Sausage Stuffed Peppers Recipe (Cast Iron and Camp Oven)

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Sausage Stuffed Peppers are loaded with Italian sausage, rice, marinara, and melted cheese, then baked in a cast iron skillet until the peppers are tender and the top is golden and bubbly. This is the kind of weeknight dinner that looks like it took all afternoon but comes together in about an hour.

If you love cooking sausage and bell peppers together, try our Sausage, Peppers, and Rice Skillet and Smoked Sausage and Potatoes Skillet.

Sausage stuffed peppers in a cast iron skillet topped with melted cheese.

Quick Look at this Recipe

✅ Recipe Name: Sausage Stuffed Peppers
🕒 Ready In: 70 minutes (20 min prep, 50 min cook)
👪 Serves: 6 people
🥣 Main Ingredients: bell peppers, Italian sausage, rice, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese
📖 Dietary Info: Gluten-free adaptable (use GF sausage)
⭐ Why You'll Love It: A hearty, cheesy stuffed pepper that bakes perfectly in cast iron or a camp oven with zero fuss.

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Quick Look at this Recipe
Why You'll Love Sausage Stuffed Peppers
What Makes This Sausage Stuffed Peppers Recipe Different
Ingredients for Sausage Stuffed Peppers
How to Make Sausage Stuffed Peppers
Camp Oven Instructions
Variations and Substitutions
Expert Tips for Perfect Stuffed Peppers
What to Serve with Sausage Stuffed Peppers
How to Store and Reheat Stuffed Peppers
Recipe FAQs
More Delicious Recipes
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Why You'll Love Sausage Stuffed Peppers

Cast iron does the heavy lifting. A cast iron skillet holds steady oven heat so every pepper cooks at the same rate. No soggy bottoms, no raw middles. The thermal mass of the iron creates a gentle sear on the pepper bottoms that adds a layer of flavor you won't get from a glass baking dish.
Indoor or outdoor, your call. This recipe works in a kitchen oven or a camp oven over charcoal. Same prep, different heat source. That flexibility is hard to beat when you're planning a camping trip or a backyard cookout.
Minimal prep, maximum flavor. Brown the sausage, stuff the peppers, bake. You're looking at about 20 minutes of hands-on work for a dinner that looks and tastes like you spent the whole afternoon in the kitchen.
Endlessly customizable. Swap the sausage for ground beef or turkey, change out the cheese, go low-carb with cauliflower rice. This recipe bends to whatever your family likes or whatever you have in the fridge.

What Makes This Sausage Stuffed Peppers Recipe Different

There's no shortage of stuffed pepper recipes out there, so here's why this one earns its spot. Most versions call for a generic baking dish and leave it at that. This recipe uses a cast iron skillet, and that difference matters more than you might think. Cast iron's thermal mass holds a steady temperature throughout the bake, which means your peppers soften evenly without collapsing and the cheese on top browns at the same rate across every pepper.

Then there's the camp oven option. If you've ever wanted to make easy stuffed peppers over charcoal at a campsite or in the backyard, this recipe has you covered. Same prep, same filling, different heat source. It's a trick most stuffed pepper recipes don't even consider.

The filling leans sausage-forward. The rice acts as a binder, not a filler, so every bite has real flavor instead of just starchy bulk. Combined with marinara and a generous amount of melted mozzarella, these stuffed peppers with rice deliver a complete, satisfying meal from one skillet.

Ingredients for Sausage Stuffed Peppers

Labeled ingredients for making sausage stuffed peppers: bell peppers, onion, pasta sauce, Minute rice, Italian sausage, Italian blend cheese, parsley, granulated garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Here's what you need for these sausage stuffed peppers. See the recipe card below for exact measurements.

