I don’t know about you, but I always have leftover Cuban picadillo and fluffy white rice in my fridge.

And while arroz con picadillo y maduros is one of the best comfort food meals, sometimes you gotta switch things up.

That’s how these Cuban-style stuffed peppers were born!

Roasted bell peppers are filled with a savory mix of seasoned Cuban beef picadillo and white rice, and then baked until tender. YUM!

These ajies rellenos are a delicious twist on a classic. Let’s make them!

baking dish with cuban picadillo stuffed peppers
5 stars
5-star review

“My family loved the meal, Cuban stuffed peppers. We had it with a salad since we’re cutting out rice, including tostones & maduros. 😢 Good health comes first. Thank you for all you do to help us make the best Cuban meals.”

—Cathy
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9×13 Baking Dish

This Staub casserole dish is absolutely incredible! It has a porcelain-enamel finish and is microwave/dishwasher safe!

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How To Make Them & Serving Ideas

So here’s the deal. These stuffed peppers are a create-your-own-adventure type of situation.

Because you can either make the Cuban picadillo from scratch or use leftovers. And you can mix the picadillo with white rice… or not. You can even use turkey picadillo instead. It’s really up to you!

Personally, I like to use up what I have in the fridge, plus I feel like arroz con picadillo is a complete meal. Mami taught me well. So stuffing both into a bell pepper just makes sense!

Once you have the picadillo & rice cooked and ready to go, all you have to do is fill the halved peppers with the goods and roast them.

If you’re feeling fancy, you can top them with shredded mozzarella and, they’ll be even more melty and delicious.

I would also serve these bad boys with an avocado-onion salad and some mariquitas because why not!

A large bowl of Cuban picadillo and white rice
stuffed peppers with rice and ground beef in a baking dish

Stuffing food into other foods is fun, isn’t it? Ha! I actually love making stuffed plantain cups with picadillo too. They have the same vibe as these stuffed peppers. Imagine serving tostones rellenos AND these ajies rellenos. It’s a rellenos partyyy!

picadillo stuffed pepper with a side salad on a speckled plate
4.84 from 6 reviews

Stuffed Peppers With Rice (Cuban Ajies Rellenos)

Jamie Silva
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
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!
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Ingredients
 

Cuban Picadillo

  • 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

Roasted Bell Peppers

  • 3 bell peppers
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 13×9 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • Cut the bell peppers lengthwise. Remove seeds and membranes.
  • Using your hands, rub the bell peppers with the olive oil until evenly coated. Place them in the baking dish, cut side facing up.
  • Roast the peppers for 15 minutes until slightly tender while you continue with the rest of the recipe.
  • Meanwhile, 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.
  • Remove the peppers from the oven. Carefully spoon the picadillo and rice mixture evenly into each bell pepper.
  • Pour 1/2 cup of water into the baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.
  • Roast the stuffed peppers for 20-25 minutes until the peppers are tender. Remove from oven. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Notes

Topping Ideas
You can top each stuffed pepper with shredded mozzarella before roasting or with your favorite fire roasted salsa or a homemade tomato-based sauce.
  • In a saucepan, heat 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup dry cooking wine, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until all is combined and the sauce is pourable. Spoon this sauce evenly over each stuffed pepper before placing them in the oven. Adapted from icuban.com.
Storage
You can transfer these stuffed peppers to an airtight container and place them in the fridge for 3-4 days. Allow them to thaw before reheating in the oven.
Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions
Once you get to step 6 and your peppers are partially cooked and the peppers are stuffed with picadillo and rice, you can either transfer them to a freezer-safe airtight container or wrap each stuffed pepper individually in plastic wrap for up to 3 months.
Reheating Instructions
Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the stuffed peppers in a baking dish for about 15 minutes until fully cooked.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 302kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 54mg, Sodium: 325mg, Potassium: 516mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 2033IU, Vitamin C: 84mg, Calcium: 46mg, Iron: 3mg
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American, Cuban
Keyword: aji relleno, ajies rellenos, ground beef stuffed peppers, picadillo stuffed peppers, stuffed peppers, stuffed peppers recipe
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