Bell peppers stuffed with ground beef, rice and paprika, finished with a pat of herb butter.
Gefüllte Paprika, stuffed peppers, is a classic German home-cooking dish built on ground beef mixed with rice, onion and a good dose of sweet paprika, then simmered in a tomato-based sauce until the peppers turn tender and the filling is cooked through. It's the kind of dish grandmothers across Germany have been making for generations, simple, filling and forgiving. The filling is typically browned lightly before stuffing so the meat isn't raw when the peppers go into the pot, and the whole dish then simmers gently in tomato sauce rather than baking dry in the oven, which keeps the peppers soft and the filling moist throughout. A finishing pat of herb butter melted over each pepper right before serving adds richness and a fresh herbal note that plays well against the tomato sauce's acidity. Served with boiled potatoes or crusty bread to mop up the sauce, this is unpretentious comfort food meant for a weeknight family table.
Serves 4
Mash softened butter with chopped parsley and chives, a pinch of salt, and set aside at room temperature.
Blanch peppers in boiling water 3 minutes, then drain and set aside.
Combine ground beef, cooked rice, half the diced onion, paprika, egg and a good pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix gently and stuff into the peppers.
In a wide pot, combine crushed tomatoes, stock and remaining onion. Nestle the stuffed peppers into the sauce, cover, and simmer 35-40 minutes until the filling is cooked through and peppers are tender.
Plate the peppers with sauce spooned over. Top each with a small dollop of herb butter, letting it melt just before serving.
Simmer gently rather than boiling hard; a rolling boil can break the peppers apart before the filling finishes cooking.
Mix the filling gently and don't overwork it, or the meat can turn dense and tough once cooked.
Make the herb butter ahead and keep it soft at room temperature so it melts instantly over the hot peppers.
Use ground pork or a beef-pork mix for a richer, more traditional German flavor.
Add a spoonful of sour cream to the tomato sauce for a creamier, tangier finish.
Swap rice for cooked barley for a heartier, more rustic filling.
Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container with the sauce. Reheat gently on the stove or in a covered baking dish at 175C (350F) until warmed through.
Gefüllte Paprika has long been a staple of German and Central European home cooking, reflecting the region's love of ground meat, rice and paprika-forward tomato sauces. Similar stuffed pepper dishes appear across Hungary, Poland and the Balkans, each with its own regional seasoning twist.
Yes, arrange the stuffed peppers in a baking dish with the tomato sauce, cover with foil, and bake at 180C (350F) for about 45 minutes until tender.
The sauce was likely boiling too hard; keep it at a gentle simmer so the peppers soften without physically breaking down.
Yes, freeze them in the sauce in an airtight container up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 4 servings total
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