Bell peppers stuffed with seasoned rice, ground beef and herbs, baked until tender — an Argentine home-kitchen classic.
Pimientos rellenos, peppers stuffed with a rice and ground beef filling, are a common Argentine home dinner, especially popular for using up a small amount of meat to feed a full family. The filling is seasoned simply with onion, garlic, oregano and paprika, echoing the same herb profile found in chimichurri, then packed into halved peppers and baked until the peppers soften and the filling is fully cooked through. Par-cooking the rice partway before stuffing the peppers is an important step — raw rice packed straight into a pepper often stays undercooked by the time the pepper itself is tender, leaving a crunchy, unpleasant center. A splash of stock poured into the baking dish keeps everything moist as it bakes, rather than drying out in the oven. Finished with a scattering of parsley, this makes a satisfying, complete dinner in one dish, with leftovers that reheat well the next day.
Serves 5
Boil rice in salted water for 8 minutes until partway cooked but still firm. Drain and set aside.
Fully raw rice often stays undercooked inside the pepper — par-cooking first avoids a crunchy center.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes, then add garlic, paprika and oregano for 30 seconds. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned.
Stir the par-cooked rice, half the crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper into the beef mixture.
Arrange pepper halves in a baking dish. Fill each with the beef and rice mixture, pressing gently to pack.
Pour remaining crushed tomatoes and stock around the peppers. Cover with foil and bake at 190C (375F) for 35-40 minutes until the peppers are tender.
Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes to lightly brown the tops. Scatter parsley over before serving.
Par-cook the rice before stuffing — this is the single most important step to avoid an undercooked center.
Choose peppers that can stand upright or nestle closely together in the dish so the filling doesn't spill out.
Baste the peppers with the pan juices halfway through baking to keep the tops from drying out.
Vegetarian: replace the beef with a mix of black beans and extra rice, keeping the same seasoning.
Add cheese: top with shredded mozzarella in the last 10 minutes of baking for a melty finish.
Spicier: add a pinch of chili flakes to the filling.
Refrigerate in a sealed container up to 4 days. Reheat covered in a 180C oven for 15-20 minutes, or in the microwave with a splash of water, until warmed through.
Pimientos rellenos (stuffed peppers), filled with rice and ground meat, are a common home dinner across Argentina and much of South America, valued as an economical way to stretch a modest amount of meat into a full, filling meal.
Yes, this is important — fully raw rice often doesn't cook through by the time the peppers are tender, leaving an unpleasant crunchy center.
Yes, substitute black beans or lentils for the ground beef and keep the same rice, tomato and spice base.
Yes, assemble the stuffed peppers up to a day ahead and refrigerate, then bake fresh when ready — you may need a few extra minutes of baking time from cold.
Per serving (350g / 12.3 oz) · 5 servings total
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