Bell Peppers (6 large): Any color works. Red and orange are sweeter, green is more savory and holds up better structurally. Choose peppers that sit flat on the counter. If they wobble, trim a thin slice from the bottom.
Italian Sausage (1 lb): Sweet or hot, casings removed. We used sweet Italian sausage for this batch. If you grab the links, just squeeze the meat out of the casings and crumble it as it browns.
Minute Rice (1 cup uncooked): The rice cooks inside the peppers during baking, so instant rice is the move here. If you want to use regular rice, cook it fully before mixing it into the filling.
Pasta Sauce (1 jar): We used marinara. Any brand or flavor you like will work. Homemade sauce is even better if you have it on hand.
Cheese (3 cups shredded): An Italian blend plus extra mozzarella. Part goes into the filling, the rest melts on top during the last few minutes of baking.
Onion, Garlic, Italian Seasoning, Parsley: Standard aromatics that build the flavor base. Fresh parsley brightens the whole filling.

How to Make Sausage Stuffed Peppers

Bell peppers prepped for stuffing with tops removed, de-seeded and deveined.

Step 1: Prep the peppers. Slice the tops off, scrape out the seeds and veins. Dice the usable parts of the tops to sauté with the filling.

Italian sausage crumbled into a cast iron skillet with sautéed onions and peppers.

Step 2: Brown the sausage. Sauté diced onion and pepper tops, then crumble in the Italian sausage and cook until no longer pink.

Pasta sauce being stirred into the meat and rice filling for stuffed peppers.

Step 3: Build the filling. Stir in rice, seasonings, parsley, and pasta sauce. Remove from heat and fold in 2 cups of cheese.

A bell pepper stuffed with the sausage and rice mixture placed in a cast iron skillet with sauce on the bottom.

Step 4: Stuff the peppers. Pack the filling into each pepper and place them upright in the skillet with remaining sauce on the bottom.

Aluminum foil covers the stuffed peppers in the cast iron skillet before going in the oven.

Step 5: Cover and bake. Tent with foil and bake at 375°F for 35 minutes, then remove foil, top with remaining cheese, and bake 5-10 more minutes until bubbly.

A single sausage stuffed pepper on a white plate with pasta sauce.

Step 6: Rest and serve. Let the peppers sit for 5 minutes so the filling sets, then plate and enjoy.

Camp Oven Instructions

These sausage stuffed peppers work just as well in a camp oven over charcoal. Prep the filling and stuff the peppers the same way, then place them in your camp oven and maintain roughly 375°F. For help dialing in your charcoal setup, check out our Dutch Oven Temperature Chart.

Cook for 30-40 minutes, rotating the lid a quarter turn every 15 minutes for even browning. Check at 30 minutes since wind and ambient temperature can make camp ovens run hotter or cooler than expected. The filling should reach 165°F internal temperature and the peppers should be fork-tender.

Variations and Substitutions

Protein swaps: Use half lean ground beef and half Italian sausage for a heartier filling. Ground turkey, chicken sausage, or turkey sausage in an Italian blend all work well. For a vegetarian version, skip the meat and use black beans and corn.
Rice alternatives: Cauliflower rice keeps it low-carb, quinoa adds protein, and orzo gives a completely different texture. If you use anything other than instant rice, make sure it's fully cooked before mixing it in.
Cheese options: Straight mozzarella works, but so does pepper jack for heat, smoked gouda for depth, or even cheddar in a pinch. Really, any shredded cheese will do.
Spice level: Add diced jalapeños or red pepper flakes to the filling, or just use hot Italian sausage instead of sweet.
Cream cheese twist: Mix 4 oz of cream cheese into the filling before stuffing for a richer, creamier texture.
Pepper varieties: Poblanos give you a smoky, milder flavor. Mini sweet peppers work great for appetizer-sized portions.
Sauce swap: Skip the pasta sauce and use plain tomato sauce seasoned with your favorite Italian herbs: thyme, oregano, fresh basil, minced garlic, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Mix-ins: Diced tomatoes, chopped mushrooms, fire roasted tomatoes, Rotel, or diced zucchini all make excellent additions to the filling.

