Jack-O’-Lantern Stuffed Bell Peppers with Ground Beef and Rice

The first thing you notice as these peppers bake is how the cheese turns golden while the orange shells start to soften. I like that the carved faces stay visible…

By Ava
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October 17, 2026
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Reading time: 9 min

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The first thing you notice as these peppers bake is how the cheese turns golden while the orange shells start to soften. I like that the carved faces stay visible even after the peppers are filled, so each one comes out looking like a little jack-o’-lantern rather than an ordinary stuffed pepper. These Jack-O’-Lantern Stuffed Bell Peppers with Ground Beef and Rice make a hearty dinner with a playful look, and the filling is familiar, savory comfort food.

Cooking the rice before it goes into the beef mixture gives you control over its texture. The filling is already cooked before it goes into the oven, so baking can soften the peppers and melt the cheese without relying on raw rice to cook inside them. Each pepper holds a warm, tomato-rich beef and rice filling beneath a layer of cheddar.

Why the Rice Needs Its Own Pot Before the Beef Filling

Rice can seem like an easy thing to toss straight into a stuffed-pepper filling, but it needs enough water and time to cook through. The peppers bake covered and then uncovered; that oven time softens the shells and melts the cheddar, but it isn’t a reliable way to cook uncooked rice evenly inside a packed pepper. Cooking the rice first means every spoonful of filling has tender grains, not a mix of soft edges and hard centers.

It also lets you judge the filling before it goes into the peppers. Long-grain rice absorbs its cooking water, then gets fluffed so the grains stay separate. Once it meets the browned beef and tomato sauce, it should be moist and cohesive without looking soupy. If you skip that separate cooking stage or add uncooked rice, the filling won’t have the same balance, and the peppers may soften before the rice is ready.

That division of work is useful here: the stovetop builds the filling, while the oven finishes the peppers. Keep those jobs separate and the final texture is much easier to get right.

What Gives the Beef-and-Rice Filling Its Savory Balance

• Orange bell peppers — Large peppers give you enough room for the filling and a broad side for the face. Orange brings the pumpkin-like color; large red or yellow bell peppers work as a color swap, though the finished lanterns look different.
• Long-grain white rice — It cooks up into separate, tender grains that mix neatly through the beef. Regular pantry rice is fine; instant or brown rice needs different liquid and timing, so it isn’t a direct swap for this method.
• Ground beef — The 85% lean blend gives the filling beefy flavor without making it excessively greasy. A standard grocery-store pack works well; a different fat percentage can change how oily or dry the filling feels, so this blend is the dependable choice.
• Tomato sauce, Worcestershire, and paprika — Smooth tomato sauce brings moisture, Worcestershire deepens the savory taste, and paprika rounds it out. No premium sauce is needed; keep all three for the filling’s intended balance.
• Cheddar — It melts into the warm filling and gives the tops a familiar sharp, cheesy finish. Freshly shredded cheddar melts smoothly, though packaged shredded cheddar works too. Leaving it out makes the filling less cohesive and removes the browned cheese topping.
• Onion and garlic — The onion softens into the base, while garlic goes in at the end of the browning stage so it can turn fragrant without sitting in the hot pan too long.

Build the Filling First, Then Let the Oven Soften the Peppers

Make a tidy pepper shell

Heat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil. Cut the tops off the peppers, then remove the seeds and ribs so there’s room for the filling. Use a small paring knife to cut eyes and a mouth into one side of each pepper; keep the cuts on that face rather than cutting through the opposite wall. Set the peppers upright in the dish.

Cook and fluff the rice

Combine the uncooked rice and water in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes, until the water has been absorbed. Take the pan off the heat and leave it covered for five minutes, then fluff the rice with a fork. The grains should be tender and separate, with no water pooling at the bottom.

Brown the beef and season the filling

Warm olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, then cook the chopped onion for four to five minutes until softened. Add the ground beef and break it into small pieces as it cooks for six to eight minutes, until browned and at 160°F. Stir in the minced garlic for the final 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Add the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper, then mix in the rice and half of the cheddar.

Fill, cover, and finish with cheddar

Divide the filling among the upright peppers, keeping the filling inside the shells rather than pushing it through the carved openings. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes, until the peppers are beginning to soften. Remove the foil, scatter the remaining cheddar over the tops, and bake uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes. They’re ready when a knife pierces the peppers easily and the cheese has melted.

Easy Ways to Change the Look or Make These Peppers Dairy-Free

Questions That Come Up When Making Stuffed Bell Peppers

Jack-O'-Lantern Stuffed Bell Peppers with Ground Beef and Rice

Jack o lantern stuffed peppers are filled with seasoned ground beef, rice, tomato sauce, and cheddar, then baked until tender. Carved orange bell peppers make this a festive dinner with a melted cheese topping.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Resting 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Calories: 550

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the peppers

• 1 tsp olive oil for greasing
• 4 bell peppers large orange

For the filling

• 0.5 cup long-grain white rice uncooked
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion small, finely chopped
• 1 lb ground beef 85% lean
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp paprika
• 0.75 tsp kosher salt
• 0.25 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded, divided

Equipment

• 1 9x13-inch baking dish
• 1 12-inch skillet

Method

 

Prepare the peppers

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with the olive oil.
3. Cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove the seeds and ribs.
4. Use a small paring knife to cut jack-o'-lantern eyes and mouths into one side of each pepper.
5. Arrange the peppers upright in the baking dish.

Make the rice and filling

1. Combine the rice and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15-18 minutes, until the water is absorbed.
3. Remove the rice from the heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes.
4. Fluff the rice with a fork.
5. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat and cook the onion for 4-5 minutes, until softened.
6. Add the ground beef and cook for 6-8 minutes, breaking it up, until browned and it reaches 160°F.
7. Stir in the garlic for the last 30 seconds.
8. Stir in the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt, and black pepper.
9. Mix in the cooked rice and 1/2 cup of the cheddar.

Assemble and bake

1. Divide the filling among the peppers and cover the baking dish tightly with foil.
2. Bake for 35 minutes, until the peppers are beginning to soften.
3. Remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining cheddar over the peppers.
4. Bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes, until the peppers are tender when pierced with a knife and the cheese is melted.
5. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

For peppers that hold their shape, keep the jack-o'-lantern cuts away from the edges. Refrigerate leftovers for 3-4 days; freezing is suitable. For a leaner filling, ground turkey can replace the ground beef.