Whole30 Stuffed Peppers

Name: Whole30 Stuffed Peppers
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 8 bell peppers; 3 tbsp coconut oil; 1 small onion, diced; 2 lbs grass-fed ground beef; 2 cans chopped tomatoes ((total of 796 mL)); 1 package frozen cauliflower rice ((340 grams)); 2 tbsp dried oregano; 2 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp sea salt (plus a little more for seasoning the peppers); 1 tsp ground black pepper (plus a little more for seasoning the peppers)

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These Whole30 stuffed peppers are such a delicious comfort food meal. They're bursting with Mexican inspired flavour and are surprisingly easy to make. They're made with cauliflower rice, canned tomatoes, and also ground beef to keep them healthy, gluten free and paleo. Perfect for dinners the whole family will love.

A baking pan full of cooked Whole30 stuffed peppers garnished with cilantro.

Why you will love this recipe:

The taste! These paleo stuffed peppers are bursting with Mexican inspired flavour! The combination of ground beef, diced tomatoes, spices and cauliflower rice is just perfect.
They are really easy to make and also don't require any complicated or hard to find ingredients.
They make great leftovers and are perfect for meal prep.
They are filled with healthy ingredients like ground beef, vegetables, and cauliflower rice and are naturally gluten free, dairy free and paleo too!

Key ingredients and substitutions:

Sweet bell peppers - you can use any colour of bell pepper that you like. I like to use a few different colours so that it looks really pretty in the pan.
Ground beef - I recommend using grass fed ground beef if possible. You could easily make these with ground chicken or ground turkey too!
Canned chopped or canned diced tomatoes - to help make the delicious Mexican inspired sauce for these healthy stuffed peppers.
Cauliflower rice - to keep these stuffed peppers grain and gluten free and packed full of healthy vegetables.
Spices - the combination of oregano, cumin, salt and pepper combine to give this recipe a fun Mexican flavour.

How to make this recipe:

Step one:

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the tops off of the peppers and scoop out the seeds and membranes. Place the peppers cut side down in a baking dish with 1/2 inch of water. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Bell peppers that have been cut in half in a casserole dish with some water.

Step two:

While the peppers are baking, place a large pan on the stove on medium heat. Add the coconut oil and allow it to melt. Once melted add the chopped onion and cook it until it's translucent.

Chopped onions being cooked in a frying pan on the stovetop.

Step three:

Now add the ground beef to the pan and cook until it's browned and no longer pink.

Ground beef and onions being cooked in a frying pan on the stovetop.

Step four:

Add the remaining ingredients to the pan and cook everything together for 5-10 minutes, stirring regularly to break apart the cauliflower rice until it is mixed in.

Ground beef, onions and tomatoes cooking in a frying pan on the stovetop.

Step five:

Once the peppers have finished baking, remove the peppers from the pan and drain any remaining water from the pan and the peppers. Fill each pepper with the filling and place them back into the casserole dish (cut side up). Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake the peppers uncovered for another 10-15 minutes.

Bell peppers stuffed with a ground beef and tomato filling.

Step six:

Let the stuffed peppers cool for a few minutes, then enjoy!

A stuffed red pepper cut in half so you can see the ground beef filling in it.

Chef's tips:

Be sure to remove all the seeds and membranes from the peppers or else you could end up with some unexpected crunch!
Be sure to remove all the water from the baking dish and the peppers before you stuff the peppers with the cauliflower rice mixture or they will turn out soggy.
Store these stuffed peppers in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 5 days.

Variations and add ins:

Instead of ground beef you could also use either ground chicken or ground turkey for these stuffed peppers.
You can use canned diced tomatoes or canned chopped tomatoes to make this recipe.
Instead of frozen cauliflower rice you could also rice your own cauliflower.
Instead of coconut oil you could also use olive oil or ghee to cook the onion and ground beef.

How to serve:

Top them with Simple Mango Salsa or my Mango Habanero Salsa
Serve them with Avocado Crème or top them with sliced avocado.
Top them with Dairy Free Sour Cream
Top them with guacamole - In fact, this is my favourite homemade guacamole recipe!
Top with fresh cilantro or green onion

A pan of cooked stuffed peppers garnished with fresh cilantro.

Frequently asked questions:

Can you eat bell peppers on the Whole30?

Yes! The Whole30 program allows you to eat all types of vegetables, including bell peppers.

Do you have to boil peppers before stuffing them?

It is recommended that you cook bell peppers in water for about 20 minutes before stuffing them. This allows the peppers to soften a bit before you stuff them. However, if you are short on time and don't mind more crunchy bell peppers you can skip boiling them.

Are these stuffed peppers paleo?

Yes! Besides being Whole30 compliant this is also a paleo stuffed peppers recipe. It's also gluten free and dairy free.

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The Best Whole30 Stuffed Peppers