These oven baked stuffed bell peppers are filled with ground beef, orzo, feta and olives for one delicious and easy dinner. Perfectly satisfying and loaded with flavor.
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Mix up your dinners with this delicious stuffed pepper recipe. Simple to make and perfect for the whole family. This homemade meal is hearty and wholesome, and the orzo and beef stuffing is wonderfully rich and tasty.
Be sure to check out my Breakfast Stuffed Peppers and Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Peppers too!
Why you will love this recipe!
- Easy: The filling comes together really quickly, then just stuff the peppers and let the oven do the hard work. There's not too much hands on time with this recipe.
- Make ahead: This is a great dish to prep earlier in the week. Make up the filling and store it for a hassle free dinner later in the week.
- Hearty: Satisfying to eat and made from scratch, this is one meal that you can feel great about making for your family.
- Dietary info: These beef and orzo stuffed peppers are gluten-free.
Ingredients and Notes
- Orzo: This rice shaped pasta is so versatile and it's size makes it perfect for stuffing peppers. Be sure to check out my Chicken Orzo Pasta Bake and Greek Lamb Orzo Stew too.
- Ground Beef: I used medium ground beef for more flavor, but you can use lean ground beef if you prefer.
- Onion: Finely dice the onion so that it mixes in well with the other ingredients.
- Garlic: I used fresh garlic in this recipe, but you can use garlic powder if that's what you have.
- Feta: Use a fresh block of feta rather than store bought crumbled which has less moisture.
- Olives: Use black sliced olives.
- Marinara Sauce: Use your favorite store bought, or homemade, sauce.
- Tomato Paste: This makes a richer tomato flavor.
- Seasonings: Oregano, salt and black pepper.
- Bell Peppers: You will need three peppers. I like to use a mix of red, orange and yellow bell peppers. Use large and rounded peppers that will hold the most filling.
- Mozzarella: A little sprinkle of cheese on top is a must!
How to make Orzo Stuffed Peppers
Be sure to scroll down for the full recipe!
- In a large skillet, brown the beef and cook the onions.
- Add the rest of the filling ingredients to the skillet and combine.
- Spoon the orzo mixture into halved and deseeded bell peppers and top with mozzarella.
- Place on a baking sheet and cook until the peppers are tender and the cheese is golden brown.
Recipe Variations
- You can use any ground meat in these stuffed peppers, chicken, pork and turkey all work great. You can also use Italian sausage
- Add in different herbs and seasonings, red pepper flakes, basil, Italian seasoning and parsley all work great.
- You can use poblanos instead of bell peppers, or use the filling to stuff zucchini.
- Instead of orzo pasta, you can use rice, quinoa or couscous.
- I used marinara sauce, but other pasta sauces will work well.
- Swap the feta for parmesan cheese.
Serving Suggestions
These orzo stuffed peppers are quite rich, so they are great to pair with a lighter vegetable or salad side dish. Try them with:
Make Ahead, Storage and Reheating
The beef and orzo filling can be made 3 days ahead of time and be stored covered in the fridge. You then just have to stuff the peppers and pop them in the oven - perfect for a hassle-free weeknight dinner. The filling can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Once cooked, the orzo stuffed peppers are best enjoyed straight away, but leftovers will keep well for 2 to 3 days in an airtight container.
They can be reheated in the oven at 360F / 180c for around 15 minutes, or in the air fryer at the same temperature for 8 to 10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Orzo has a quick cooking time and should be mixed with the rest of the filling before stuffing the peppers.
This recipe doesn't require you to pre cook the peppers. I like the peppers to have a little bite to them, if you prefer yours softer, you can cook them in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes before stuffing them.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- I like to cut the peppers in half through the stems. You can cut the tops off and fill them that way if you prefer.
- You can double the amount of filling and freeze it for a future easy dinner.
- Any leftover filling can easily be enjoyed by itself!
Beef and Orzo Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- ½ cup dry orzo
- 1 pound medium ground beef (450g)
- ½ large onion (finely diced)
- 2 garlic cloves
- ⅓ cup feta cheese
- ¼ cup sliced black olives
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 2 tablepoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 bell peppers
- shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F / 175c.
- Cook the orzo according to package instructions and drain.½ cup dry orzo
- Whilst the orzo is cooking, you can make the filling.
- Heat a teaspoon of oil in a large skillet. Once hot, add in the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and brown.1 pound medium ground beef
- Once brown, add in the onion and garlic and cook til soft.½ large onion, 2 garlic cloves
- Add in the rest of the ingredients for the filling and stir to combine. Take off of the heat and stir in the cooked orzo.⅓ cup feta cheese, ¼ cup sliced black olives, 2 cups marinara sauce, 2 tablepoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste
- Cut the bell peppers in half through the stem and remove the seeds.3 bell peppers
- Place the peppers on a foil lined tray or oven proof baking dish.
- Spoon the filling into the halved peppers and sprinkle with the cheese.shredded mozzarella
- Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour til the peppers are tender and the cheese is browned.
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