Puerto Rican Stuffed Peppers

These Puerto Rican Stuffed Peppers are the most delicious, savory stuffed peppers you will ever have. Made with a savory meat filling, topped with monterey jack cheese and a delicious salsa criolla.  Easily cooked in the oven, stove top or grill.  Instructions for all included below.

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Puerto Rican Stuffed Peppers is a food that will always be near and dear to my heart.

And I have to say that every time I make these, there is one person that always comes to mind first.  That person is my aunt Jeanette.

She has always loved my cooking but certain dishes by far are her absolute favorite!

These Puerto Rican stuffed peppers is one of her favorites!

Some of Aunt Jeanette’s Favorites that I Make

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Eggplant Parmesan

Pollo Guisado (Puerto Rican Chicken Stew)

and my Oysters Casino (my favorite by far!)

Unfortunately, now I live 1300 miles away and I can’t just invite her over for some of her favorites.

So “titi,” this recipe is dedicated to you!

Puerto Rican Stuffed Peppers has several ingredients that separates them from the more common Italian Stuffed Peppers, but one composition that truly makes them different is the sauce topping!

We use a sauce called, Salsa Criolla!  Although we certainly use an Italian base sauce as well the more traditional sauce used is this tomato base sauce, salsa criolla.

This delicious sauce is made with chopped onions, peppers, fresh garlic, white wine, oregano, cumin, fresh cilantro, Puerto Rican sofrito, bay leaves and of course crushed tomato sauce.

What Ingredients Do You Need to Make Puerto Rican Stuffed Peppers?

• 1 pound of ground beef
• 3 bell peppers
• ½ cup cooked rice (white or yellow)
• 6 ounces of tomato sauce
• ½ cup chopped onions
• ½ cup green bell pepper (or whatever pepper you have)
• 2 tablespoons of sofrito
• 2 fresh garlic cloves
• 1 packet of Sazon with Annatto (found in the Latin section of grocery store or online)
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• 2-3 tablespoon fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste
• monterey jack cheese or mozzerella

Optional: pimiento stuffed olives cut in half.

Puerto Rican Salsa Criolla Sauce

• 1 tablespoon oil
• ½ cup chopped onions
• ½ cup chopped peppers
• 3 garlic cloves
• 28 ounces crushed tomato sauce
• ¼ cup white wine
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• 4 tablespoon fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoon sofrito
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Puerto Rican Stuffed Peppers

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

Start with the Salsa Criolla

1. Add the chopped onions, peppers, sofrito, garlic, oregano, cumin, bay leaf and oil to a medium size pot over medium heat.
2. Stir and cook until onion is translucent.
3. Add the white wine, tomato sauce, cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Lower flame to medium low.  Stir and cook for 20-25 minutes.  (Stir mid way through cooking)
5. Turn off flame.  Sauce is done.

For Meat Filling

1. Add ground beef to a pan over medium heat.  Break ground meat apart with a spatula or wooden spoon.
2. Stir and cook until ground beef is brown.
3. Drain excess oil from ground beef if meat is too oily.
4. Add peppers, onions and garlic to the ground meat and stir well together.  Cook for about 5 minutes.
5. Add the tomato sauce, sofrito, sazon, oregano and cumin.  Stir and cook for 3 minutes.
6. Add the rice and incorporate well with the meat.
7. Add the cilantro and stir meat.  Cook for 10 minutes.

Peppers

1. Rinse and cut peppers in half, horizontally.  Remove seeds.
2. Place peppers in an oven proof baking dish or a pan deep enough to hold sauce topping.
3. Divide meat filling among pepper cavities.

1. Top the peppers with the sauce and allow the extra sauce to surround the stuffed peppers.
2. Sprinkle the tops with shredded Monterey jack or mozzarella cheese.
3. Cover with a lid.

Note: You can also use a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover pan or dish and spray the the side that may accidentally touch the peppers and cheese with vegetable spray so the cheese doesn’t stick to the aluminum while cooking and cheese will be perfect when uncovered.

1. Bake in the oven for 25-35 minutes.
2. Serve immediately with extra sauce topping.

Other Cooking Methods for Puerto Rican Stuffed Peppers

Stove Top

Follow recipe steps to prepare peppers and sauce.

Then simply add peppers to a pot or a cast iron skillet over medium heat and cover.  Cook for 25-35 minutes.  Be careful not to dry out sauce.  Lower heat if needed.

If sauce thickens too much, add a tablespoon of water at a time to thin sauce.

Grilling Peppers

Follow recipe steps to prepare peppers and sauce.

Add peppers and sauce to a dutch oven or deep cast iron skillet, cover and cook over coals or grill for 25 minutes or until peppers are to your liking.

If sauce thickens too much, add a tablespoon of water at a time to thin sauce.

For more delicious Puerto Rican recipes you will also love these:

Puerto Rican Rice and Beans

Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice (Arroz con Pollo)

Habichuelas Guisadas (Puerto Rican Beans)  (Stewed)

Puerto Rican Rice (Puerto Rican Yellow Rice with Corn)

Pastelitos de Carne (Puff Pastry with Meat Filling)

Canoas de Platano (Stuffed Plantains)

Empanadillas de Carne (Puerto Rican Empanadas)

📖 Recipe