I have a soft spot (and maybe an empty plate) for stuffed peppers. I remember my mother making them often when I was a kid — the filling was always savory, moist and flavorful, and the pepper itself could be eaten if you wanted. I rarely ate the pepper back then, but I liked the idea of being able to eat the container.
As I’ve grown older I’ve come to love bell peppers and other peppers, so I decided to put my own spin on the classic stuffed pepper. My mother used ground beef mixed with rice, onions and breadcrumbs. It was great, but I wanted to try using leftover smoked meats—brisket and pork butt—instead of ground beef.
Often after a holiday or a big cook we have leftovers from brisket or pork shoulder that get frozen and saved. I’m always looking for new ways to turn those leftovers into exciting meals. These smoked stuffed peppers were the result, and they were a hit with my family — even my nine-year-old loved the stuffing.
Below I’ll walk through smoking the brisket and pork butt and then show how to turn that smoked meat into fantastic stuffed peppers.
Smoking the Brisket and the Pork Butt
This recipe calls for smoked brisket and smoked pork butt. If you don’t already have leftovers in the freezer, you can smoke both at once. The instructions here will get you the smoked meats needed for the peppers.
What to buy
- 10–12 lb brisket
- Whole pork butt (Boston butt)
- Yellow mustard (regular)
How to prepare
My preferred method for seasoning is a thin coat of yellow mustard as a binder for the rub. Coat the brisket and the pork shoulder with a light layer of mustard, then generously apply your favorite rub over the surfaces. The mustard helps the rub adhere and you won’t taste mustard after smoking.
Place the meat in disposable foil pans for easy transport to the smoker and for straightforward cleanup.
Choosing a smoker and wood
When conditions restrict open burning, a propane or gas smoker is a reliable choice and can still give excellent smoke flavor and even a smoke ring. A vertical gas smoker with a smoke box for chips or pellets and a large water pan is particularly convenient. Use dry wood chips or pellets for longer, steady smoke — pellets typically last longer than a box of chips.
Fill the water pan, light the smoker on high and wait a few minutes for smoke before adding the smoke box and the meat. I usually maintain smoker temps around 225–240°F for the best results. Place the meat directly on the grate for maximum smoke penetration.
Plan on 12–16 hours of smoking time, depending on size and maintained temperature. I often add smoke for the first 6–8 hours to develop deep flavor. A digital probe thermometer is useful for monitoring internal temperature; I often insert probes after the first 6–8 hours to avoid pushing bacteria from the surface into the meat.
Overnight cooking can be helpful when it’s hot during the day—start the cook near dusk so it finishes before the next day gets too warm. Target internal temperatures of around 195°F for brisket and about 205°F for pork butt, though texture tested with a toothpick or probe can also guide doneness. Once finished, rest the meat wrapped in foil in an insulated cooler or low heat for up to a few hours, keeping internal temperature above 140°F for safety.
After resting and cooling briefly, pull the pork and pull or chop the brisket. At this point the smoked meat is ready to become stuffed pepper filling.
Smoked Stuffed Peppers
What you’ll need
- 9 bell peppers (red, orange and yellow work well)
- 4 jalapeños, seeded and diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cups cooked white rice
- 2 1/2 cups pulled pork
- 2 1/2 cups chopped brisket
- 1/4 cup rub (plus more to taste)
- 1 cup beef broth
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup barbecue sauce (optional for glazing)
How to prepare the filling
Prep all ingredients first: dice the onions and jalapeños, cook the rice (slightly underdone so it finishes in the pepper), and sauté the onions and jalapeños in a tablespoon of oil until softened. Combine the pulled pork, chopped brisket, cooked rice, sautéed vegetables, beef broth and rub in a large bowl. At this stage do not add the eggs — taste and adjust seasoning. Once the seasoning is right, stir in the beaten eggs thoroughly to bind the mixture.
Preparing the peppers
Cut the tops off the peppers, leaving the stem attached to the cap so it can be used as a lid. Remove the seeds and membranes and set the peppers aside. To avoid peppers that remain too firm after smoking, blanch them in boiling water for five minutes, then shock in cold water to stop cooking. Drain well before stuffing.
Fill each pepper with the meat-and-rice mixture, packing gently but leaving enough room so the filling can heat through. Replace the caps if desired and arrange the peppers on racks or trays suitable for your smoker.
Smoking the peppers
Preheat the smoker to 225–240°F. Smoke the stuffed peppers for about 75 minutes, or until the peppers reach the desired tenderness and the center of the filling reaches 160°F to ensure the eggs are fully cooked. If you like a glazed finish, brush barbecue sauce on the tops about 30 minutes before the end of the cook.
Summary
- Prepare smoked meats, rice and vegetables.
- Mix pulled pork, chopped brisket, rice, sautéed onions and jalapeños, broth and rub; adjust seasoning and add beaten eggs.
- Blanch and core peppers, stuff them and place on racks.
- Smoke at 225–240°F for about 75 minutes or until peppers are tender and the filling reaches 160°F.
Notes
- Using a mix of brisket and pork butt gives a deeper, more complex flavor than using only one meat.
- Don’t cut the pepper tops too shallow or the stem may detach from the cap.
- Cook rice just shy of done; it will finish in the pepper without becoming mushy.
- Pellet smoke (pecan, cherry, maple blends) adds excellent flavor to these peppers.
These smoked stuffed peppers are a great way to turn leftover smoked brisket and pork butt into a new, family-friendly meal with big flavor. Enjoy!