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Home » easy » Bell Pepper Rice

Bell Pepper Rice

Published: Aug 25, 2014 · Modified: Mar 25, 2020 by Louisa Clements · This post may contain affiliate links

This post may contain affiliate links

Jazz up rice and add an extra serving of vegetables to your weeknight supper with this simple side dish for bell pepper rice.

bell pepper rice

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19 Comments

Do you ever find yourself getting bored of plain old rice? I sure do and that’s why I’m so excited to share this recipe with you today. This recipe for bell pepper rice is packed with flavour and will make you fall in love with rice all over again. Have you ever thought about how crazy it is that people can have completely different tastes in something?

Whether it’s food, art or music, each one of us has our own distinct style. As you know, I’ve been travelling throughout Europe with my older sister. Doing all sorts of different things, hitting up the museums, visiting markets in each city (which has quickly become our favourite thing), drinking wine in France and beer in Germany. And not to mention eating everything in sight. But something that I’ve really noticed is just how different our tastes are. She loves yellow, I love navy blue. Anything caramel for her, anything chocolate for me. I love bell peppers, my sister, not so much, but we’re working on it.

This rice gets its flavour from the peppers and the help of a few favourite spices; coriander, cumin and turmeric. I couldn’t forget flavour packed herbs so you’ll find parsley and basil in here.  I know that it might sound like a lot of flavour for a simple rice dish, but trust me on this one, if you’re looking for a new side to add to your weekly rotation, this rice fits the bill.

bell pepper rice

But what does any of this sister talk have have to do with bell pepper rice? Well, you see, my sister loves rice and well me, not so much. I know, I’m posting a recipe for rice and admitting that I don’t even like the grain? It wasn’t until I amped up the flavour that I really started to love rice. I’ve always found it to be extremely boring and bland, I’d even go as far as to say that I prefer brown rice to white rice, which is an uncommon opinion.

When it comes to rice, I always try to either a) avoid it or b) jazz it up. I feel like there are quite a few people out there with the same opinion about plain old boring rice as me, so this recipe is for you. I’ve decided to add sweet bell peppers (both red and yellow) in here for some added flavour and eating more vegetables doesn’t hurt, right? This dish is quite similar to a rice pilaf, if that is something you’re a fan of you are bound to love this dish. So, if you’re on the hunt for a new side dish to make for dinner, give this a try.

Bell pepper rice recipe breakdown

Add some flavour to boring rice by adding aromatic spices and herbs and sweet bell peppers – this simple rice dish will be your new favourite side dish.

Bell pepper rice in a stainless steel saute pan with a wooden spoon

Bell Pepper Rice

Author: Louisa Clements
3.89 from 76 votes
Jazz up rice and add an extra serving of vegetables to your weeknight supper with this simple side dish for bell pepper rice.
Pin Print
Prep: 15 minutes minutes
Cook: 25 minutes minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 cup white rice
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • ¼ teaspoon basil

Instructions

  • In a medium sized pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add bell peppers and onion. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
  • Add garlic, coriander, cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper. Cook for another minute or until fragrant.
  • Add in rice, toast the rice for 1-2 minutes, until coated in spices. Add water, parsley and basil. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes.
Did you try this recipe?Leave a comment + rating and let me know what you think!
Filed Under: easy, gluten free, quick recipes, side dish, vegan, vegetarian
Nutrition Facts
Bell Pepper Rice
Amount Per Serving
Calories 263 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 158mg7%
Potassium 219mg6%
Carbohydrates 44g15%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 991IU20%
Vitamin C 95mg115%
Calcium 29mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information is an estimate and is provided for informational purposes only. If you have any specific dietary concerns, please consult with your healthcare practitioner.

If you’re looking for a new side to add to your weekly rotation, look no further than this recipe for bell pepper rice.

