These are the best Whole30 stuffed peppers! They are surprisingly easy to make with cauliflower rice, canned tomatoes and ground beef and this healthy comfort food is also gluten-free and paleo. This is a meal the whole family will love!
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe:
- The taste! These healthy stuffed peppers are bursting with Mexican inspired flavour. The combination of lean ground beef, diced tomatoes, spices and cauliflower rice is just perfect.
- They are really easy to make and don't require any complicated or hard to find ingredients.
- They make great leftovers and are perfect for meal prep.
- Because these stuffed peppers are made with cauliflower rice instead of white rice they are lower in carbs compared to most stuffed pepper recipes.
- If you have picky eaters in your house this is a great way to get them to eat more veggies!
Key ingredients and substitutions:
For the full ingredient list and exact measurements refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Sweet bell peppers - you can use any colour of sweet bell pepper that you like including red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, orange bell peppers or green bell peppers. I like to use a few different colours so that it looks really pretty in the pan.
- Lean ground beef - lean ground beef is the protein used for this recipe. You could easily make this nutritious meal with ground chicken, ground pork or ground turkey too!
- Canned chopped tomatoes 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 free and gluten free and packed full of vegetables. You can either rice your own cauliflower florets using a food processor or hand grater, or buy pre-chopped cauliflower rice.
- Spices - the combination of dried oregano, ground cumin, sea salt and black pepper combine to give this recipe a fun Mexican flavour.
How to make Whole30 stuffed peppers:
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 pepper halves cut side down in a baking dish or casserole dish with about half an inch of water. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Step two:
While the peppers are baking, place a large pan or large skillet on the stove on medium heat. Add the coconut oil to the pan and allow it to melt. Once melted add the chopped onion and cook it until it's translucent.
Step three:
Now add the ground beef to the frying pan and cook until it's browned and no longer pink. Stir the ground meat regularly to break it apart and ensure it browns evenly.
Step four:
Add the remaining ingredients to the pan with the meat mixture and cook everything together for 5-10 minutes, stirring regularly to break apart the riced cauliflower until it is mixed in.
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 the softened bell peppers with the meat and tomato sauce mixture and place them back into the casserole dish (cut side up). Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Then remove the foil and bake the peppers uncovered for another 10-15 minutes.
Step six:
Let the stuffed peppers cool for a few minutes, then enjoy!
Top Tips:
- Try 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.
Recipe variations and add ins:
- Instead of ground beef you could also use another ground meat of your choice such as ground chicken, ground pork or ground turkey.
- 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.
- Free free to change up the seasonings when making these peppers - taco seasoning, onion powder or garlic powder would all be a great options or you could add some red pepper flakes or chili powder if you want a little more heat.
How to serve:
This stuffed pepper recipe is delicious served as is, but you could also add other toppings or side dishes too! Here are a few of my favourite ways to serve this dish:
- Top them with mango salsa or mango habanero salsa.
- Serve them with sliced avocado.
- Top them with dairy free sour cream or regular sour cream if you tolerate dairy.
- Top them with healthy chunky guacamole or a drizzle of ranch dressing.
- Top these paleo stuffed peppers with fresh cilantro or chopped green onion.
- If you tolerate dairy you can add some shredded mozzarella cheese or shredded cheddar cheese before serving.
- You can also add some fresh herbs such as parsley or oregano.
- If you like things a little spicy top these peppers with hot sauce or vegan buffalo sauce.
How to store:
Store any leftover stuffed peppers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Frequently asked questions:
Yes! The Whole30 program allows you to eat all types of vegetables, including bell peppers.
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.
Yes! Besides being Whole30 compliant this is also a paleo stuffed peppers recipe. It's also gluten free and dairy free.
Other recipes you will love:
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Recipe
Whole30 Stuffed Peppers
Equipment
- Casserole dish
Ingredients
- 8 bell peppers
- 3 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 lbs lean ground beef
- 2 cans chopped tomatoes (total of 796 mL)
- 1 package frozen cauliflower rice (340 grams)
- 2 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt plus a little more for seasoning the peppers
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper plus a little more for seasoning the peppers
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F. 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.
- 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 until translucent.
- Add the ground beef to the pan and cook until browned.
- Add the remaining ingredients and cook together for 5-10 minutes, stirring regularly to break apart the cauliflower rice until it is mixed in.
- Once the peppers have finished baking, remove the peppers and dump out any remaining water in 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. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 10-15 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to top these peppers with whatever you like. Great options include fresh salsa, cilantro, avocado, or guacamole.
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
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