Expert Tips for Perfect Stuffed Peppers

Freshly baked sausage stuffed peppers in a cast iron skillet with melted cheese on top.

Choose peppers that stand upright. If they wobble, trim a thin slice from the bottom. Just be careful not to cut through to the cavity or the juices will leak out during baking.
Pre-cook for tender peppers. If you prefer a softer pepper that's easy to cut with a fork, blanch them in boiling water for 3-5 minutes before stuffing. Skip this step if you like a pepper with more structure and a bit of bite.
Don't over-pack the filling. Leave about a quarter inch at the top so the cheese has room to melt and bubble without overflowing down the sides.
Add liquid to the pan. Pouring the remaining sauce (or a splash of water) into the bottom of the cast iron creates steam that cooks the peppers from the outside in while the filling heats from the center out.
Tent with foil first. Cover for the first 35 minutes to trap steam and prevent the cheese from browning before the peppers are tender. Remove the foil for the last 5-10 minutes to get that golden, bubbly top. Serve with a side of Cast Iron Garlic Bread to soak up the extra sauce in the skillet.
Use a meat thermometer. The filling should reach 165°F internal temperature, especially when working with sausage. This takes the guesswork out of knowing when they're done.

What to Serve with Sausage Stuffed Peppers

These stuffed peppers are a full meal on their own, but a good side takes it to the next level. Here's what we usually serve alongside them.

Bread: Cast Iron Garlic Bread, Garlic Parmesan Pull Apart Bread, or southern cornbread to soak up the sauce from the bottom of the skillet.
Salad: A simple side salad with Italian dressing or a Caesar salad. Something fresh and light to balance the richness of the filling.
Sides: A Simple Coleslaw for crunch, roasted broccoli, or sautéed zucchini.
For a bigger spread: Pair with a bowl of minestrone or Italian wedding soup.

How to Store and Reheat Stuffed Peppers

Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or microwave for 2-3 minutes.
Freezer: Wrap individual peppers in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Make-ahead tip: Stuff the peppers and refrigerate unbaked for up to 24 hours. Add 5-10 minutes to the bake time when cooking from cold.
Reheating in cast iron: Place leftover peppers back in the skillet with a splash of water, cover with foil, and bake at 350°F. The cast iron reheats evenly without drying out the filling.

Recipe FAQs

Do you have to pre-cook the peppers before stuffing them?

It depends on how you like your peppers. For a tender pepper that's easy to cut with a fork, blanch them in boiling water for 3-5 minutes before stuffing. For a pepper with more structure and a slight bite, stuff them raw and let them soften during baking. Both methods work well in cast iron.

Can you make stuffed peppers without rice?

Yes. Substitute cauliflower rice for a low-carb option, use quinoa for extra protein, or skip the grain entirely and increase the sausage by half a pound. The filling still holds together well without rice.

How do you keep stuffed peppers from falling over in the pan?

Choose bell peppers with a flat bottom, or trim a thin slice from the base so they sit level. Pack them snugly in the cast iron skillet so they support each other. Adding sauce or a small amount of liquid to the pan also helps stabilize them.

Can you use a different type of sausage?

Any ground sausage works. Hot Italian sausage adds heat, turkey sausage lightens it up, and chorizo gives it a completely different flavor profile. You can also use bulk breakfast sausage with added Italian seasoning.

What temperature should stuffed peppers be cooked to?

Bake at 375°F until the internal temperature of the filling reaches 165°F and the peppers are tender, about 35-45 minutes total. The cheese on top should be golden and bubbly.

Can you make sausage stuffed peppers in a camp oven?

Absolutely. Follow the same prep process and maintain roughly 375°F in the camp oven. Check out our Dutch Oven Temperature Chart for help with your charcoal setup. Cook for 30-40 minutes, rotating the lid a quarter turn every 15 minutes for even heat.