These vegetarian Turkish Stuffed Peppers, called Biber Dolması in Turkish, are filled with a tasty rice mixture and cooked in a tomato and garlic sauce. First, they’re simmered on the stove, then baked in the oven until the tops turn perfectly golden. A delicious and comforting meal the whole family will love!

Do you love stuffing vegetables? You might want to see our other Turkish foods like stuffed onions, stuffed grape leaves and Turkish stuffed zucchini too!
Biber Dolmasi or Dolma Biber (Stuffed Peppers) are one of the most traditional Turkish dishes. Although we often make feta cheese stuffed peppers as an appetizer, our choice is to make these rice stuffed peppers when it comes to a comforting dinner.
Why We Love This Recipe
- It is easy to serve biber dolma in portions.
- This is a freezer-friendly recipe. Let them cool completely after cooked in the pot over stove-top or baked in the oven and freeze in an air tight container. Thaw and reheat with a splash of water before eating.
- It is easy to customize. You can make this biber dolmasi recipe either vegetarian or with lean ground beef. Also, you can make the filling with brown rice, bulgur, wheat berries or buckwheat instead of rice.
About The Ingredients
You can find the full list of ingredients with exact amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
To make it easier, we’ve grouped the ingredients into four simple categories:
1. Peppers
We use small green Turkish peppers called dolmalık biber, which literally means “peppers for stuffing.” They have thin skin and are perfect for this recipe. In Turkey, they are the go-to peppers for stuffed dishes. The thinner the skin, the better they cook.
Can’t find Turkish peppers? No worries! You can use regular bell peppers instead. If they are too big, just cut them in half lengthwise and stuff each half.

2. Filling
The filling is a mix of rice, onion, garlic, tomato, tomato paste, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, and spices. We use black pepper, dried mint, paprika or chili powder (or red pepper flakes), and salt.
You can use any type of rice, but we find long-grain rice works best.
3. Garnish
This is optional, but in Turkey, stuffed peppers are often topped with tomato slices or the tops of the peppers we cut off earlier — they work like little lids. We also like to add a few lemon slices in the pot while cooking for extra flavor and a fresh finish.
4. Tomato Sauce
This simple sauce is made with olive oil, tomato paste, garlic, dried mint, and water. It adds a rich flavor and brings everything together beautifully.
How to Make Turkish Stuffed Peppers
You can find the full step-by-step instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

Start by preparing the peppers. Cut off the tops and remove the seeds. Try to keep them whole so they hold the filling well.
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for the rice filling. Then stuff the peppers, leaving a little room at the top for the rice to expand.
Place them upright in a pot, top with cherry tomatoes or pepper lids, and add lemon slices if you like. Pour the tomato sauce over and cook on the stove until the rice is tender.
Once cooked, bake the peppers in the oven for a short time to get a nice golden top. You can do this in the same pot if it's oven-safe or transfer everything to a baking dish.

Our Tips
- Top the stuffed peppers with either cherry tomato halves or the pepper tops you cut off earlier. Both look nice, it’s up to you.
- If your peppers are larger than the ones we use, cut them in half lengthwise and stuff each half. (See the photo below for an example.)
- Topping the peppers is optional. We just like the way it looks, but it's not a must.
- Have leftover filling? Cook it in a separate pan over low heat. Let it cool and keep it in the fridge. Reheat and serve it as a side dish the next day. Or use it to stuff a few tomatoes: cut off the tops, scoop out the seeds, and fill them. You can cook them with the peppers.
- Want to make it with meat? Add about 250g (½ pound) of ground beef to the rice filling.

How To Serve Turkish Stuffed Peppers
We love to sprinkle sumac on top of the filling right before serving. It’s optional, but we love the tangy flavor this Middle Eastern spice adds.
Turkish stuffed peppers taste great with a spoonful of plain yogurt or Turkish cacik on the side. In the summer, a fresh tomato and cucumber salad like Turkish shepherd salad is a perfect match too.

Storage and Reheating
To Store: Let the cooked stuffed peppers cool completely. Place them in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To Reheat: Put the peppers in a pot with a splash of water or leftover sauce. Cover and heat on low until warmed through.
Freezer-Friendly Tip:
These stuffed peppers freeze well before cooking. Simply fill the raw peppers with the rice mixture, then place them in freezer-safe bags or containers. When you're ready to cook, no need to thaw. Just follow the recipe as it is, adding a little extra cooking time if needed.
As always: If you make this recipe, let us know what you think by rating it and leaving a comment below. And post a pic on Instagram too—tag @give_recipe so we can see!
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📖 Recipe

