Stuffed Peppers With Rice (Cuban Ajies Rellenos)

Ajies Rellenos is an easy stuffed peppers recipe made with seasoned Cuban ground beef picadillo and fluffy white rice! Just fill the bell peppers with the cooked picadillo and rice then roast them until moist and tender. Perfect dinner idea for any day of the week (and even a great idea for leftovers). Que rico!

📝 Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced green pepper
• 3-4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey)
• 1/3 cup vino seco ((dry cooking wine))
• 6 ounces tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste ((start with 1/4 teaspoon then adjust from there))
• 1/4 cup Spanish olives (cut in half)
• 2 tablespoons raisins (or more to taste optional)
• White rice (optional)
• 3 bell peppers
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 13x9 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. 2Cut the bell peppers lengthwise. Remove seeds and membranes.
3. 3Using your hands, rub the bell peppers with the olive oil until evenly coated. Place them in the baking dish, cut side facing up.
4. 4Roast the peppers for 15 minutes until slightly tender while you continue with the rest of the recipe.
5. 5Meanwhile, heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions and green peppers and, sauté for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Next, add ground beef and cook, breaking the meat apart, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in cooking wine, tomato sauce, cumin, oregano, and, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10-12 minutes until fragrant and saucy. Remove from the heat. Stir in olives and raisins. Transfer the picadillo to a bowl with the cooked rice. Set aside.
6. 6Remove the peppers from the oven. Carefully spoon the picadillo and rice mixture evenly into each bell pepper.
7. 7Pour 1/2 cup of water into the baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.
8. 8Roast the stuffed peppers for 20-25 minutes until the peppers are tender. Remove from oven. Serve immediately. Enjoy!