Bell peppers stuffed with curried rice and ground beef, baked until tender — a practical, filling Nigerian family dinner.
Stuffed peppers are a flexible, practical dish in Nigerian home cooking, built from the same seasoning foundation — curry powder, thyme, scotch bonnet — that runs through much of the country's everyday cooking, just applied to a stuffed-vegetable format rather than a stew. The technique that matters most is fully cooking and seasoning the filling before it goes into the peppers, since the oven time is really about softening the peppers rather than finishing the meat. A splash of liquid in the baking dish, covered while baking, helps the peppers steam through evenly instead of drying out on top while staying firm underneath. It's an easy way to turn ground beef, rice and a few pantry spices into a full, satisfying dinner — practical, filling, and easy to adapt to whatever vegetables or proteins are on hand.
Serves 4
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Cut the tops off the peppers and remove seeds, standing them upright in a baking dish.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion 5 minutes until soft, then add garlic and scotch bonnet, cooking 1 minute more.
Add ground beef, breaking it up, and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, curry powder, thyme, salt and stock cube, simmering 8 minutes until well combined.
Fold in the cooked rice, then spoon the mixture into the peppers, packing gently. Top with tomato sauce.
Cover loosely with foil and bake 30-35 minutes, until the peppers are tender.
Add a splash of water or stock to the bottom of the baking dish so the peppers steam gently as they bake.
Pick peppers with flat bottoms so they stand upright without tipping over in the dish.
Cook the beef filling fully before stuffing — the peppers themselves add little cooking time to the raw meat.
Add a splash of liquid to the baking dish before covering, so steam helps soften the peppers evenly.
Swap beef for minced turkey or chicken for a lighter version.
Add chopped spinach to the filling for extra vegetables and color.
Top with a sprinkle of shredded cheese in the last 10 minutes of baking for a fusion twist.
Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days. Reheat covered in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes.
Stuffed peppers filled with a well-seasoned rice and meat mixture appear in many Nigerian households as a practical way to build a full meal from common pantry staples, using the same curry, thyme and scotch bonnet seasoning found throughout Nigerian cooking.
Yes, prepare and cook the filling up to a day ahead, refrigerate, then stuff and bake the peppers when ready.
Slice a thin piece off the bottom of each pepper so it sits flat, taking care not to cut all the way through.
Add a bit more tomato sauce or stock to the filling before stuffing — the rice absorbs moisture as it bakes.
Per serving (340g / 12.0 oz) · 4 servings total
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