Forget the usual ground beef or bean filling — these shrimp stuffed bell peppers are smoky, lemony, and ready in about an hour, no fuss required.
Jump to: ℹ️ Overview | 🛒 Ingredients | 📷 How To Make | 👩🍳 Recipe Tips | 🥗 Serving Suggestions | 📝Full Recipe Card | 🍽 More Shrimp & Stuffed Pepper Recipes
At A Glance
- ⏱ Ready In: 1 hour (25 minutes prep, 35 minutes baking, divided)
- 🍽 Serves: 4-6
- 🌱 Diet: Gluten-free, high-protein
- 💪 Nutrition Highlights: High in lean protein from the shrimp, with fibre from rice and veg
- 🥕 Main Ingredients: Bell peppers, shrimp, rice, cherry tomatoes, smoked paprika, lemon
- 🔥 Flavor Profile: Smoky, gently spiced, fresh lemon and herb finish
- 🧊 Meal-Prep Friendly: Keeps 3-4 days in the fridge; freezes well before the cheese topping
- Best Served With: A simple green salad or extra lemon wedges on the side
I love stuffed peppers, and while I’d normally go for ground beef mince or this vegetarian version with beans and veggies, I recently tried a shrimp version, and now I’m hooked.
The shrimp (or prawns for my Aussies) turn tender and meaty inside the pepper, paired with chewy rice that soaks up all the tomato and spice flavor as everything roasts together. Smoked paprika, cumin, and a touch of chili flake bring warmth without overpowering the pepper’s natural sweetness. A hit of lemon zest and fresh herbs at the end brightens the whole thing up, and the melted cheese on top gives it that golden, comforting finish. It’s a genuinely complete meal — no sides required, though I never say no to a salad alongside.
👩🍳 You might also like these recipes: shrimp skewers, quinoa stuffed peppers, vegetarian bean rice stuffed peppers, garlic butter shrimp, shrimp poke bowl, shrimp mango salad, or Mongolian shrimp.
What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need for this shrimp stuffed peppers recipe. Find the full measurements in the recipe card below.
- Bell peppers (capsicums) – a mix of colors makes for a prettier plate; pick ones that sit flat and stand up on their own
- Raw shrimp (prawns) – the star of the filling; buy peeled and deveined to save prep time
- Cooked rice – soaks up all the tomato and spice flavor; leftover rice works perfectly here; you can use white or brown
- Onion and garlic – the aromatic base for the filling
- Cherry tomatoes and tomato paste – adds moisture and a rich tomato depth as it roasts
- Smoked paprika, cumin, chili flakes – warm, gently smoky spice without overwhelming heat
- Lemon zest and juice – added at the end to keep everything tasting fresh
- Fresh parsley, cilantro (coriander), and basil – a mix of herbs for a bright, fresh finish; use whatever combo you have on hand
- Mozzarella, Cheddar or gruyère – melted on top for a golden, cheesy finish (skip for dairy-free)
How To Make Shrimp Stuffed Bell Peppers
Find the full recipe and nutritional information below. Here are the steps at a glance:
- Pre-roast the halved peppers with a drizzle of oil for 12-15 minutes to soften them slightly — this stops you ending up with undercooked peppers later.
- Sear the shrimp in a hot pan for just 1-2 minutes per side until pink, then set aside so it doesn’t overcook.
- In the same pan, sauté onion and garlic, then stir in tomato paste and spices before adding the chopped cherry tomatoes to simmer down.
- Combine the rice, seared shrimp, lemon zest and juice, and fresh herbs, then season to taste.
- Fill the peppers generously, top with cheese, and bake for 20 minutes until golden and heated through.
Recipe Tips
- Pre-roasting the peppers first is the key step — skip it, and you’ll get crunchy, undercooked peppers even after the final bake.
- Cook the shrimp briefly and pull it before it’s fully done; it’ll finish cooking in the oven, and this keeps it tender rather than rubbery.
- No fresh herbs? Dried will work in a pinch — use about a third of the amount.
- Swap the rice for quinoa or cauliflower rice for a lower-carb version.
- Storage: keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Make-ahead: prepare the filling up to a day ahead and refrigerate; stuff and bake just before serving.
- Freezing: freeze the stuffed peppers before adding cheese and baking; thaw overnight in the fridge, then top with cheese and bake as directed.
Serving Suggestions
These are hearty enough to stand alone as a full meal, but a simple green salad or some crusty bread on the side rounds things out nicely. A dollop of garlicky yogurt or a squeeze of extra lemon over the top wouldn’t go astray either.
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Ingredients
For the peppers
- 3 bell peppers mix of red, yellow, and green (about 600 grams), halved and seeds removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil 15 ml
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For the filling
- 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed (thawed if frozen) 450 grams
- 1 ½ cups cooked rice 275 grams
- 1 tablespoon olive oil 15 ml
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped 150 grams
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste 30 grams
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
- Zest of ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice 15 ml
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped 15 grams
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped 7 grams
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Topping
- ½ cup finely shredded mozzarella or gruyère 50 grams
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and arrange the halved peppers in a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 12-15 minutes until slightly softened — this prevents undercooked peppers later.
- Pat the shrimp dry and chop into bite-sized pieces. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat and cook the shrimp for 1-2 minutes per side until just pink. Don’t overcook — remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste, smoked paprika, cumin, and chili flakes, and cook for another minute. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until slightly reduced, about 3-4 minutes.
- Combine the cooked rice, cooked shrimp, lemon zest, lemon juice, and fresh herbs. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Fill each pepper generously, top with cheese, and bake for 20 minutes until heated through and slightly golden.
Notes
- Can I use pre-cooked shrimp? Yes — just skip the searing step and fold it straight into the filling with the rice.
- Can I make these vegetarian? Swap the shrimp for extra beans or a plant-based mince for a meat-free version.
- Why pre-roast the peppers? It softens them enough that they cook through fully in the shorter final bake, rather than staying crunchy.
Nutrition
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