Stuffed Peppers with Rice Recipe: Spanish Comfort Classic 2026

Stuffed peppers with rice are a wonderfully satisfying Spanish main course, and they work beautifully as a single dish for a family meal. The peppers are filled with a fragrant rice mixture built on onion, garlic, celery, carrot, and tomato, then perfumed with saffron and baked until the peppers are soft and roasted.

This version keeps the filling vegetable-forward, which makes the peppers feel light yet hearty at the same time. The rice goes into the oven slightly soupy on purpose, so it finishes cooking inside the peppers and absorbs all the surrounding flavors. It is a forgiving, hands-off dish that fills the kitchen with a warm, savory aroma.

Serve them hot from the oven with a little of the cooking juices spooned over the top. They are just as good the next day, which makes them a handy option for planning ahead. A simple green salad or a slice of crusty bread is all you need alongside.

Ingredients for Stuffed Peppers with Rice

This makes 3 generous servings as a main course.

• 3 bell peppers
• 100 g onion
• 1 carrot
• 2 ripe red tomatoes
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads
• 500 ml vegetable stock
• 150 g short-grain rice

How to Make Stuffed Peppers with Rice Step by Step

1. Prep the vegetables

Wash and set aside the 3 peppers. Peel and finely chop the 100 g of onion, peel and dice the carrot, grate the 2 ripe tomatoes, wash and dice the celery stalk, and press the garlic clove. Keeping everything cut to a similar small size helps the filling cook evenly.

2. Sauté the onion, garlic, and celery

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and sauté the onion and celery with the garlic for 5 minutes, until softened and fragrant. Stir often so the garlic does not brown too quickly.

3. Add the carrot

Add the diced carrot and cook for 5 minutes more, letting it soften slightly in the pan. The vegetables should be tender but not fully cooked at this point, since they will continue cooking later.

4. Add the grated tomato and stock

Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Stir the grated tomato into the sofrito and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add 1 tablespoon of parsley leaves, then add 1 teaspoon of saffron threads and pour in the 500 ml of vegetable stock.

5. Cook the rice with the vegetables

Stir, bring to a boil, and add the 150 g of short-grain rice. Stir well, lower the heat, and cook for 10 minutes. The rice will still be a little soupy, which is normal; the liquid finishes absorbing during baking.

6. Fill the peppers with the rice

Cut the tops off the peppers, keeping them to use as lids. Remove the seeds and white membranes from the inside, stand the peppers upright in a baking tray lined with parchment paper, and fill them with the rice. Cover each one with its reserved top.

7. Bake at 200 °C for 1 hour

Bake the peppers at 200 °C with top and bottom heat for 1 hour, until the rice is cooked through and the peppers are roasted. Check near the end of the time to make sure the tops are not browning too much.

8. Rest and serve

When the baking time is up, remove the peppers from the oven and let them rest for 5 minutes before serving. This short rest makes them easier to handle and lets the filling settle.

Tips for the Best Stuffed Peppers with Rice

Choose the right rice

Short-grain or bomba rice is ideal for this filling, because it absorbs all the aromas of the ingredients. Basmati rice would not take in the same depth of flavor and would give a different texture.

Wrap the peppers in parchment

A useful trick is to wrap the peppers in parchment paper so the juices do not spread across the tray. It also makes them easier to serve, since the peppers are quite unstable and very hot straight from the oven.

Make the filling your own

This vegetable version is a great base, and you can add other ingredients such as chicken, small pieces of pork loin, shrimp, or bacon. Those options work just as well and let you adapt the dish to what you have on hand.

30 Top Recipes I Keep Coming Back to at Home

Like a lot of home cooks, I like having a go-to rotation that covers cozy comfort plates, well-known dishes from around the world, and sweets that please a crowd.

When a rich, indulgent treat is what I'm after, my picks are usually this La Viña Molten Cheesecake recipe, this refined Original French Crème Brûlée recipe, or a luscious Chocolate Mousse Cake recipe. And on days when I want something fruity and cozy, this timeless French Tarte Tatin recipe is the one I reach for.

