How Long to Bake Stuffed Peppers at 350°F? (What To Know)

Do you know how long does it take to bake stuffed peppers at 350 degrees? Well, you are at the perfect place to find the answer to such a question.

Stuffed peppers are warm, filling, and delicious meals that can be enjoyed any time of year. With a little effort, you could easily make extras to freeze and eat another day.

Once your fresh peppers are stuffed, cover them and place them in the oven at 350°F for 30-35 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 5-10 minutes. The filling should be heated through. If you’re looking to try out or perfect your stuffed pepper recipe, keep reading for the latest tips on how to make and serve this tasty meal.

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Table of Contents

How long should stuffed peppers be in the oven?

Stuffed peppers should be in the oven at 350°F for about 30-35 minutes.

The dish should be covered with foil for the first 30 minutes, and then uncovered for the last 5-10 minutes.

Make sure your peppers are soft and heated through before turning off the oven.

How do you keep stuffed peppers from getting soggy?

To make firmer stuffed peppers, avoid boiling or microwaving the peppers before stuffing them. Stick with baking or air frying them, as described above.

When cooking the meat, drain out any liquid or fat before adding the tomato. Also, opt for plum tomatoes in a can mixed with tomato passata for a thicker mixture instead of regular canned tomatoes.

How do you know when stuffed peppers are done?

Stuffed peppers are usually softened to eat them. The preference depends on whether you like softer or firmer peppers.

Poke a pepper with a fork to test its firmness.

Look out for crisping edges, which usually means the peppers are done cooking.

Why do my stuffed peppers fall apart?

Stuffed peppers could fall apart if they are over-softened/overcooked, fall over into the base sauce, or hold a filling that is too liquidy. The most common reason is overcooking.

You can make sure your peppers don’t fall over by cutting them in half from top to bottom and stuffing them as halves or by cutting a small piece off of the bottom of the whole pepper to give it a more stable base.

Be sure you don’t cut through the bottom or the filling will leak out.

Do I need to soften the peppers before stuffing them?

Softening the peppers before stuffing them is important because it helps the pepper and meat cook through at the same time.

If you don’t soften it, the filling may dry out while the pepper needs more time in the oven. Generally speaking, you can still eat an unsoftened stuffed pepper after about 30-35 minutes, but it may be a bit too firm for your liking.

1. Gather Your Ingredients

To make 6 servings of stuffed peppers, with each whole pepper equaling a serving, you’ll need:

6 bell peppers
½ pound ground meat
1 small onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can of diced tomatoes with juice
½ cup white rice
1 ¼ cup water
½ tsp Italian seasoning*
Salt and pepper
2 ½ cups marinara sauce
½ cup mozzarella or cheddar shredded (optional)
Worcestershire sauce (optional)

Ingredient Tips

You can use any ground meat mixture for the peppers. Vegetarians can use this same recipe, replacing the ground beef with finely diced mushrooms or Quorn Mince

Adding some Worcestershire sauce will give a kick to the meat, but plenty of stuffed peppers are delicious without this addition
*If you don’t have Italian seasoning, you can make your own by combining dried herbs such as parsley, rosemary, oregano, and other spices.

2. Nutrition Facts

The nutrition of your stuffed peppers depends on the ingredients, cooking methods, and brands you use. Generally speaking, each stuffed pepper will be around 450 calories.

This will include 23 grams of fat, 30 grams of carbohydrates, and 30 grams of protein. Stuffed peppers are rich in protein, but also high in sodium (21%), cholesterol (40%), and saturated fat (48%) – especially if you use ground beef or a beef and pork mixture.

Some ways to cut back on the calories of your stuffed peppers are:

Choosing a lean meat filling like ground turkey or a vegetarian filling like tofu
Using brown rice or quinoa instead of white rice
Omitting the cheese

3. Preparing Your Stuffed Peppers

Now that you’ve got the mess of ingredients in front of you, it’s time to get down to business. To begin, preheat your oven to 350°F.

