasonings.

I make this recipe without rice, using cauliflower rice instead. It's a delicious and low-carb option that works well to absorb the juices and flavors as the peppers bake in the oven.

Here's an overview of the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below:

Tomato paste: You can omit this for a keto version.

Minced garlic: Mince it yourself, or use the stuff that comes in a jar. Both work.

Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the dish could end up too salty.

Spices: I use chili powder, cumin, and paprika. These spices add wonderful warmth and flavor to the dish.

Bell peppers: It's fun to use different colors. Try to ensure they are all about the same size.

Riced cauliflower (uncooked): You can rice it yourself in the food processor or buy it pre-riced.

Olive oil: I love cooking with this wonderful oil. But if you'd rather use an oil with a higher smoke point, you can use avocado oil instead.

Chopped onion: I'm lazy, so I tend to use the food processor for chopping onions.

Lean ground beef: I use an 85/15 mix. Leaner than that will work, but won't be as flavorful.

Chopped cilantro: If you don't like cilantro, you can use parsley instead.

Shredded cheese: I like to use sharp cheddar.

Instructions

Making stuffed peppers without rice is actually quite easy. Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:

You start by mixing the tomato paste with the garlic and the spices.

Next, you cook the riced cauliflower, the onion, and the ground beef in olive oil. Stir in the seasoning mixture.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cilantro and the cheese.

Place the bell peppers in a baking dish and stuff them with the mixture. Spray them with olive oil, then bake them for about 30 minutes at 350°F.

Frequently asked questions

Variations and subtitutions

I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But in case you'd like to vary the basic recipe, here are a few ideas for you:

• You can add a handful of spinach leaves to the beef mixture. Not too much though, as they tend to release water.
• Insteasd of cheddar, try using shredded provolone. Crumbled feta is also good.
• Use different types of ground meat, such as lamb, chicken, or turkey.
• You can make a keto version of this recipe. I elaborate on it in the next paragraph.

Keto stuffed peppers

This recipe as originally written is not a low-carb dish, mostly because of the tomato paste.

So if you're on a keto or very low carb diet, I suggest you omit the tomato paste. In addition, use six medium bell peppers instead of four large ones, dividing this recipe into six servings instead of four. This will considerably lower the carb content. A serving of this keto version has 14 grams of carbs and 4 grams of fiber.

Serving suggestions

You don't really need to serve these peppers with a side dish. They make a complete meal of meat and cheese plus lots of vegetables.

However, if you wish, you can add a simple side such as sauteed kale or roasted vegetables. You can roast the vegetables in the same oven as the peppers, slightly increasing the cooking time.

Storing leftovers

Keep the leftovers in the fridge, in a sealed container, for up to 4 days. Reheat them gently, in the microwave on 50% power, or in a 350F oven for 15 minutes. 

As long as you reheat them properly so that they are heated through, leftovers taste good. In fact, this is one of those dishes that taste even better the next day.

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Recipe card

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Stuffed Peppers without Rice

This delicious stuffed peppers recipe is made without rice. Instead, I use cauliflower rice in the very flavorful, well-seasoned meat mixture.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time1 hr

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 547kcal

Author: Vered DeLeeuw

INGREDIENTS

• ▢ Olive oil cooking spray

Seasonings mix:

• ▢ 1 (6 oz can) tomato paste (omit for a keto version)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon paprika

Stuffed peppers:

• ▢ 4 large bell peppers (6 small peppers for the keto option)
• ▢ 1 small cauliflower head cut into large chunks (a small cauliflower head is 4 inches in diameter and weighs about 9 oz)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 large onion, chopped (6 oz)
• ▢ 1 lb. lean ground beef (85/15)
• ▢ 1 cup chopped cilantro
• ▢ 4 oz shredded sharp cheddar

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a square 8-inch baking dish with olive oil.
• In a small bowl, mix together the tomato paste, garlic, salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, and paprika. Set aside.
• Remove the tops of the peppers, core and seed them.
• Place the cauliflower in your food processor. Process until it resembles rice. You should get about 2 - 2.5 cups of riced cauliflower.
• Heat the olive oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes. Add the riced cauliflower, the onion and the beef and cook, stirring and breaking the beef up as it cooks, until the onion and cauliflower are soft and the beef is lightly browned, 5-7 minutes.
• Add the seasoning mixture. Cook 2 more minutes, stirring, until everything is well blended. Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro and the cheese.
• Fill each bell pepper with ¼ of the mixture, packing it in, and place the stuffed peppers on the prepared baking dish. Spray them with olive oil.
• Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, until the peppers are tender. Carefully remove them from the baking dish into paper towels and let them stand for 10 minutes before serving.

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NOTES

This recipe as originally written is not a low carb dish, mostly because of the tomato paste. So if you're on a keto or very low carb diet, I suggest you omit the tomato paste. In addition, use six medium bell peppers instead of four large ones, dividing this recipe into six servings instead of four. This will considerably lower the carb content.

Nutrition info for one serving of the low carb version (1 medium stuffed bell pepper): Calories 344, Fat 23g, Saturated Fat 9g, Sodium 383mg, Carbohydrate 14g, Fiber 4g, Sugars 5g, Protein 21g.

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DISCLAIMERSMost of our recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read our Terms of Use carefully before using any of our recipes.

NUTRITION PER SERVING

Serving: 1pepper | Calories: 547kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Sodium: 910mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 12g

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