Czech Stuffed Peppers (Plnene Papriky)

About This Recipe

Plněné papriky is a well-loved Czech home dinner: bell peppers stuffed with a mix of ground meat and rice, simmered in a lightly sweet-savory tomato sauce until the peppers turn tender and the filling cooks through completely. It's the kind of dish most Czechs grew up eating at their grandmother's table, usually served with a slice of bread to mop up the sauce. The filling relies on partially cooked rice mixed raw into the meat — using fully cooked rice would turn mushy by the time the peppers finish simmering, while raw rice gives the filling structure and finishes cooking at the same rate as the meat. A gentle simmer in the tomato sauce, rather than baking, is the traditional method and keeps the peppers from drying out. A scatter of toasted sesame seeds at the end isn't part of the classic version but adds a pleasant nutty crunch against the soft peppers and saucy filling. Serve hot, spooning extra tomato sauce over each pepper, with crusty bread alongside.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 6bell peppers(tops cut off and seeded)
• 500 gground beef
• 0.5 cuplong-grain rice(uncooked, rinsed)
• 1egg
• 1onion(half diced, half grated into the filling)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1.5 tspfine sea salt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 1 tspsweet paprika
• 2 tbspoil
• 800 gcanned crushed tomatoes
• 1 cupvegetable stock
• 1 tspsugar
• 2 tbspsesame seeds(toasted)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the filling

   Combine beef, uncooked rice, egg, grated onion half, garlic, salt, pepper and paprika in a bowl. Mix just until combined.

2. 2

   Stuff the peppers

   Fill each pepper about three-quarters full with the meat mixture, leaving room for the rice to expand.

3. 3

   Start the sauce

   Heat oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Cook the diced onion 5 minutes until soft, then stir in crushed tomatoes, stock and sugar. Bring to a simmer.

   Leave room in the peppers when stuffing — the rice absorbs liquid and expands significantly as it cooks.

4. 4

   Simmer the peppers

   Nestle the stuffed peppers upright into the simmering tomato sauce, spooning some sauce over the tops. Cover and simmer on low 35-40 minutes.

5. 5

   Check doneness

   The peppers are done when a knife easily pierces the pepper flesh and the filling reaches an internal temperature of 71°C (160°F).

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Spoon extra sauce over the peppers, scatter with toasted sesame seeds, and serve hot with bread on the side.

Variations

• •

  Mix ground pork with the beef for extra juiciness, a common variation in Czech households.

• •

  Add a spoonful of sour cream to the sauce just before serving for a creamier finish.

• •

  Bake the stuffed peppers in the tomato sauce at 180°C (350°F) for 45 minutes instead of stovetop simmering if you prefer a hands-off method.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container; the flavor improves the next day. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in a covered dish in the oven at 160°C (325°F) until warmed through.

Frequently Asked Questions