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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!
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 ¾ 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
Video
Equipment
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
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!
Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition facts are an estimate and automatically calculated. While I fact check them using My Fitness Pal, please note that they may not always be 100% accurate and depend on ingredients used. Weigh your total and divide by the number of servings for the most accurate grams per serving size.
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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.
What size bag of cauliflower rice do you use?
12 oz!
Another great dish from our Mar! Quick to put together and so flavorful.
Thank you so much!
Just so easy, quick and ridiculously delicious! Yet another recipe of Mary’s that my family loves!!
Thank you Cindy!! So glad to hear it!
This recipe is so easy and tastes SO AMAZING! I make it often!
This has become a family favorite!! So easy yet delicious!
This is so simple and tasty! I added mushrooms.
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..