Stuffed peppers are simple to make yet so incredibly delicious, and they're even better served with a delicious side. So I've been through my recipe archive and pulled together 25 sides that work with stuffed peppers, from crispy potatoes and garlic bread to crunchy salads and a couple of appetizers. Every one is a recipe from my own kitchen, so you can click straight through and make it. I really hope it helps!
Stuffed peppers are one of my favorite easy dinners. I've got three versions on the blog: my taco-inspired stuffed peppers with ground beef and rice, my Mediterranean ground turkey stuffed peppers with couscous and olives, and my ground chicken stuffed peppers with buffalo sauce and blue cheese, which is Henry's favorite. I love making a tray at the start of the week so dinner is ready in five minutes.
The tricky part is that a stuffed pepper is already a whole meal. You've got protein, veggies and often a grain all packed into one. Ask this question online and the most common answer is basically to just make a simple salad. But you're here because you want something a bit more fun than a salad, so scroll down to explore!
The best sides for stuffed peppers add what the pepper is missing: crunch, acidity, or a starch to soak up the sauce. If your filling already has rice or couscous in it, go for a crisp salad or a green vegetable. If it doesn't, serve your peppers with mashed potatoes, garlic bread, or rice.
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How to Pick the Right Side for Stuffed Peppers
When I'm deciding what to serve with stuffed peppers, I ask myself three things:
- Is there already a grain inside? If your peppers are stuffed with rice or couscous, skip the big starch and go for something fresh. If the filling is just meat and veggies, like my buffalo chicken ones, that's when mashed potatoes, rice or bread are a good match.
- Where's the crunch? A baked pepper is soft all the way through, so the plate needs something crisp, like a crunchy salad, charred greens or crispy potatoes. A squeeze of lime or a sharp dressing helps cut through all that melted cheese too.
- Is the oven free? All three of my stuffed pepper recipes bake at 375°F for 45 minutes, so they take over the oven. Stovetop, air fryer and no-cook sides make life so much easier, and I've flagged which is which for every side below.
Quick Pick: The Best Sides for Each Filling
| Your stuffed peppers | What they need | My top 3 sides |
|---|---|---|
| Beef and rice (taco-inspired) | Crunch and something cool. No extra starch | Stir-fried broccolini, spicy cucumber salad, a green salad with crunchy toppings |
| Turkey and couscous (Mediterranean) | Something cool and creamy, plus bread for the tomato broth in the pan | Cucumber dill salad, ciabatta garlic bread, white bean dip |
| Buffalo chicken (no grain inside) | A starch to make it a full meal | Mashed potatoes, avocado rice, skillet fried potatoes and onions |
| Any filling, for a crowd | One cozy side and one fresh one | Mac and cheese with a green salad, or green bean casserole with focaccia |
Potato Sides (for All That Sauce)
If one side came up again and again while I was researching what to serve with stuffed peppers, it was potatoes. Specifically mashed potatoes, so you can drag every forkful through the sauce. Here are my top potato-based sides to serve with stuffed peppers.
1. Mashed Potatoes
If you're anything like me, you probably grew up eating your stuffed peppers sitting on a pile of mashed potatoes, and once you try it, you'll understand why. All that tomato sauce and melted cheese runs down into the potatoes. I just make the creamy mashed potatoes from my loaded mashed potato bowl (butter, milk and a good blend) and skip the toppings. It's best with my buffalo chicken peppers, which don't have any grain inside, and it's all done on the stovetop, so the oven stays free.
2. Skillet Fried Potatoes and Onions
If you want potatoes with a bit more texture, these are my go-to. They need just three main ingredients and one pan, and they come out caramelized at the edges and fluffy in the middle, with sweet onions running all the way through. I finish mine with grated parmesan and chives. They take about 30 minutes on the stovetop and go with all three fillings.
3. Crispy Smashed Potato Salad
This is my take on the viral crispy potato salad, and it's the one to make if you want potatoes and freshness on the same plate. Baby potatoes are boiled, smashed and roasted until really crispy, then tossed in a creamy yogurt and mayo dressing with cucumber, red onion and scallions. One heads-up: the potatoes roast at 425°F, which is hotter than your peppers, so roast them first and toss them in the dressing once the peppers come out.
