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Stuffed Peppers is a typical traditional Albanian summer dish (speca te mbushura). Most Mediterranean countries cook a version of stuffed peppers with minced meat or ground beef and rice. Since living in Miami, I’ve made friends from around the world and I have tried so many other versions of this dish. I’ve tried the vegetarian version, I’ve tried them filled with mashed potatoes, I’ve had the filled cheese version, the ‘chille relleno’ version etc. The spices vary by country & region too so this is one of the most versatile dishes I have ever seen so far. Below I’ll share the recipe we cooked in my family, but I hope with time I’ll be able to cook several other versions of this dish.
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Stuffed Peppers & Childhood Memories
One of my childhood memories about this dish is an embarrassing one but let me start with some background information first.
While growing up, my native country was under Communist Dictatorship where lots of things were state centralized, starting from what you do for a living to where you live. Any show of personalized views and desires was discouraged and even punished. One of the very centralized things was a super-sized neighborhood wood oven with a state paid baker. If you ever needed a dish baked like a casserole or a cake, you prepared it at home then you walked over to the neighborhood bakery and gave instructions to the baker how to bake it for you. Then you had to go pick it up when ready.
This method controlled in a way how people celebrated, especially around religious holidays because religion was not allowed during Communism. So for example if a family baked a certain dish around Ramadan or Christmas you kind of have to justify it with a family member birthday or some other event, so no one would suspect your family was celebrating a religious holiday. Ok, so enough of a background for this:) , I don’t want to scare the readers of the blog away.
A Short Story
So one day when i was maybe 10 years old, my mom prepared the peppers, the stuffing and made a beautiful stuffed peppers dish. She asked me if I could take it to the neighborhood bakery. I took the dish, held the coin to pay for baking in my clenched fist and started walking. The bakery was maybe few blocks away, not too far. As I was holding the dish in front of me, I didn’t notice a hole on the sidewalk while I was approaching the bakery. I fell in and the dish slipped my hands, flipped around and fell all over my head, face and upper body. I cried so much and felt so embarrassed, few ladies walking by came to help me out.
Even at 10 years old I understood that food was scarce, meat was rationed so we couldn’t replace it. I ran home crying and my mom calmed me down promising me that it was all OK, accidents happen. She went to pick up the dish that was still on the sidewalk and then we cooked some pasta for the day. I still remember that event so vividly!!!
One Of My Favorite Albanian Meals
This week we have guests from my husband’s side of the family visiting from Bolivia and they were asking about typical Albanian dishes. I decided to treat them to stuffed peppers. My 5 year old has tried this dish before, but my toddler will try this for the firs time today so I can’t wait to see her reaction to this new food:)
Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers Recipe
Serve this dish with a summer salad like Greek Salad or a refreshing tomato salad. If you are vegetarian and want a version without meat, you can try the below recipe without meat and add a bit more tomatoes, parsley, rice for the filling. Also, I have a recipe of stuffed peppers with cauliflower puree that is vegetarian.
Recipe Notes
1. Bell Pepper Size
Serving size is difficult to calculate. The biggest factor is bell pepper size. In most Mediterranean countries, peppers are not too big so you can fill a whole tray with same stuffing recipe as below and you would need about 20 peppers. Here in United States bell peppers are huge, I mean sometimes I have to cut one in half because I can’t eat one just on my own. The pictures you see of this recipe are with bell peppers and I handpicked them as small as I could get them. That’s why the serving size will be anywhere from half a pepper to 2 peppers per person.
2. Baking Time
The size of the bell peppers will affect baking time as well. Using what I consider small size bell peppers in US (actual normal size in Mediterranean), it took me about 50 minutes of baking time. Adjust that time accordingly. Bigger peppers will need longer baking time so the stuffing can be well cooked.
Stuffed Peppers – An Albanian Recipe
Sonila
Stuffed Peppers cooked the Albanian way. Peppers are stuffed with rice, ground beef, parsley, onions and tomatoes.
5 from 9 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 50 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Albanian, Mediterranean
Servings 6 servings
Calories 532 kcal
Ingredients
- 12 small bell peppers
- 1 lb ground beef or minced beef
- 2 medium onions usually yellow onions, but white works too
- 2 cups fresh parsley chopped, packed
- 1 tbsp salt
- 0.5 tbsp black pepper
- 1 cup rice uncooked
- 2 medium baking potatoes optional
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 can crushed tomatoes 14-16 oz
- 3 cups water
Instructions
Wash, pat dry and clean the peppers from the seeds. I usually leave the top part of the peppers untouched so it can stay on top of the stuffing as decoration.
