Bell peppers stuffed with a rice, ground beef and tomato filling, baked until tender, a comforting Portuguese family dinner.
Pimentos recheados brings together rice and ground beef, seasoned simply with onion, garlic and a touch of paprika, stuffed into hollowed bell peppers and baked in a light tomato sauce until everything is tender. The filling absorbs some of the surrounding sauce as it bakes, keeping it moist, while the peppers themselves soften completely, becoming easy to eat with just a fork by the time the dish is done. A straightforward, filling family dinner found across Portuguese households, this dish reflects the country's broader tradition of stuffed vegetable dishes that stretch a modest amount of meat into a satisfying meal.
Serves 4
Cut the tops off the peppers, remove seeds and membranes, and set aside.
Cook onion in olive oil until soft, add garlic and ground beef, browning until cooked through, then stir in cooked rice, paprika, salt and pepper.
Fill each pepper generously with the beef and rice mixture.
Whisk crushed tomatoes and water together with a pinch of salt.
Arrange the stuffed peppers in a baking dish, pour the tomato sauce around them, cover with foil, and bake at 190C/375F for 35-40 minutes until the peppers are tender.
Basting the peppers with the sauce partway through baking keeps the exposed tops from drying out.
Garnish with parsley and serve hot, spooning some of the sauce over each pepper.
Baste the peppers with the surrounding tomato sauce partway through baking to keep the exposed tops moist.
Use day-old rice in the filling if possible, since it holds together better than freshly cooked, sticky rice.
Choose peppers with a flat bottom so they sit stable and upright in the baking dish.
A version with ground pork mixed in gives a slightly richer flavor.
Adding a bit of chourico to the filling gives extra smoky depth.
A vegetarian version uses extra vegetables and cheese instead of ground beef.
Refrigerate up to 4 days in an airtight container; reheat covered in a 180C/350F oven with a splash of water to keep the sauce from drying out.
Stuffed pepper dishes are common across Portuguese home cooking, reflecting a broader Mediterranean and Iberian tradition of stretching ground meat with rice inside vegetables for a filling, economical family meal.
Yes, substitute cooked lentils or extra rice and vegetables for the ground beef.
Trim a thin sliver off the bottom of each pepper (without cutting through) to create a flat, stable base.
Add a bit more tomato sauce directly into the beef and rice mixture before stuffing, since the peppers don't release much moisture on their own.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 4 servings total
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