4. Crispy Air Fryer Hash Browns
Homemade hash browns aren't just for breakfast. They're crispy on the outside, soft in the middle and seasoned with paprika, garlic and oregano, so they bring exactly the salty crunch a soft stuffed pepper needs. They're made entirely in the air fryer, so there's no fighting over oven space. If you like them thinner and crispier, make six instead of four.
Bread for Mopping Up the Sauce
When it comes to what to serve with stuffed peppers, bread is the easiest side of all, and it's especially good with my turkey stuffed peppers, which bake in a little tomato broth that's far too good to leave in the pan. Here are my favorite breads to serve with stuffed peppers, from a quick air fryer garlic bread to a slow Sunday focaccia.
5. Ciabatta Garlic Bread
You only need four ingredients for the garlic butter (salted butter, garlic, parsley and parmesan) plus a good ciabatta. It's crunchy on the outside, soft and buttery in the middle, and SO good dragged through tomato sauce. Since the oven is busy with your peppers, make it in the air fryer instead. It takes 5 to 8 minutes, which is about how long your peppers need to rest anyway.
6. Easy Focaccia
If you've got a slow Sunday, make focaccia. The dough is really simple and most of the 3 hours is just waiting while it proofs, so you can bake it earlier in the day. The recipe comes with three topping ideas, and the cheesy chimichurri one is my pick next to stuffed peppers. When I was developing this recipe, I made focaccia four times in one week, so consider yourself warned!
7. 3-Ingredient Cheesy Naan
This one has a story. A few friends and I went to an Indian restaurant in Lyon, ordered their cheesy naans, and ended up ordering double. The secret filling turned out to be Laughing Cow cheese, which I grew up eating in France! My version needs just self-rising flour, yogurt and Laughing Cow, and each naan cooks in a dry pan for about 3 minutes a side on the stovetop.
8. 2-Ingredient Bread Bites
Self-rising flour and Greek yogurt, that's it! These little dough balls get rolled in a spicy garlic coating and cooked in the air fryer for 8 minutes, and they're the perfect size for mopping up sauce. Serve them with the sriracha mayo dip from the recipe, or just pile them next to your peppers.
9. Cheese and Bacon Muffins
Cornbread muffins are a classic with stuffed peppers, and these savory muffins scratch the same itch. They're packed with cheddar, mozzarella, green onions and crispy bacon, and the Greek yogurt keeps them really moist. The batch makes 12, so bake them earlier in the day (or the day before) and warm them through when the peppers come out.
Crunchy, Fresh Salads
This is where the "just make a salad" crowd has a point. For me, a cold, crunchy, slightly sharp salad is the perfect contrast to a soft, cheesy pepper, especially when your filling already has rice in it.
10. Spicy Cucumber Salad
I ate China's smashed cucumber salad SO much when we traveled there, and this is my Korean-leaning spin on it, with a peanut butter, gochujang and chili oil dressing. It takes about 6 minutes with no cooking at all, and the cold crunch of the cucumber next to a hot pepper is so good. It's my favorite with the taco-inspired beef and rice peppers.
11. Cucumber Dill Salad
A speedy cucumber salad is a perfect side for stuffed peppers. This version is thinly sliced cucumber in a tzatziki-style yogurt dressing with dill, mint, garlic and lemon. Henry's parents grew so many cucumbers last year that we were eating cucumber salads every day, and this one was the family favorite. It's no-cook, ready in about 6 minutes, and a dream with my Mediterranean turkey peppers.
12. Apple Fennel Salad
This is the one to make in the fall. Thinly sliced apple and fennel with pomegranate seeds, tossed in a punchy blue cheese, tahini and sumac dressing. It's crunchy, sweet and sharp, it takes 10 minutes with no cooking, and it's even good the next day because the apple and fennel stay crisp. I'd serve it with the beef or turkey peppers rather than my buffalo chicken ones, since those already have blue cheese in them.
13. Butter Bean Salad
After traveling through Vietnam, I worked in a Vietnamese restaurant, and this salad borrows my favorite things about Vietnamese salads: loads of fresh herbs, crunchy veggies, crushed peanuts and a spicy nuoc cham-style dressing with lime and fish sauce. The butter beans make it hearty enough to stand up to a stuffed pepper, and it's ready in 10 minutes with no cooking.
