How Long To Bake Stuffed Peppers At 400 Degrees: Answered

Last Updated on September 12, 2024 by Shari Mason

In case you are searching for a healthy side or main dish, stuffed bell peppers are a great choice! This dish is packed with carbs, protein, and vegetables all in one.

Stuffed peppers are filled with rice, ground beef mixture, or Italian sausage. Top with diced tomatoes if you prefer. Serve with garlic bread. 

If you’re interested in cooking stuffed peppers, keep scrolling. This guide will teach you how long to bake stuffed peppers at 400.

How Long Should You Bake Stuffed Peppers At 400?

The cooking time of stuffed peppers at 400 degrees varies according to the pepper size and filling. You can bake half peppers for 30 minutes or less. 

Peppers cut in halves cook quicker than whole peppers. If you put raw ingredients for fillings, particularly ground meat, you have to bake them in the oven for 90 minutes. 

However, if you want less baking time, you must pre-cook the filling in a large skillet before inserting it into the peppers. A bell pepper has a mild flavor, which pairs well with various fillings.

Read: How To Dehydrate Peppers In An Air Fryer?

Best Temperature To Bake Stuffed Peppers

The best temperature to bake stuffed peppers is 400 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s the average temperature. It ensures that the texture is just right and the flavors meld perfectly.

However, the cooking temperature will vary according to how you like your peppers and how long you’re willing to wait for them to cook. 

375 degrees and 425 degrees are alternate oven temps. If you don’t mind waiting, baking at 375 degrees Fahrenheit will give you moister stuffed peppers. 

If you’re pressed with time, bake them at 425 degrees for 40 minutes. This temperature will give you crispy and crunchy peppers. 

You may want to watch the oven to prevent the peppers from burning or drying out.

While baking peppers in the oven is popular, making the best stuffed peppers isn’t limited to the oven. You can cook stuffed peppers in a slow cooker or grill. 

Slow-cook stuffed peppers, and they’ll be just as delicious.

Will Bake Stuffed Peppers Burn at 400?

No. Baked stuffed peppers won’t burn at 400. It’s just the right temperature to cook the stuffed peppers thoroughly. 

Temperatures above 400 degrees Fahrenheit will burn the peppers and dry them out. 

While higher temperatures can make cooking time faster, high oven temperatures might result in uneven cooking. Cook the bell peppers at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes. 

Once the timer hits the 25-minute mark, check the peppers. Remove them from the oven as soon as your preferred level of doneness is reached.

Read: How To Make Sweet Peppers For Italian Beef?

Parameters that Influence Cooking Time

Temperature of Oven

The oven temperature affects how long your peppers will stay in the oven. The oven temperature recommendation will depend on the stuffed pepper recipes you use. 

It also depends on your preference. If pressed with time, you can cook your oven at 425 degrees. 

However, you need to watch them to prevent the bell peppers from burning. If you’re going for moist peppers, it’s advisable to cook them at 375 degrees.

Pepper Size

Using large peppers or cooking multiple peppers at the same time requires longer cooking time for them to cook evenly. 

Add 5 to 10 minutes to the average cooking time of 20-30 minutes. Check the peppers to know if they are thoroughly cooked. 

They shouldn’t feel mushy. If they are mushy, they are cooked for too long. 

Read: How Long Do Cooked Peppers Last In The Fridge?

Type of Filling

You can experiment with bell pepper fillings. Use whatever suits your diet. You can use raw meat or raw veggies. 

However, raw ingredients take longer to cook to ensure they are fully cooked.

If you want to bake the bell peppers faster, you can pre-cook the filling in a skillet on a stovetop before stuffing it in the pepper.

While you can stuff raw ingredients in pepper, it’s not advisable to stuff uncooked rice because it will not cook inside the peppers. 

Use cooked rice instead and mix it with other ingredients. Use the rice mixture to stuff the peppers.

How To Know If Bake Stuffed Peppers Are Done

Give the peppers a gentle poke to know if they are done. The baked peppers should be fork-tender. The stuffed peppers are done if you can pierce them with a fork.

Thoroughly cooked stuffed pepper should be soft and chewable.

If you’re using raw ground beef or pork, use an instant-read thermometer to ensure that the filling is completely cooked. 

