Pimentos Recheados (Portuguese Stuffed Peppers with Rice)

About This Recipe

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.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 6bell peppers
• 500 gground beef
• 1onion(diced)
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1 cupcooked rice
• 1 tsppaprika
• 1.5 tspsalt
• 1/2 tspblack pepper
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 2 cupscrushed tomatoes(for sauce)
• 1 cupwater(for sauce)
• 2 tbspchopped parsley(for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the peppers

   Cut the tops off the peppers, remove seeds and membranes, and set aside.

2. 2

   Make the filling

   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.

3. 3

   Stuff the peppers

   Fill each pepper generously with the beef and rice mixture.

4. 4

   Make the sauce

   Whisk crushed tomatoes and water together with a pinch of salt.

5. 5

   Bake

   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.

6. 6

   Serve

   Garnish with parsley and serve hot, spooning some of the sauce over each pepper.

Variations

• •

  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.

Storage

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.

Frequently Asked Questions