Turkish Stuffed Peppers (Biber Dolmasi)
INGREDIENTS
- 12 green bell peppers choose small ones or 6 large
Filling:
- 12 tablespoons rice 1 tablespoon for each pepper
- 1 onion chopped finely
- 4 cloves garlic chopped finely
- 1 tomato chopped finely
- 1½ tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried mint
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
Garnish:
- 4-5 cherry tomatoes to top the filling in peppers*
- 1 lemon sliced
Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic mashed
- 2 teaspoons dried mint
- 2 cups hot water divided
INSTRUCTIONS
Preparing Peppers:
- Cut the tops of peppers in the form of a lid (please see the picture above) and remove the seeds. Try not to damage the peppers.
Make The Filling:
- In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the filling.
Assemble:
- Stuff each pepper with 1-2 tablespoons of the filling depending on the size of the peppers. Leave a little space for rice to rise when cooked.
- Place each stuffed pepper in a pot. If the pot is oven-proof, things will be easier.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes in two and place one half over the filling in the peppers. These tomatoes act like a lid for the peppers. Alternatively, you can use the tops you cut from the peppers as a lid too.
- Place lemon slices on the peppers.
Make The Sauce and Cook The Peppers:
- Combine olive oil, tomato paste, garlic, dried mint and water in a sauce pan and bring it to a boil. Pour it in the pot with stuffed peppers.
- Cook the stuffed peppers covered over medium heat for 15 minutes.
- Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Bake:
- Preheat the oven at 425F/220C.
- If your pot is oven-proof, place it in the oven. If not, transfer the stuffed peppers and lemon slices into a baking pan. Pour all the juicy sauce in the pot into this pan. Bake for about 10 minutes or until they get golden brown.
Serve:
- You can serve it warm or at room temperature with some yogurt on the side.
NOTES
- We either use cherry tomatoes to top the filling in the peppers or put the pepper tops we cut as a lid (please see it in the picture above). You can do whatever you prefer.
- If the peppers you are using are larger than the ones we use, you can cut them lengthwise into two and then stuff them.
- You really don’t need to top the stuffed peppers, we do it because we love how they look that way.
- If you have leftover filling, you can cook it in another pan over low heat, let it cool and keep in the refrigerator. Reheat and serve it as a side dish on another day. Alternatively, you can stuff a few tomatoes with that remaining filling. To do this, cut the top of tomatoes, remove the seeds and stuff. Place them in the same pan.
- If you want to make these with ground beef, add it (about 250g or ½ pound) into the filling with rice.
NUTRITION
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tangled Noodle says
These stuffed peppers looks so delicious! I love the mint and cinnamon in the recipe, and the currants sound like they add a nice sweetness to it all. It's perfect not only for Daily Spud's Parade, but for a meal any time of the year!
I hope that the real spring will soon arrive for you!
Touria says
Merhaba zerrin
it looks so delicious I've never eaten stuffed green pepper, I'll try ur recipe
we have the same thing here in Morocco: weather is not good at all, am waiting for spring 😉
thanks
nazarina says
This looks absolutely appetizing, I love those currants & pine nuts and you even had the time to do a little research. The Irish is definitely proud!
citronetvanille says
Great looking pepper! I love all the ingredients (except maybe for cinnamon), perfect choice for st. Patrick's day!
OysterCulture says
Stuffed green peppers are about perfect and yours look like heaven as usual what a wonderful recipe, I love the dried mint and currents added. Those are not usual ingredients for me with stuffed peppers but cannot wait to give them a try!
5 Star Foodie says
Yummy stuffing for these gorgeous green peppers!
tasteofbeirut says
Love your peppers; you know stuffed peppers are usually my least favorite in the lebanese cuisine; maybe if I tried your version, with the currants and all these varied flavors, i would change my mind!
Cynthia Nelson says
Often, I eat the stuffing and discard the pepper 🙂
Faith says
Green peppers are a fantastic idea for St. Paddy's Day! I love the currants and pine nuts in this recipe, it sounds delicious!
The Duo Dishes says
Your filling is great. It has really nice sweet flavors inside.
jenn (Bread + Butter) says
I hear you on the weather. It's bee really weird these past several weeks. At this point I just prepare for whatever Mother Nature's mood will be.
Delicious pepper!!
elra says
Love it! You are such an inspiration! Thanks Zerin
The Little Teochew says
The peppers are adorable! Such a wonderful presentation.
Daily Spud says
Oh Zerrin, I am thrilled that you were able to join in! Anything green is, of course, more than acceptable and those stuffed peppers sound absolutely delicious. I also love the cartoon - just too cute for words 🙂
anncoo says
WOW! This picture is stunning. I bet this is very flavorful.