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 mozzarella cheese and a delicious salsa criolla.

Prep Time25

Cook Time25

Total Time50

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Puerto Rican

Servings: servings

Calories: 335kcal

Ingredients

Puerto Rican Salsa Criolla

2 tablespoon vegetable oil
28 ounces tomato sauce
2 tablespoon sofrito homemade or store bought is fine
⅓ cup white wine
1½-2 cups water
½ cup onions chopped
½ cup peppers chopped
1 bay leaf
3 garlic cloves minced
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ cup olives (optional) cut in half
4 tablespoon fresh cilantro chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Meat Filling

1 pound ground meat
3 bell peppers rinsed, cut horizontally and seeds removed
½ cup cooked white or yellow rice
6 ounces tomato sauce
½ cup white onions chopped
½ cup green bell pepper rinsed and chopped
2 tablespoon sofrito homemade or store bought is fine
2 garlic cloves minced
1 packet Sazon with Annatto
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon cumin
2-3 tablespoon fresh cilantro rinsed and chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Cheese

monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese sprinkled on top of peppers

Instructions

Puerto Rican Salsa Criolla

Over medium heat, add two tablespoons of oil to a large saucepan or caldero. Add the onions and peppers. Stir and cook for a few minutes or until the onions are translucent.
Add the bay leaves, sofrito, cilantro, garlic, olives, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir and cook for a minute.
Add the tomato sauce, white wine and water to the pot and stir. Cook on medium-low for 25 minutes. Stir every 5 or 10 minutes to make sure the sauce is not sticking to the bottom of the pot. The sauce should start to thicken. Once sauce is done, set aside.

For Meat Filling

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

Peppers

Preheat the oven to 350° F degrees. Rinse the bell peppers under cold water, then cut them in half horizontally. Remove the membrane and seeds to create space for the filling.
Fill the peppers with the meat filling.
Place the peppers in an oven-proof baking dish deep enough to hold the sauce topping. Top the peppers with the prepared salsa criolla and top with the cheese. Add the extra sauce around the stuffed peppers.
Cover the dish with a pan lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 25-35 minutes. Serve immediately with the extra sauce topping.

Notes

Recipe Notes:

Cilantro: If you’re not a fan, feel free to leave it out of the recipe.

Cheese: Use mozzarella or monterey jack cheese.

Nutrition