10 Best Side Dishes for Stuffed Peppers

grilled corn and red cabbage slaw
Photo: Doug

Filled with some combination of grains, meat, cheese, and veggies, stuffed peppers hold their own as a meal. But blistered, bursting-with-filling stuffed peppers taste even better with sides that complement their flavors. Here are the sides we'd match with 10 of our most popular pepper recipes.

01 of 11

Garlic Spinach

garlic spinach recipe
Photo by Holiday Baker.

You'll appreciate the simplicity of this 5-ingredient spinach dish, ready in a speedy 15 minutes. Try it with Chef John's Beef and Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers.

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Sauteed Zucchini

Sauteed Zucchini and Red Onions

Pair up Bolognese Stuffed Peppers with a side of zucchini, tomatoes, and sweet onion — not to up your veggie intake (though we support that) but because these dishes would mesh really well.

03 of 11

Grilled Corn and Red Cabbage Slaw

grilled corn and red cabbage slaw
Doug

Aromatic cilantro, lime, jalapeno, and charred corn kick red cabbage up more than a notch. Serve it alongside Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa.

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Fried Cauliflower (Egyptian Style)

Fried Cauliflower (Egyptian Style)
Fried Cauliflower (Egyptian Style). maryam

Yes, stuffed bell peppers can be dense, but that wouldn't stop us from serving these Orzo and Chicken Stuffed Peppers with battered, fried, cumin-spiced cauliflower to bring out their stuffing's slight hint of cumin.

05 of 11

Colorful Spinach and Prosciutto Side

Colorful Spinach and Prosciutto Side
Photo by naples34102.

No need to be on a low-carb or paleo diet to know how delightful meat and veggies taste without grains or legumes, thank you very much. Match these Stuffed Peppers with Turkey and Vegetables with this spinach, artichoke, and prosciutto side.

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Ratatouille

Ratatouille
Ratatouille.

When baked, these Healthier Stuffed Peppers and this ratatouille each make a light red sauce. You won't, however, read far into either recipe's reviews before coming across a home cook who recommends adding more tomato sauce, so keep that in mind if you're a sauce fiend. Put these two together for a light and healthy meal.

07 of 11

Spinach Basil Pesto

Spinach Basil Pesto
Dianne

Pasta coated in this top-rated pesto would enhance the flavors of creamy goat cheese and Havarti in these Chicken-Stuffed Peppers, which is just how home cook Lona Kristine Mason served them.

08 of 11

Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)

side view of a square of spanakopita on a white plate
recordaras

Delicate but rich in flavor, this classic Greek dish would taste even better with Greek Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers roasted to peak sweetness.

09 of 11

Broccoli Rabe with Portobello Mushroom

Broccoli Rabe with Portobello Mushroom
Photo by Naples34102.

"I'm not one of those Italians who I hear considers broccoli rabe beloved, but preparing it like this could make me change my tune. To temper its bitterness, I added some chopped red bell pepper, which introduced some nice color, too. For a little kick, I added a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes," naples34102 writes. Serve this veg dish with these Stuffed Peppers Italian Style that credit their flavor to chopped anchovies.

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Fried Plantains with Avocado Dip

Fried Plantains with Avocado Dip
bd.weld

Balance the heat of these Chorizo Stuffed Bell Peppers with crispy fried plantains dunked in a cooling, creamy avocado dip.

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More Inspiration

Stuffed Green Pepper Soup in a white bowl
Soup Loving Nicole

Try one of our favorite Stuffed Pepper-Inspired Dinner Ideas. Plus, explore our entire collection of Bell Pepper Recipes.

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