14. A Simple Green Salad (with Crunchy Toppings)
Sometimes all a stuffed pepper needs is a big bowl of leaves. The trick is making it interesting, and that's where toppings come in. I've got a whole guide to crunchy salad toppings, from toasted pumpkin seeds and roasted chickpeas to parmesan crisps and crispy shallots. Add a handful to some leaves with a sharp vinaigrette and you've got a side in 5 minutes.
Vegetable Sides
If you want to keep things lighter, a green vegetable is the classic answer to what to serve with stuffed peppers. Just make it a charred, crunchy one rather than a soft steamed one, because the pepper has the soft part covered.
15. Stir-Fried Broccolini
Broccolini (tenderstem broccoli) pops up on a lot of stuffed pepper menus, and this is my favorite way to cook it. It's stir-fried with garlic and ginger, then drizzled with a 7-ingredient Thai-inspired sauce made with cilantro, lime, chili flakes, fish sauce and sesame seeds. That lime and cilantro sauce is so good with my taco-inspired beef peppers. It also takes only 15 minutes to make.
16. Brussels Sprouts and Bacon
Forget boiled sprouts. These are fried in a skillet until golden and slightly charred, then tossed with crispy bacon, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and garlic. They're sweet, salty and a little tangy, and they're done in about 20 minutes on the stovetop. Perfect for a cozy fall dinner.
17. Green Bean Casserole (No Mushroom Soup)
My mum hates mushrooms, so I came up with this creamy green bean casserole without a can of mushroom soup in sight. It's made in one oven-safe pan with fresh green beans, a light cream and parmesan sauce, and crispy onions on top. The best part? It bakes at 375°F for 20 minutes, the same temperature as my stuffed peppers, so you can slide it in for the last 20 minutes.
18. Broccoli Casserole with Cheddar
If you're feeding a crowd, this is the side everyone goes back for. Broccoli is baked in a creamy, cheesy sauce with a Ritz cracker topping, and even broccoli haters tend to come around. It needs about an hour in the oven, but you can mix it up to 3 days ahead and bake it on the day.
Rice, Noodles and Pasta
These are the best sides to serve with stuffed peppers that don't have a grain inside, like my buffalo chicken ones. If your filling already has rice in it, you might want to skip ahead (or not, I won't tell).
19. Avocado Rice
Fluffy basmati cooked in coconut milk with garlic butter, then stirred through with mashed avocado, lime and cilantro until it turns the prettiest shade of green. It's zesty and creamy and takes 15 minutes on the stovetop. It's my top pick for the buffalo chicken peppers, since there's no rice in the filling. But flavor-wise they'd also go really well with my beef taco stuffed peppers too.
20. Creamy Garlic Parmesan Noodles
One home cook from an online forum I was reading said they always serve their stuffed peppers on a bed of egg noodles with extra sauce drizzled over everything, and I love that idea. My garlic parmesan noodles are made in one pot in 10 minutes on the stovetop. I use instant ramen noodles, but any noodle works, so go for egg noodles if you want the classic version. They're rich, so a small portion under each pepper is plenty.
21. Old-Fashioned Baked Mac and Cheese
For a real comfort food night (or if you're feeding kids), mac and cheese is never a bad idea. Mine is made from scratch with a cheddar and mozzarella sauce and a little smoked paprika. It bakes at 375°F for 20 minutes, the same as the peppers, then goes under the broiler for a few minutes to turn golden. Pair it with something green and crunchy so the whole plate isn't cheese!
Soups and Appetizers
If I'm making stuffed peppers for friends, I like to start with a soup or a dip. It keeps everyone happy while the peppers finish in the oven.
22. Carrot Ginger Soup
This is my favorite carrot ginger soup, with roasted carrots and sweet potato, loads of fresh ginger, lemongrass and coconut milk, all blended until silky smooth. It's warming and a little fiery, and a small bowl is the perfect way to start a stuffed pepper dinner on a cold evening. Make it ahead and gently reheat it while the peppers bake.
23. French Onion Butter Bean Soup
I grew up in the South of France, so French onion soup is pretty much in my veins. This is my butter bean version: sweet caramelized onions, thyme, bay leaves and meaty butter beans, topped with baguette and cheese and broiled until bubbling. It's hearty, so serve small bowls as an appetizer, and skip the cheesy toast topping if your peppers are already loaded with cheese.