The internal temperature of the ground meat should reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Bell peppers are ideal vegetables to add to a weight loss diet. They also help “create a sense of fullness after meals.”

– Trista Best of Balance One Supplements

When you’re done cooking, you can prepare arugula salad or sauteed green beans to serve with stuffed peppers. 

If you have stuffed pepper left over, you can freeze stuffed peppers. Transfer peppers to an airtight container or cover tightly with plastic wrap. 

Store stuffed peppers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make stuffed peppers ahead of time for an easy meal prep idea. 

Prepare stuffed peppers for a delicious and nutritious meal. Bell peppers are loaded with Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and potassium. They are also low in calories.

Should I Pre-Cook The Peppers?

It’s not necessary to pre-cook peppers before filling them. However, pre-cooking will soften them and make them easier to stuff. 

Pre-cooking also helps release moisture, preventing them from becoming soggy. You can use the blanching method before baking stuffed peppers.

Blanching helps cleanse and reduce initial microbial growth that may be on the food’s surface. [1] Blanching also retains the pepper’s bright color and helps cook the peppers more evenly.

To blanch, you need a pot of boiling water and a bowl of ice.

How Long To Bake Stuffed Peppers With Raw Meat

Peppers stuffed with raw meat should be cooked longer because the meat should reach a safe temperature. 

The ground beef should reach a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure they’re thoroughly cooked. 

For stuffings containing ground turkey or ground chicken, the temperature should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Use a meat thermometer to know if you’ve reached a safe temperature. Whole peppers with raw meat fillings can take up to 90 minutes to cook.

Baked Stuffed Peppers At 400 Recipe

Prep Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

• 6 bell peppers (red peppers or green peppers)
• ½ cup uncooked white rice
• 1 cup water for cooking rice (You can also use chicken broth)
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small sweet onion, diced
• 2 tsp garlic, minced
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 15 ounces of tomato sauce, divided
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tbsp. Tomato paste
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• ⅛ tsp black pepper
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese
• Diced scallions (for serving)
• Fresh chopped cilantro or parsley (for serving)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat an oven-safe dish with a non-stick spray.

Remove the top of the peppers, discarding the seeds and membranes. Place peppers on a baking sheet and ensure they are not overcrowded.

Season the insides of the peppers with salt and pepper.

In a saucepan, add water and rice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and continue cooking for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. Sautè onions until translucent. Use a wooden spoon. Add beef and cook until it turns brown. Add garlic. 

Then, add cooked rice, 1/2 can of tomato sauce, 2 tbsp tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Stuff peppers with the rice mixture. Then, mix Italian seasoning with the remaining tomato sauce and pour over the stuffed peppers.

Top with mozzarella cheese. Place the baking dish in the oven. Bake the peppers in the oven for one hour. Every 15 minutes, baste the peppers with sauce.

Remove the baking dish from the oven. Garnish the peppers with cilantro and serve. You can also prepare potato salad to serve with stuffed peppers.

Servings: 6

FAQs

Should you cover stuffed peppers when baking?

Yes. You should cover stuffed peppers with foil when baking to prevent them from drying. Cover the peppers for 35 minutes. 

After 35 minutes, remove the cover. At this point, you can top the green bell peppers or red bell peppers with cheese. Bake for another 10 minutes.

How do you not overcook the baked stuffed peppers?

Keep an eye on your peppers. Usually, stuffed peppers are baked for 30 minutes or less. To prevent them from overcooking, use an instant-read thermometer.

  If the temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit, the baked peppers are done.

In Summary

Bell peppers are highly nutritious and make delicious easy weeknight meals. If you don’t like the idea of eating spicy foods, fret not.

Bell peppers are not spicy because they don’t have capsaicin. Capsaicin is a chemical compound that is responsible for the spiciness of jalapeño. [2]

Making stuffed peppers is also easy.

If you’re planning to make stuffed peppers and wondering how long to bake stuffed peppers at 400, the answer depends on how large the peppers are. 

Another factor to consider is the ingredients. Larger peppers and those with raw ingredients take longer to bake.

If you’re ready to cook stuffed peppers, try the stuffed peppers recipe above. It might be your new favorite recipe.

References:

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/blanching
2. https://www.thespruceeats.com/why-arent-bell-peppers-spicy-3111656