Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers Skillet
This one-pan meal is a delicious dinner that features the flavors of a classic recipe for stuffed peppers without any of the fuss! My deconstructed stuffed peppers skillet is an easy weeknight meal that’s also Keto & Whole30 friendly!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What Makes This Recipe Great
Stuffed peppers are delicious and usually a lot of work! This easy deconstructed version has all the classic flavors of an actual stuffed pepper, but take half the effort and time. I love one-pan meals that come together in less than 30 minutes, and this is one of my favorite easy dinners. Traditional stuffed peppers are made with rice and ground meat. In this low carb version, I use cauliflower rice. Feel free to use regular cooked white or brown rice, if preferred! You are going to love this easy skillet meal
You heard me- no blanching or baking the peppers! Just a simple, gluten and dairy free stuffed peppers skillet packed with great flavors! Not dairy-free? Throw on some cheese to give this unstuffed peppers recipe some extra gooey cheese goodness. Want to add some flavor flair? Throw in some fresh basil!
This is truly a versatile, one-pot kind of meal with easy prep, and it’s DELICIOUS!
Recipe Highlights
Delicious meal for the whole family
Macro-friendly, complete meal
Healthy recipe that is perfect for meal prep
Tastes like traditional stuffed peppers
One skillet = less mess
Leftovers are even better the next day!
30 minute cook time
Packed with fresh ingredients
Works well with a lower calorie diet
Easy Stuffed Pepper Skillet Ingredients
Ground Beef: I typically buy grass-fed, grass-finished organic lean ground beef. Ground chicken, ground turkey, or ground lamb can also be used. Italian sausage would be another delicious option
Bell peppers: Any color will work just fine in this unstuffed pepper skillet! Green bell peppers, red bell peppers, orange bell pepper, or yellow bell pepper will work just fine.
Rao’s Marinara Sauce: Any brand tomato sauce 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. If you want to use regular white rice or long grain rice in this recipe, I recommend cooking 1 cup uncooked rice in 1 3/4 cup chicken broth for the ultimate flavor. Stir it into the skillet instead of using cauliflower. You can also use instant rice as a good substitute for cauliflower rice.
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. Feel free to use parmesan if you don’t need to be dairy free.
Oregano: Feel free to use Italian seasoning instead for more of an Italian stuffed peppers recipe!
Coconut Aminos: This is a gluten free alternative to worcestershire sauce or soy sauce. It gives these deconstructed stuffed peppers a hint of sweetness.
Recipe Step by Step
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet (I prefer a cast iron skillet) over medium heat. It helps to use a deep skillet so you have room for everything. Add the pound of ground beef and brown ground beef for 5-7minutes until mostly cooked through. Remove from pan using a slotted spoon, and set aside. Remove excess fat from the pan.
- Add another tbsp of olive oil to the hot pan and add diced bell pepper, diced onion, 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.
- Saute until the rice begins to soften, then add the ground beef back into the pan.
- Pour in the jar of marinara sauce, stir to combine, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Serve this unstuffed pepper skillet with fresh basil or fresh parsley on top. If adding cheese, I suggest mozzarella cheese with parmesan cheese. Add it on top and cover for a few minutes to let the cheese melt. This recipe would be delicious served with a simple green salad. Enjoy!
Mary’s Tips & Tricks
Rice: 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 unstuffed pepper skillet will still be gluten-free, but not paleo or Whole30 since grains are not allowed. I suggest browning the ground beef while the rice cooks.
Equipment: I cooked up this meal in my Lodge Cast Iron 12″ Skillet – I seriously use this for everything! A cast iron skillet is the way to go in my opinion.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, it freezes well! Simply store your leftover unstuffed pepper skillet in a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to 4 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and throw it on the skillet to warm it up!
Yes! Ground pork, ground turkey, or ground chicken would also be great in this pepper skillet recipe. Or even Italian sausage!
Yes! There are just 5 net carbs per serving!
I hope you love these Easy Unstuffed Peppers as much as we do! It’s one of those dinner recipes we make again and again.
More Gluten Free Skillet Meals
Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
- 2 lb ground beef, or ground chicken or ground turkey
- ½ onion, chopped
- 2 peppers (any color), chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 16 oz cauliflower rice, frozen has the best texture
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 24 oz jar marinara sauce, I like Rao's Homemade brand
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos, optional – gives it a bit of sweetness
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast , optional – gives it a cheesy flavor. Feel free to sub parmesan if you tolerate dairy.
