Minced lamb stuffed peppers loaded with rose harissa, almonds, couscous & loads of coriander is a wonderfully easy & delicious midweek meal.
Swapping the more traditional rice for couscous cuts out a cooking phase in traditional meat stuffed peppers meaning that this dish cooks in a shade over 30 minutes.
Minced Meat Stuffed Peppers with Couscous
I love these minced lamb stuffed peppers, they are loaded with wonderful North African influences.
Lamb is such a natural fit for flavours from this part of the world. I have offerings that range from delicious lamb kofta to Moroccan lamb tagine and lamb arayes to harissa lamb chops.
The meat gets hints of since from the addition of rose harissa paste. It is joined by coriander and sumac to add sour elements that perfectly complement the richness of the lamb.
Rice is often used in meat-stuffed pepper recipes but here I swap the rice for couscous.
I think that it helps to keep all of the delicious lamb fat in the mix rather than it leaching out.
And because couscous cooks much more quickly it can be added raw, it also reduces the cooking time typically associated with baking stuffed peppers.
If stuffed peppers are your thing, be sure to check out my vegetarian halloumi stuffed peppers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What sort of minced lamb should I buy?
I usually aim for minced lamb with a fat content of around 15-20% because I think that it helps to keep the dish nice and juicy.
You could go as low as 10% but I would not go any lower.
What is harissa paste?
Harissa paste is a North African spicy pepper pasta loaded with spices and a mixture of peppers.
It has a smokey flavour, I personally like to use rose harissa which adds wonderful perfumed tones to the dish.
I usually use a brand called Belazu.
Can I make this in advance?
I do not think that this dish reheats very well, as a result, I would not cook this and reheat it. But you can make the stuffing mix in advance and let it sit in the fridge for a day or two, the flavours will improve with time.
You can also freeze the stuffing mix for up to 3 months and defrost it before stuffing the peppers.
Serving Suggestions
I’ve served these delicious meat stuffed peppers with some simply dressed salad leaves and shredded beetroot and made them a smaller meals.
You could scale up the dish by increasing the heartiness of the salad. Still sticking fairly light this pea and feta salad or carrot and coriander salad would be super,
If you wanted something altogether more hearty then how about a classic tabbouleh salad or even this giant couscous salad.
Potatoes are always a welcome side as far as I am concerned and this Lebanese batata harra recipe would be delicious with this recipe.
As a side note, I am fond of drizzling the top of these baked peppers with pomegranate molasses. If you wanted more of a “sauce” then you could mix a tablespoon of pomegranate molasses with 150g of yoghurt.
Equipment Used
I only mention bands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Oven.
- Baking tray.
- Mixing bowl.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.
Minced Lamb Stuffed Peppers Recipe with Harissa
These baked minced lamb stuffed peppers are spicy with harissa paste and use couscous and almonds rather than rice to provide body to the delicious filling.
Ingredients
- 2 Peppers (I use one red and one yellow)
- 350g (12oz) Minced Lamb
- 35g (3 Tbsp) Couscous
- 1 (35g) Banana Shallot
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 50g (¼ Cup) Blanched Almonds
- 20g (¼-⅓ Cup) Coriander
- 3 Tbsp Rose Harissa Paste
- 1 Tsp Sumac
- ½ Tsp Salt
Instructions
- Cut the peppers in half, leaving the stalks in place, then scoop out the seeds and white membrane.
- Place the lamb in a mixing bowl, sprinkle over the couscous and mix it together, don't squish the mince, you want to keep the stuffing quite loose.
- Cut the shallot in half, peel it and then dice it as finely as you can, then throw it into the bowl with the lamb.
- Peel and dice the garlic cloves as finely as you can and add them to the lamb mix.
- Roughly chop the blanched almonds and toss them into the bowl with the lamb.
- Chop the coriander and add it to the lamb.
- Add the harissa paste, salt and sumac then give everything a mix and stuff the peppers.
- Place the peppers on a baking sheet then bake at 200°C or 390°F for 20-25 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 796Total Fat: 50gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 30gCholesterol: 170mgSodium: 1029mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 8gSugar: 10gProtein: 54g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.