Introduction

Beef & Bulgur Stuffed Peppers are one of the most comforting and nourishing dishes in Greek and Cypriot home cooking. Sweet bell peppers are filled with a savoury mixture of minced beef, bulgur wheat, herbs, onion, and tomatoes, then baked until perfectly tender.

The bulgur adds a rustic, earthy texture that beautifully absorbs all the juices from the beef and vegetables. This recipe is healthy, filling, and ideal for meal prep, family dinners, or festive spreads.

Instructions

1. Prepare the peppers

• • Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
  • Slice the tops off the bell peppers and remove the seeds.
  • Brush the insides with olive oil, season lightly, and set aside in a baking dish.

 2. Make the filling

• • Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté onions until soft.
  • Add garlic and cook for another minute.
  • Add minced beef and cook until browned.
  • Stir in tomato paste, grated tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, mint, and cinnamon.
  • Add bulgur wheat and mix thoroughly.
  • Pour in water/stock and simmer for 5 minutes, just to soften the bulgur slightly.

 3. Stuff the peppers

• • Spoon the filling into each pepper, leaving about 1 cm space at the top for expansion.
  • Place the pepper lids back on.

 4. Prepare the baking sauce

• • Mix tomato sauce with water and pour it around the peppers in the baking dish.
  • Drizzle peppers with olive oil.

 5. Bake

• • Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
  • Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 20–25 minutes until peppers are tender and lightly browned.

Tips

• Use red peppers for the sweetest flavour.
• Add a handful of chopped parsley to the filling for extra freshness.
• For a richer dish, replace half the water with stock.
• Leftovers taste even better the next day.