Hungarian Stuffed Peppers (Töltött Paprika)

Hungarian Stuffed Peppers, or Töltött Paprika, are a beloved comfort food made with sweet Hungarian peppers filled with a savory mixture of ground meat and rice, then gently simmered in a rich tomato sauce.

This traditional Hungarian dish is hearty, comforting, and wonderfully flavorful. The combination of tender peppers, seasoned filling, and sweet-tangy tomato sauce makes it a perfect family dinner.

🇭🇺 What Is Töltött Paprika?

Töltött paprika literally means “stuffed pepper” in Hungarian. It is a classic home-style dish often prepared with mild peppers, ground pork or a mixture of meats, rice, onions, and paprika.

The stuffed peppers are slowly cooked in tomato sauce until the peppers become tender and the filling is fully cooked. Many Hungarian families serve them with boiled potatoes and plenty of the tomato sauce.

Ingredients

For the Stuffed Peppers

• 6–8 Hungarian wax peppers or other mild sweet peppers
• 1 lb (450 g) ground pork
• ½ cup uncooked white rice
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

For the Tomato Sauce

• 3 cups tomato passata or tomato sauce
• 1½ cups water or broth
• 1 tablespoon sugar, optional
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon flour, optional, for thickening
• Fresh parsley, optional

For Serving

• Boiled potatoes
• Sour cream, optional
• Fresh parsley