Whole30 Unstuffed Pepper Skillet
A one-pan dish with all of the flavors of Stuffed Peppers without any of the fuss! This Whole30 Unstuffed Pepper Skillet is also Paleo and Keto-friendly!
*Post updated with new photos and copy 06/2019
This Unstuffed Pepper Skillet was one of the first recipes I ever put up on my blog! I decided it needed a bit of a makeover, so I re-photographed it recently.
When I first went gluten free, I was looking for easy meals to throw together using one pan or one skillet. I love stuffed peppers, but they can be a lot of work. This dish has all of the flavors without any of the fuss- no blanching or baking the peppers! And it’s totally gluten and dairy free. You can definitely add cheese if you tolerate dairy!
I also love to add fresh basil.
I cooked up this meal in my Lodge Cast Iron 12″ Skillet – I seriously use this for everything!
What ingredients do I need to make this Whole30 Unstuffed Pepper Skillet?
- Ground beef – I get my grass-fed, grass-finished organic ground beef delivered from Butcher Box!
- 2 bell peppers, any color
- 1/2 onion
- Rao’s marinara sauce (24 oz total – any brand will work, just check to make sure it’s sugar free for Whole30!)
- Cauliflower rice – I prefer frozen vs. fresh. It has a better texture
- Nutritional yeast- I get this at Trader Joe’s. It gives dishes a “cheesy” flavor without the dairy. It is basically inactive yeast, and is Whole30, gluten free, paleo, etc.
- Coconut aminos – this gives this dish a hint of sweetness.
You can also use regular rice in place of cauliflower rice. You will need to cook the rice first, and then add it in with everything in the skillet, and stir to combine. This will still be gluten free, but not paleo or Whole30 since grains are not allowed.
Can you freeze this dish?
Yes, it freezes well!
Can you use other types of meat?
Yes! Ground pork, turkey, or chicken would also be great. Or sausage!
Looking for other delicious paleo/Whole30 skillet meals? Check out my Skillet Pesto Meatball & Gnocchi Bake, Whole30 Taco Skillet, or Skillet Shepherd’s Pie!
Ok, let’s get cookin’!
*This post contains affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase using one of my links, I will receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting Mary’s Whole Life!
Whole30 Unstuffed Pepper Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
- 1 lb ground beef, or meat of choice - pork or turkey would also work!
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 peppers (any color), chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 24 oz jar Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce, or any sugar-free tomato sauce
- 1 bag frozen riced cauliflower
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp thyme
- red pepper flakes, to taste
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast , optional - gives it a cheesy flavor
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos, optional - gives it a bit of sweetness
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.
- Add ground beef and cook 5-7 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove from pan using a slotted spoon, and set aside.
- Add another tbsp of olive oil to the hot pan and add peppers, onions, and garlic. Saute until they begin to become translucent.
- Add in the riced cauliflower along with the salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, and nutritional yeast.
- Sautee until the rice begins to soften, then add the ground beef back into the pan.
- Add the jar of marinara sauce, stir to combine, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Serve with fresh basil on top. Enjoy!
53 Comments on “Whole30 Unstuffed Pepper Skillet”
Love this meal! Easy to prepare, one dish, healthy, and delicious! Leftovers are even better the next day. Very flavorful. Thanks Mary!!
A quick and delicious dinner! My kids didn’t even notice the cauliflower rice. The flavor was perfect!
This dish is amazing. My husband loves it. Perfect flavor. We both enjoy it with cauliflower rice rather than regular rice. It gives it that nice veggie crunch.
This was so good and easy to put together. I also love how it is a good amount but not too much….I love leftovers but not for days and days. Served with pretzel rolls. It was a big hit with everyone going back for an extra scoop..
I just made this tonight. Quick, easy, no mess, and my husband and I both loved it! Was a nice change from our regular Whole 30 recipes.
Do you thaw the cauliflower rice before adding it in or do you add it frozen?
Do you have nutritional facts on this recipe?
Hi Allison! I just added them to the recipe card – hope this helps!
Is there a substitute for the peppers as both myself and my husband are allergic. I was thinking maybe carrots? Thanks!
Any veggie should work but unfortunately since it’s a stuffed pepper skillet it will definitely alter the taste without them!
Love this recipe so much! I just made it tonight for the second time and both times, we’ve made it without the cauliflower rice (just b/c we didn’t have any). So easy and so good!!!
Made this tonight and it was so so good!! Flavor was great and it couldn’t have been easier. I’ll definitely come back to this as a quick and easy meal
I used a frozen pepper mix; I just let them cook until soft and most of the water was absorbed. And it worked great! And so so easy. I also cooked the beef and peppers at the same time (bc I’d rather make my dishwasher do extra work than wait an extra few minutes for my food lol)
Hi! Did i miss the nutritional info? This one was so good!!!
Hi Lindsey – I will update and add it now! Thanks!
Are the measurements for fresh herbs or dry?
Dry:)
So good! We didn’t have the cauliflower rice because my boyfriend didn’t know where to find it at the store lol, but the recipe was delish without it. I’m pescatarian, so mine was made with Beyond meat and his was made with ground beef. We both loved it. Thank you!
This is a delicious, easy to make, healthy recipe that I loved! Definitely will be on repeat. Thanks, Mary!!