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Close-up of baked stuffed green bell peppers filled with ground beef mixture, shredded white cheese, and dollops of red sauce, arranged in a light blue ceramic baking pan

Stuffed Peppers No Rice

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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 large bell peppers
  • 1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
  • 1 cup marinara sauce no sugar added, for filling
  • ½ small onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • Salt and pepper
  • ½ cup shredded cheese
  • For the baking dish:
  • ¾ cup marinara sauce to surround peppers

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F
  2. Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds
  3. In a pan, cook ground meat over medium heat
  4. Add onion and garlic → cook until softened
  5. Stir in 1 cup marinara sauce
  6. Add Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper
  7. Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes
  8. Fill each pepper with the meat mixture
  9. Top with shredded cheese
  10. Pour about ¾ cup marinara sauce into the baking dish
  11. Place peppers on top so they are surrounded (not submerged)
  12. Sauce should come up about ½–1 inch around the peppers
  13. Bake for 35–40 minutes until peppers are tender and cheese is melted. Check on the peppers every 15 minutes and spoon sauce over peppers so that peppers remain moist.

Notes

We tested this stuffed peppers no rice recipe to make sure it stays flavorful and satisfying without using rice or fillers. The key is balancing the meat, marinara sauce, and seasoning so the filling doesn’t feel dry or heavy. Simmering the ground meat with marinara allows the flavors to blend together and creates a cohesive mixture that holds up well inside the peppers.
We also found that using the right amount of sauce in the baking dish helps the peppers cook evenly while adding flavor from the outside in. This method gives you tender bell peppers and a rich, well-seasoned filling in every bite.
The result is a low carb stuffed peppers recipe that feels complete on its own—no rice needed—while still delivering the classic texture and taste people expect.