These hot Italian sausage stuffed peppers are as colorful as they are flavorful. Stuffed bell peppers with rice, hot Italian sausage, aromatics, and topped with melty cheese. This easy stuffed bell pepper recipe is a quick and easy dinner and meal prep recipe.

several hot italian sausage stuffed peppers in a baking dish with rice, melted cheese, and cilantro on top

Ingredients

Stuffed peppers are so versatile and can be stuffed so many different ways. We all know by now that I love spice, so using hot Italian sausage was a no brainer here. I wanted to keep it simple, but full of flavor.

Prep

cutting the inside of a pepper with a pairing knife

First you need to cut and clean the peppers. You can either stuff them vertically or horizontally. I’ve done them both ways. With both, you want to remove the seeds, stem, and the white flesh inside (it can make the pepper bitter). I use a pairing knife to shave the white flesh out or you can use your fingers and pull it out.

hollowed out bell peppers on top of wooden cutting board

You can use any combo of bell peppers. I typically do not use green bell peppers because they are the least ripe of the bunch, but since you’re putting them in the oven to cook you probably won’t notice that much of a flavor difference.

Cooking

Hot Italian sausage typically comes in a link. Remove the skin prior to cooking and as you cook break it into smaller pieces. Sometimes I want a more fine chop, so after the meat is cooked I will give it a quick extra chop on the cutting board. When you remove the sausage from the pan leave the juices behind, it will help flavor the rest of the ingredients!

large skillet on stove top with diced onion and garlic cooking inside

Put the onion into the sausage juices and you’ll see them immediately take on that color and all the flavor. Sauté until they begin to soften, then add in the minced garlic.

large skillet on the stove top with fire roasted tomatoes inside

Next I add fire roasted diced tomatoes. I use the fire roasted instead of plain diced tomatoes because it gives an extra layer of flavor to the dish. I add in some dry herbs: thyme, basil, and oregano. Then a secret ingredient… Worcestershire sauce! (just a touch).

large skillet on the stove top with rice, hot italian sausage, and tomatoes inside

Next I add back in the hot Italian sausage and rice I cooked on the side. I add in a little chicken broth because you don’t want the stuffing to dry out when you put them in the oven to bake.

Stuffing Peppers

red bell pepper with a flat section shaved into the back for stability

Now comes to stuffing the peppers. I hate how they will roll around causing the stuffing to fall out and make a mess so here’s a hack. Take your pairing knife and carefully shave a flat spot on the bottom so the pepper sits flat in the baking dish.

7 bell peppers in a baking dish with stuffing inside and unmelted cheese sprinkled on top

Spoon the filling into each pepper and top with some cheese. Cover with foil and place in the oven for 30 minutes or until the peppers are easily pierced and tender. Remove the foil at the end to brown the cheese under the low broiler.

Final Dish

overhead shot of cooked stuffed peppers with melted cheese and fresh herbs sprinkled over the top

Carefully remove from the oven and top with fresh parsley.

These hot Italian sausage stuffed peppers are perfect for feeding the family or meal prep throughout the week!

Things you’ll need:

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Love Italian sausage? Try these recipes: stuffed zucchini rolls, hot Italian sausage white bean soup, homemade meatballs.