Stuffed Onions with Savory Beef and Rice
Tender baked onions are stuffed with a flavorful ground beef and rice filling, then baked in a rich tomato sauce for a cozy, old-fashioned comfort-food dinner.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 10 to 12 medium yellow onions
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup cooked long-grain white rice
- 1 cup tomato sauce, divided
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 cups beef broth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel the onions, trim the root and stem ends, and boil for 10 to 12 minutes, until softened slightly but not falling apart. Drain and cool until safe to handle.
- Cut each onion in half from root to stem. Carefully separate the layers, reserving the larger layers for stuffing. Finely chop the smaller inner onion layers.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it apart as it cooks. Drain excess grease.
- Transfer the beef mixture to a large bowl. Add the cooked rice, ½ cup tomato sauce, tomato paste, egg, parsley, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Stir until thoroughly combined.
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons of filling into each large onion layer. Gently wrap or fold the onion around the filling, then place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.
- Whisk together the remaining ½ cup tomato sauce and beef broth. Pour the sauce around the stuffed onions.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more, until the onions are very tender and the sauce is bubbling.
- Let rest for 10 minutes, then spoon the tomato broth over the stuffed onions before serving.
Notes
- Yellow onions become tender and lightly sweet while baking, but sweet onions also work well.
- Use cooked rice so the filling stays tender and does not absorb all of the baking sauce.
- Assemble the dish up to one day ahead, cover, and refrigerate. Add 5 to 10 minutes to the bake time when cooking from cold.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.