Chop the onions, saute them in medium to high heat in olive oil, then add the ground beef. You can also use minced meat if you prefer to pick the meat cut and then cut it in small pieces yourself. Once meat is browned, then add parsley and crushed tomatoes. This time i used a can of crushed tomatoes, but sometimes i like to use fresh tomatoes. I usually buy them few days before, let them get soft and chop them for this dish. Add 1 cup of water and mix well.
As soon as the mixture is boiling, you can add the rice, salt & pepper. Turn the heat down to medium. Mix well and let it cook for 10 minutes. You want the stuffing not to be too thick so if a bit more water is needed, add an extra half a cup.
Turn the heat off and let the stuffing cool, you don’t want to burn yourself while stuffing the peppers. Which I will tell you right now, I’ve done more than once so I definitely know it burns:). Once the stuffing is still warm, start stuffing the peppers and placing them back on the baking dish. I usually use a spoon to do the stuffing. Once all the peppers are stuffed, i cut the potatoes and placed them around the peppers. They add a nice flavor to the final dish but also help in absorbing the water we will add in a bit. I haven’t seen anyone else add potatoes around the peppers in this dish, so this must be my mom’s idea because she always did this.
There will usually be some stuffing left over once all the peppers are stuffed, however it’s not for sure given that you can’t control the size of the peppers so sometimes you might come up a bit short and that’s ok, just fill them all up as much as you can. The rice will make the stuffing’s volume grow anyway. If you have leftover stuffing, add it around the peppers and on top of the potato wedges. Sprinkle some salt on the potatoes too. Add 2 cups of water around the peppers and potatoes.
I baked this dish at 375, bottom rack for about 35 minutes. Then once i noticed the top of the peppers were getting browned but the potatoes were not fully baked yet, i covered the dish with aluminum foil and let bake for another 15 minutes. Let the dish cool and serve about 2 peppers per person. Usually I like to serve a summer salad as a side dish.
Video
Notes
- I love serving stuffed peppers with tarator, salad and some bread all family style on the table so everyone can pick and choose what to add on their plate.
- If possible, I like to crush fresh tomatoes instead of using canned crushed tomatoes. Usually 4 soft tomatoes are the equivalent of 1 can of 14 ozs.
- Recipe can easily be made without meat by increasing rice, tomatoes, onions and parsley quantities.
- Add additional herbs to taste like oregano, dill etc.
Nutrition Label
Nutrition Facts
Stuffed Peppers – An Albanian Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 532Calories from Fat 225
% Daily Value*
Fat 25g38%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Trans Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 14g
Cholesterol 54mg18%
Sodium 1329mg58%
Potassium 1269mg36%
Carbohydrates 58g19%
Fiber 8g33%
Sugar 11g12%
Protein 21g42%
Vitamin A 1874IU37%
Vitamin C 218mg264%
Calcium 107mg11%
Iron 5mg28%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition
Calories: 532kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 21gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 1329mgPotassium: 1269mgFiber: 8gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 1874IUVitamin C: 218mgCalcium: 107mgIron: 5mg
Keyword Albanian Food, Albanian Stuffed Peppers, Mediterranean Food, Speca te mbushura, Stuffed Peppers, Stuffed Peppers with ground beef
Tried this recipe?Mention @mediterranean_latin_love or tag #mediterraneanlatinloveaffair!
Let me know if you have any questions about the recipe:). If you would like to save the recipe for later, please save it in Pinterest.
Other Traditional Albanian Recipes:
Please see below links for more traditional Albanian recipes:
- Tave Kosi (Yogurt & Lamb Bake)
- Stuffed Zucchini
- Shapkat (Corn Pie with Spinach & Feta Cheese)
- Stuffed Eggplants
More Recipes
- How To Thicken Soups?
- Creamy Pork And Mushrooms
- Homemade Filet Mignon
- Oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks
About Sonila
Mom of 2, wife, engineer, food blogger & recipe creator! Sonila was born in Albania, her heritage inspires her Mediterranean recipes while that of her husband the Latin ones. Sonila has 2 degrees in Engineering from University of Miami.
