A comforting family classic from Hungary, Töltött Paprika features tender peppers stuffed with seasoned meat and rice, gently simmered in a rich tomato sauce.
📝 Ingredients
For the Peppers:
6–8 bell peppers (or Hungarian wax peppers)
1 lb (450 g) ground pork or beef
½ cup uncooked rice
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
For the Tomato Sauce:
3 cups tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
2 cups water or beef broth
1 tablespoon sugar (adjust to taste)
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon oil
Salt to taste
👩🍳 Instructions
1️⃣ Prepare the Peppers Cut the tops off the peppers and remove seeds. Rinse and set aside.
2️⃣ Make the Filling In a bowl, mix ground meat, rice, onion, egg, paprika, salt, and pepper until combined.
3️⃣ Stuff the Peppers Fill each pepper loosely (the rice will expand during cooking). Place upright in a large pot.
4️⃣ Make the Sauce In a saucepan, heat oil and stir in flour to create a light roux. Cook briefly (do not brown). Add tomato sauce, water/broth, sugar, and salt. Stir until smooth.
5️⃣ Simmer Pour sauce over stuffed peppers. It should nearly cover them. Cover and simmer gently for 45–60 minutes, until rice and meat are fully cooked.
6️⃣ Serve Spoon extra sauce over each pepper. Serve warm with crusty bread or mashed potatoes.
💡 Tips
Some families add small meatballs to the sauce along with the peppers.
Adjust sugar depending on how sweet your tomatoes are.