Next, remove and chop the tops of the peppers. Then, put them aside to add to the stuffing mixture later on.

Now, remove and throw away any seeds and membranes from inside the whole peppers. You can choose to leave the peppers whole or cut them in half from top to bottom.

The peppers should be softened before you stuff them to cut down on their oven time. Since the stuffing will already be cooked through, this helps ensure that everything finishes cooking in the oven at the same time.

If you don’t soften the peppers beforehand, you risk drying out the filling as the pepper takes longer to cook.

There are three methods you can choose from to prepare and soften your whole peppers before stuffing them. You only need to do one of these:

Bake the peppers, cut-side up in a roasting tin at 350°F for 20 minutes
Boil the peppers for 5 minutes then air fry them for 5 minutes at 400°F OR
Microwave the peppers in a microwave-safe dish for 3 minutes

Preparing the Stuffing

As your peppers soften, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, adding a bit of olive oil if you prefer. Cook the meat, onions, and pepper tops for about 10 minutes.

The meat should be browned, the juices should run clear, and the onion should be translucent. Drain any fat.

Next, add the tomatoes and juice, rice, water, optional Worcestershire sauce, and Italian seasoning to the meat. Mix everything and bring it to a boil.

Then, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 25 minutes or until the rice is tender. Add more water during the process if needed.

Stuffing Your Peppers

Use an 8×8 or 9×13 pan and fill the bottom with your marinara sauce.

Once your stuffing is ready, give it a good mix and add cheese if desired. Fill each pepper with the filling, and then set your peppers upright in the baking dish. Cover it with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil, baste with sauce from the bottom of the pan, top with more cheese if desired, and bake uncovered for another 5 minutes or so.

The cheese should be melted and the peppers will be tender when done.

Best Tips

Bell peppers are the go-to for stuffed pepper recipes, but many use other variations – even jalapeños!
You can make your stuffed peppers ahead of time, freezing or reheating them later. You can also freeze the filling separately and use it with fresh peppers later on. If you freeze the entire stuffed pepper, defrost it overnight before reheating it thoroughly.
- Once cooked, stuffed peppers can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. Be sure they’re tightly covered.
Replace the can of tomatoes with a mix of plum tomatoes and tomato passata for a thicker mixture.
Feel free to add additional vegetables, like diced zucchini, to your filling.
Vegetarians can use this same recipe, replacing ground meat with finely diced mushrooms or Quorn Mince.
For firmer peppers, avoid boiling them and simply bake or air fry them before stuffing.
If your peppers keep falling over, trim a small part of the bottom off to make them more stable. Be sure you don’t accidentally cut through, though, or the filling will leak.
If you’re into spicy foods, add a few chilis to your meat mixture to give your peppers a kick. You could also substitute some hot sauce for Worcestershire sauce for a similar effect.
If you like strong flavors, consider using blue cheese instead of mozzarella or cheddar.
For a crunchy, golden finish, top your stuffed peppers with breadcrumbs instead of cheese.

4. How to Serve Your Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers are a hearty and healthy meal on their own, packed with meat, carbs, and veggies. Even so, you may want to add a few sides for a dinner party or to feed your hungry family.

Stuffed peppers could be served with the following sides:

Corn grits
Potato wedges
Green beans or steamed veggies
A cheese platter
Sweet potato friends
A side salad

In Summary

The next time you have a few bell peppers in your fridge and some ground meat, whip up a few stuffed peppers to create a new family favorite.

These yummy meals can be prepped in advance, frozen for later, or cooked up in less than an hour for a filling meal.

Be sure to soften your peppers before stuffing them, and once they’re in the oven, you can cook them for around 30-35 minutes at 350°F.

Be on the lookout for tender peppers and crisping edges to let you know they’re ready to munch on.

References

https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/tips-for-best-stuffed-peppers/

https://www.jaroflemons.com/what-to-serve-with-stuffed-peppers/