Gyro Stuffed Peppers
Crisp bell peppers stuffed with a savory mixture of seasoned ground lamb, rice, tomatoes, and feta cheese, inspired by the flavors of a classic Greek gyro. Baked until the peppers are tender and the filling is cooked through, then finished with a dollop of tzatziki and fresh herbs.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Wait
- 10 min
- Total
- 1 hr 15 min
- Makes
- 4 stuffed peppers (1 per serving)
Steps
Before you start
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C)
- Have all ingredients prepped and measured before you start cooking the filling
- Choose peppers that sit level when cut; avoid very wide peppers that tip over
Prepare the peppers
- Cut each bell pepper in half lengthwise, keeping the stem end intact.
- Remove the seeds, white ribs, and any remaining stem with a small spoon or melon baller, being careful not to create large holes.
- Pat the inside of each pepper half dry with paper towels.
- Arrange them cut-side up in the 9×13-inch baking dish.
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Ready when: Peppers are clean and arranged in the dish
Tip: Drying the peppers prevents excess moisture that can make the filling soggy.
Brown the lamb
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once shimmering, add the ground lamb and cook, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon, for 5–7 minutes until no pink remains and the meat is lightly browned.
- Drain off excess fat if necessary, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.
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Ready when: Lamb is cooked through with no pink visible
Tip: Don't overcrowd the pan; let the meat brown instead of steaming in its own juices.
Sauté aromatics and spices
- Add the diced onion to the lamb and sauté for 3–4 minutes until softened and translucent.
- Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the dried oregano, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, and red pepper flakes.
- Stir constantly for about 1 minute to bloom the spices and release their aromas.
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Ready when: Spices are fragrant and onions are soft
Tip: Blooming the spices in fat intensifies their flavor and prevents the raw spice taste in the final dish.
Add rice and broth
- Stir in the uncooked rice, coating it well with the oil and spices.
- Pour in 1 cup of broth and the canned tomatoes with their juice.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and stir once or twice to combine.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
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Ready when: Mixture is simmering gently
Tip: Stir the rice once after adding liquid so it doesn't stick to the pan bottom.
Fold in feta
- Remove the skillet from heat and stir in three-quarters of the crumbled feta cheese (reserve the remainder for topping).
- The residual heat will soften the cheese slightly without melting it completely.
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Ready when: Feta is distributed throughout the filling
Tip: Fold the cheese in gently to preserve some texture and avoid a completely melted appearance.
Stuff the peppers
- Divide the lamb and rice filling equally among the 8 pepper halves, mounding it gently in the center of each.
- The filling should be warm and will nestle into the pepper cavity.
- Sprinkle the remaining feta cheese evenly over the tops.
- Pour a little water or extra broth (about 1/4 cup total) into the bottom of the baking dish to keep the peppers moist during baking.
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Ready when: All peppers are filled and topped
Tip: Fill the peppers while the mixture is still warm so the rice absorbs residual moisture and cooks evenly in the oven.
Bake until tenderOven 375°F / 190°C
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and place it in a preheated 375°F (190°C) oven.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes until the peppers are very tender when pierced with a fork and the rice is fully cooked.
- Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of baking to allow the tops to brown lightly.
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Ready when: Peppers are very soft when pierced; rice is tender and no longer crunchy
Tip: Don't remove the foil too early or the peppers may dry out. The foil traps steam for even cooking.
Rest and serve
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the stuffed peppers rest for 5–10 minutes.
- This allows the filling to set slightly and makes serving easier.
- Transfer each pepper half to a serving plate and drizzle with tzatziki sauce if desired.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and an extra pinch of oregano.
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Ready when: Peppers have cooled slightly and are ready to serve
Tip: The rest period prevents the filling from spilling out when you serve the peppers.
Good to know
Tips
- To save time, use store-bought tzatziki instead of making it from scratch. Look for it in the refrigerated dairy section.
- For a lighter version, swap ground lamb with ground chicken and reduce the olive oil by half—the filling will still be flavorful.
- If your peppers are very large, you can cut them into quarters instead of halves and reduce the baking time by 5 minutes; just fill them more sparingly.
- Leftovers are excellent cold as a salad the next day: break apart the pepper and filling into bite-sized pieces, toss with extra tzatziki and a handful of arugula.
Make ahead
Prepare and stuff the peppers up to 4 hours ahead; cover and refrigerate. Add 5–10 extra minutes to the baking time if baking straight from the fridge. The filling can also be made 1 day ahead, cooled, and stored in an airtight container; reheat gently in the skillet before filling and baking the peppers.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven, covered, for 15–20 minutes until warmed through. Freezer: up to 3 months (freeze before baking); thaw overnight in the refrigerator and add 5 minutes to baking time.
Substitutions
- ground lamb → ground beef or ground turkey. Ground beef will give a richer flavor closer to traditional gyro seasoning; turkey is leaner. Use the same weight.
- long-grain white rice, uncooked → orzo pasta or bulgur wheat. Orzo cooks faster (8–10 minutes); bulgur requires less liquid. Both work well in this filling.
- feta cheese, crumbled → crumbled goat cheese or Greek salad cheese blend. Goat cheese adds tanginess; a cheese blend provides a milder flavor. Use the same amount.
- tzatziki sauce → sour cream mixed with lemon juice and dill, or plain Greek yogurt. These provide a cooling contrast similar to tzatziki. Mix ½ cup yogurt or sour cream with 1 tbsp lemon juice and fresh dill.
