Classic Czech stuffed peppers filled with rice and beef in tomato sauce, finished with a scatter of toasted sesame.
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.
Serves 4
Combine beef, uncooked rice, egg, grated onion half, garlic, salt, pepper and paprika in a bowl. Mix just until combined.
Fill each pepper about three-quarters full with the meat mixture, leaving room for the rice to expand.
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.
Nestle the stuffed peppers upright into the simmering tomato sauce, spooning some sauce over the tops. Cover and simmer on low 35-40 minutes.
The peppers are done when a knife easily pierces the pepper flesh and the filling reaches an internal temperature of 71°C (160°F).
Spoon extra sauce over the peppers, scatter with toasted sesame seeds, and serve hot with bread on the side.
Use uncooked rice in the filling, not pre-cooked — pre-cooked rice turns mushy after the long simmer needed to cook the meat through.
Choose peppers with flat bottoms so they stand upright in the pot without tipping over during cooking.
If the sauce reduces too much during simmering, add a splash more stock to keep the peppers from sticking to the pot.
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.
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.
Plněné papriky is a widely eaten Czech and Central European comfort dish, closely related to similar stuffed pepper traditions found across the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, and remains a fixture of Czech home cooking today.
It's not recommended — pre-cooked rice will overcook and turn mushy during the long simmer needed to fully cook the meat filling. Stick with raw rice mixed directly into the meat.
Trim a very thin slice from the bottom of each pepper (without cutting into the cavity) to create a flat base, or nestle them snugly against each other in a tighter pot.
The peppers may be too large or the simmer too gentle. Continue simmering covered another 10-15 minutes and check with a meat thermometer, aiming for 71°C (160°F) in the center of the filling.
Per serving (420g / 14.8 oz) · 4 servings total
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