24. White Bean Dip
This is one of Henry's favorite dips I've ever made. It's a smooth cannellini bean dip with tahini, garlic and lemon, topped with harissa and honey caramelized onions. The dip itself takes minutes in a blender, and it's lovely with pita or carrot sticks while everyone waits for dinner. It's especially good before my Mediterranean turkey peppers.
25. Bruschetta Dip
This is my friends' favorite appetizer, and it takes 5 minutes. Whipped cream cheese and feta topped with garlicky basil tomatoes and a drizzle of balsamic glaze, served with toasted baguette. You can prep the whipped cheese and the tomatoes separately ahead of time and put it together right before everyone arrives.
How to Time Your Sides Around the Oven
Half the battle with what to serve with stuffed peppers is the oven. All three of my stuffed pepper recipes bake at 375°F for 45 minutes (30 minutes covered, then 15 uncovered), so here's how every side on this list fits around that.
| Where it cooks | Sides | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| No cooking | Spicy cucumber salad, cucumber dill salad, apple fennel salad, butter bean salad, green salad, bruschetta dip | Make these while the peppers bake |
| Stovetop | Mashed potatoes, skillet fried potatoes and onions, cheesy naan, stir-fried broccolini, Brussels sprouts and bacon, avocado rice, garlic parmesan noodles, white bean dip | Start the skillet potatoes when the peppers go in, and the rest about halfway through |
| Air fryer | Hash browns, ciabatta garlic bread, bread bites | Hash browns take about 35 minutes, so start them early. The breads take under 10 |
| In the oven at 375°F | Green bean casserole, mac and cheese | Both bake for 20 minutes, so slide them in alongside the peppers |
| Make ahead | Focaccia, cheese and bacon muffins, broccoli casserole, crispy smashed potato salad, carrot ginger soup, French onion butter bean soup | These need a different oven temperature or a longer cook, so make them first |
Frequently Asked Questions
Not necessarily! Stuffed peppers are basically a complete meal, with protein, veggies and often a grain all in one. That's why a simple side works best. If your filling has rice or couscous, a crunchy salad is plenty. If it's just meat and veggies, add a starch like mashed potatoes, rice or garlic bread so it's more filling.
If your peppers already have rice in them, go for potatoes, bread or something fresh instead. My favorites are skillet fried potatoes and onions, ciabatta garlic bread, spicy cucumber salad and stir-fried broccolini. They add crunch and flavor without doubling up on the same starch.
Crunchy, charred greens work best, because the baked pepper is already soft. Broccolini, Brussels sprouts and green beans are all great choices. My stir-fried broccolini with its lime and chili sauce and my Brussels sprouts and bacon are both done on the stovetop in 15 to 20 minutes, so they don't need the oven.
Something cool and creamy is perfect. I top my beef and rice stuffed peppers with sour cream, jalapeños and lime, my chicken ones get a blue cheese and sour cream sauce, and a tzatziki-style yogurt sauce is lovely with the turkey version. For something spicy, try my 4-ingredient harissa aioli.
Yes, as long as it bakes at the same temperature. My stuffed peppers bake at 375°F, and so do my green bean casserole and baked mac and cheese, which both need 20 minutes. Anything that needs a hotter oven, like crispy roasted potatoes, is better made ahead or swapped for a stovetop side.
Start with a dip or a small bowl of soup, like my bruschetta dip or carrot ginger soup, then serve the peppers with one cozy side and one fresh one. Garlic bread and a crunchy salad never fail. Most of these can be made ahead, so you're not juggling pans when your friends arrive.
My Stuffed Pepper Recipes
I really hope this helps next time you're wondering what to serve with stuffed peppers!
If you still need a stuffed pepper recipe to start with, my ground chicken stuffed peppers are my boyfriend's favorite, my ground turkey stuffed peppers are the fresh, herby Mediterranean option, and my stuffed peppers with ground beef and rice are great for meal prep. For more cozy dinner ideas this season, take a look through my fall recipes, and save this post to Pinterest for next time. Enjoy, my friends!
If you served any of these sides with your stuffed peppers, let me know which combo you went for in the 📝 comments below. I really hope you find a new favorite!
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