Reader Interactions
Comments
edona
these are almost identical to the kind my grandmother used to make. thank you so much for sharing this lovely recipe & bringing me back to the taste of homeReply
Sonila
Thank you so much Edona:)). I appreciate your comment so much! All the best:).
P.S. if there’s any other Albanian recipes you’re looking for, let me know and I will see if I know how to cook it to publish the recipe. I love trying to find older recipes that remind people of family and home,Reply
Ela
I make this recipe often for my 16 month old half Albanian daughter. She loves it. It’s very nourishing. Try it with cubanelle peppers. These peppers are closer in taste to the Mediterranean peppers or as I like to say: Albanian green peppers. I use cubanelle peppers for everything.Reply
Sonila
Thank you Ela so much, yes the cubanelle peppers are very close to the peppers we use in Albania. I appreciate you message so much:).
Reply
Louise
My albanian partner found this recipe for English me to follow, it was a bit peppery, the peppers here also don’t taste of much so I’d probably add some more spices/herbs next time. But an easy to read and follow recipe, thank you
Reply
Sonila
Hi Louise, thank you so much for trying out my recipe!! Definitely adjust with spices and herbs as needed. This is something I struggle with living in US after having lived in the Mediterranean for 20 years. Vegetables do taste differently there (in my opinion much better), so minimal seasoning will still make for an amazing dish. However, I do season more now because produce doesn’t taste the same here. What pepper type did you use? I find bell peppers to look pretty but they don’t taste as good as some long green peppers. Try also different pepper types next time you try the dish. I’m hoping to add a video soon with more details so everyone can adjust as needed as this simple recipe has many variations. If there’s any other Albanian recipe you would like to see please let me know and I’ll try to publish that soon:). All the best and thanks for reading my recipe.
Reply
I will defintely be trying this recipe tonight, I have struggled to find an Albanian version online so thanks for sharing. I have eaten this many times in Albania & Kosovo and a friend recently cooked it for me but the recipe was in her head!Reply
Sonila
Aww thank you Kelly!! Hope you enjoy it:). You can use any type of peppers you like not just bell peppers. If you have any questions, let me know.
Reply
My parents were Italian and my mother used to make deliciously amazing stuffed peppers but also eggplant (aubergine).
Reply
Sonila
Yes, a lot of Mediterranean countries have similar dishes and what distinguishes one from the other are details like spices or meat used. I’m working on a stuffed aubergine recipe too, my mom makes a very good one. I’ve cooked it few times but I can’t get the details right on the picture yet. Will try it again:)). Thank you so much Nilla
Reply
We love stuffed peppers and these look alot like mine. Too yummy!
Reply
admin
Thank you Sheila!! I would love to see how you do yours. I have over 10 different stuffed peppers recipes. I love it. It’s a dish that seems to be made in a lot of countries and each has a different flare. Just so impressive!!
Reply
Our family loves stuffed peppers! I can’t wait to make this!!Reply
admin
Thank you Jennie!!
Reply
Nnnniiiicccceeeeeee….I haven’t done stuffed peppers before, though! Hope to try them out some day.Thanks Sonila, for sharing.
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Tammy Staley
My husband loves stuffed peppers I will have to try these for him.
Reply
I love the play of colours around the stuffed peppers.I love new recipes.I should try this.Thank you for sharingReply
admin
I have young kids so playing with color definitely helps to get them try new food!! Kids are picky:))
Reply
I have been wanting to try some new recipes with stuffed peppers! Love delicious!
Reply
admin
I’ll soon post a vegetarian version as well since several of my friends are either vegetarians or vegans.
Reply
This post is making me hungry, looks so delicious!
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Zaibel
Yum a must try peopleReply
Krish
I love stuffed bell peppers…the emotions conveyed through your narrative can be felt right away… beautiful lucid style of writing..
God bless youReply
This looks lovely and very colourful xReply
Sonila
Thank you Claire, i really appreciate your feedback!!!
Reply
I am Bulgarian and I know exactly what you are talking about. In the Balkans everything was equal when there was communism. I went back to my childhood with your story. The recipe is also available in Bulgaria and is one of my favorites. Thanks for sharing!
Reply
Sonila
Thank you so much for replying and sharing your experience!!! I was hoping my experience wasn’t too much to share in a food blog. I’ll definitely look up the Bulgarian way to cook stuffed peppers. The other day i stumbled upon a Bulgarian tarator recipe that is almost the same as the one in Albania so we have a lot more in common in our cuisines than i previously thought.
Reply
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