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3.89 from 76 votes (71 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Sebastian

    July 24, 2024 at 1:31 am

    Recipes terrible added more then recommended spices and it somehow tasted bland. Added more and it just tasted like bland rice with dry rub

    1 star

    Reply
    • Louisa Clements

      September 02, 2024 at 1:12 pm

      Hi Sebastian, so sorry you didn't enjoy this recipe. I've made it a number of time and never found it to be bland--you can always adjust the seasoning and add more salt. I'd also recommend checking the expiration date on your spices, if you've had them for some time, they do lose their potency.
      Reply
  2. Nick PORTER

    June 16, 2023 at 1:24 pm

    It was delicious. We added some mackerel in tomato sauce and it made for a very rounded and healthy meal indeed.
    ★★★★★

    5 stars

    Reply
    • Louisa Clements

      August 13, 2023 at 11:11 am

      So glad that you enjoyed this--the mackerel addition sounds delicious! Thank you for letting me know and for leaving a review, it is so appreciated!
      Reply
  3. Anthony

    December 24, 2022 at 8:56 am

    I left out the coriander because I didn't have any, added "Better than Bullion" chicken broth instead of water, 5 cloves of garlic and 1 can of Ro*Tel diced tomatoes. This came out awesome!

    5 stars

    Reply
    • Louisa Clements

      January 02, 2023 at 5:19 pm

      So glad you enjoyed, Anthony!
      Reply
  4. Lee Pivont

    April 19, 2020 at 4:44 pm

    . can you substitute quinoa for rice in this recipe?
    Reply
    • Louisa Clements

      April 25, 2020 at 8:09 pm

      Hi Lee, I've never tried it myself, but I can't see why not! I hope you enjoy.
      Reply
  5. Nancy

    February 02, 2020 at 2:33 pm

    Just tried this recipe the other day, and hubby and I both thought it was great! Only used half a red pepper, and kept the seasonings to between 1/2 to 1 tsp. Added some onion powder, too, as I didn’t have any onions handy.
    ★★★★★

    5 stars

    Reply
    • Louisa Clements

      March 22, 2020 at 6:45 pm

      Thanks Nancy, I'm so glad you both enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for your comment! :)
      Reply
  6. Maryann Rimoin

    August 16, 2018 at 4:51 pm

    I make this rice all of the time but have added your spices. Yum! The only thing I have always added is vegetable broth rather than water which makes the rice even more yummy. Thanks for the recipe.
    ★★★★★

    5 stars

    Reply
    • Lou

      August 26, 2018 at 4:09 pm

      So glad you've enjoyed this one Maryann! Vegetable broth is a great choice here.
      Reply
  7. Howie

    October 21, 2014 at 8:31 am

    Looks very very nice! I'll try it and will add a few more other veggies like broccoli to make it a whole meal. :D
    Reply
  8. Sarah@WholeandHeavenlyOven

    September 01, 2014 at 7:15 pm

    I'm always on the look-out for new ways to perk up rice. This gorgeous rice looks like it would be well-received in this household! Love all those pretty chunks of peppers!
    Reply
    • Lou

      September 04, 2014 at 9:57 am

      Thanks Sarah!
      Reply
  9. Rachel @ Bakerita

    September 01, 2014 at 7:02 pm

    This looks like the perfect side dish for any Mexican meal - yum!!
    Reply
    • Lou

      September 04, 2014 at 9:57 am

      Ooh you're right Rachel, this would go well with a Mexican meal!
      Reply
  10. Olivia - Primavera Kitchen

    August 26, 2014 at 11:01 pm

    Louisa, your rice looks so fluffy and flavourful! Rice is one of my favourite foods in the earth. I cook rice a lot and I am glad you post such a gorgeous rice recipe like this one!
    Reply
    • Lou

      September 04, 2014 at 9:58 am

      Thanks you Olivia, you should definitely give this a try if you love rice!
      Reply

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Hi, I'm Louisa Clements & welcome to Living Lou. I've been creating simple, fresh & flavorful recipes for the modern kitchen for 14 years.
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