Mornings and lighter plates call for these airy Oatmeal and Banana Pancakes recipe, a hearty Stuffed Sweet Potato recipe, or these bright Eggs Stuffed with Avocado and Salmon recipe. And for a gluten-free staple I can keep on hand, this no-fuss Gluten-Free Rice Flour recipe does the job.

Tapas and Mediterranean cooking are a mood I return to often, and I tend to cycle through this punchy Basque Tuna with Tomato recipe, these crackly Patatas Bravas Air Fryer recipe, a velvety Tirokafteri Greek Dip Sauce recipe, and a cool Burrata Salad with Tomato and Pesto recipe. This chilled Italian Vitello Tonnato recipe also makes the table when I feel like something a bit more elevated.

Come lunch or a slow dinner at home, I'm quick to suggest this warming Meatballs in Spanish Sauce recipe, a time-honored Meatballs in Almond Sauce recipe, a deep-flavored Italian Bolognese Sauce recipe, and silky Chicken Croquettes in Thermomix recipe. When hunger runs bigger, I'll bake this Greek Pastitsio Pie recipe, a homey Potatoes and Squid Stew recipe, or the deeply comforting French Boeuf Bourguignon recipe.

Street-food cravings and party spreads usually mean this saucy Homemade Chicken Doner Kebab recipe, golden Salchipapas recipe, a punchy Mexican Pork Carnitas recipe, or these crisp Korean Hobak Jeon recipe. These simple Air Fryer Zucchini Rings recipe also work nicely as a light starter or snack.

And when guests are coming and drinks are part of the plan, dinner often gets paired with a cool Original Cuban Mojito recipe, a strong Long Island Iced Tea recipe, or a jug of this fruity Bleeding Spanish Sangria recipe. To fill out the spread, I like setting out this zesty French Remoulade Sauce recipe alongside, or ending with this eye-catching Mediterranean Black Rice with Squid recipe.

Even More Tasty Recipes the Whole Family Will Enjoy

After years of trying, tweaking, and remaking dishes in my own kitchen, I've come to see that the ones that stick around are built on straightforward steps, methods you can trust, and serious flavor.

What follows is the set of recipes I keep circling back to—whether it's a fast plate just for me or a bigger spread for the people I love.

On the sweet side, the rich, silky Orange Chocolate Mousse Recipe is one I turn to when I want something that feels fancy without much fuss. Another dessert I adore is the caramelized Trdelnik Slavic Pastry Recipe, modeled on the well-known Central European chimney cake. If baking is your thing, knowing how to make syrup for better texture in desserts comes in handy, and my Inverted Sugar Recipe walks through exactly how I do it at home.

For something light and uncomplicated, I'll usually reach for the timeless Italian Caprese Salad Recipe or a flawlessly cooked Simple Poached Egg Recipe. And for heavier comfort plates, my usual picks are the filling Meatball Sandwich Recipe, the velvety Russian Stroganoff Beef Recipe, and the speedy weeknight go-to One Pot Pasta Recipe.

I'm just as happy sharing dishes with roots in other countries, like the genuine Sorropotún de Bonito Fish Stew Recipe, crunchy Chilean Pumpkin Sopaipillas Recipe, and Spain's own Cochifrito Segovian Fried Pig Recipe.

Air fryer cooking is another area I use all the time, since it cuts down on effort while still giving you excellent results. The ones I make most are Air Fryer Pork Ribs Recipe, Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Recipe, Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Peppers Recipe, Air Fryer Mixed Sandwich Recipe, Air Fryer Toasted Bread Recipe, and Air Fryer Hard-Boiled Eggs Recipe.

And for those steering clear of wheat, my cozy Gluten-Free Lasagna Recipe shows that a baked pasta classic can still be creamy, cheesy, and completely satisfying without any gluten.

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