- 1 cup shredded cheese, optional
Equipment
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, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and nutritional yeast or parmesan.
- Sautee until the rice begins to soften, then add the ground meat back into the pan.
- Add the jar of marinara sauce, stir to combine, and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- If adding cheese on top, sprinkle parmesan cheese & shredded cheese on top and cover for 5 minutes to let it melt over low heat.
- Serve this unstuffed pepper skillet with fresh basil or parsley on top. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on 6/14/2017 and updated with new photos on 5/23/22. Updated with new copy on 9/29/2023. Photos by Half Acre House.
84 Comments on “Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers Skillet”
Oh maaaaan. Add smoked paprika. Do it. AMAZING!!!!
I just made this and the whole house smells so good. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you !!
Wow! Run, don’t walk and make this dish ASAP! I added avacado when I served it and it was comforting and delicious. Reminded me of goulash (where my midwesterners at!) This will be in the forever rotation.
Thank you, Erin!!
I made this for supper tonight because we’ve got a lot of green peppers from our garden. Your recipes never disappoint and I love that they taste so good and are healthy too. Thanks for another winner!!
This is really good. Even my kids (two 5 year olds, a 4 year old, and a one year old) liked it. It’s a great, enjoyable meal and a great way to sneak in more veggies. I used grass fed beef and added some finely chopped mushroom. Thank you!
Thanks so much for this delicious recipe that will now be on repeat in my house. So So good!! My husband and I work shift work so I meal prep to make it easy. We ate this 3 days in a row and I was excited each time.
I’m so glad to hear that, Stacey! Thank you!
Just made this tonight and it’s yummy!!!! Was looking for some new Whole30 recipes because I’ve been stuck in a rut lately or the same ole meals week after week and this one has officially been added to the top of my fave recipe list! Thank you for sharing!!!
Yay! So glad you liked it!
Hello! Just wondering what are the nutrition facts for this recipe👍🏼
Thank you!
Hi! I don’t currently track them on my site but hoping to start having this capability in August. Thanks!
Just made this and it was delicious! Realized I never grabbed an onion at the store but I added handfuls of spinach and a squeeze of a lemon to the mixture at the end! Super yummy-will make again! Lots of leftovers too-whooohoo!
Yum those sound like great additions! Thanks Morgan!
When do you add the coconut aminos?
When you add the marinara sauce. I will update the recipe to reflect this now. Thanks!
Why does this recipe use yeast?
Hi Amber! Nutritional Yeast is different from yeast. It is a Whole30 compliant ingredient. It is a deactivated yeast, which means yeast cells are killed during processing and inactive in the final product. It’s described as having a nutty, cheesy, and savory flavor. It’s a common vegan cheese substitute.
Have you ever served this over spaghetti squash? I may to try that
I haven’t but I bet it would be delicious!
This is an amazing dish.. and so quick and easy! Thank you
Thanks Crystal! I am so glad you love it!
What size bag of cauliflower rice is used?
You can use 12 oz or 16 oz!
Can you freeze this recipe?
Yes, this should work!
This was SO great! I doubled everything but the sauce, and it was still perfect! Everything was well coated in the sauce but not swimming. Glad I doubled because it was SO good we’ve been enjoying the left overs for days! Great quick and delicious whole30 dinner!
Thanks, Jayne! Glad you all enjoyed it 🙂
Do u have the nutritional breakdown for fats, protein & carbs?
I made this using quinoa.
In place of meat. Very delicious.
I’m glad to hear it worked! Thank you!
Very good! Easy to make and husband approved (although he added real rice to his portion). So flavorful.
I’m so glad you liked it!!
THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!! I was worried it wouldn’t be packed with enough flavor, as it seemed so simple and “too healthy” to be so tasty. WOW, we were so surprised!! This was so good, and for both of my kids to like it, AND since it’s so healthy, it’s a win-win! We sprinkled just a tiny bit of cheese and added some “Beanitos” tortilla chips for some crunch with it. Thanks for this great recipe!!
I’m so glad you liked it!! Thank you for the nice comment 🙂