Gemista - Greek Stuffed Tomatoes & Peppers

Gemista or stuffed tomatoes & peppers are one of the most beloved summer recipes in Greece. Fragrant lovely vegetables filled with rice, herbs, and aromatics, are baked to perfection, making this dish absolutely irresistible!

A plate with a stuffed tomato and a green bell pepper, potatoes and fresh herbs and a fork and spoon. A pan with food at the back and a cloth napkin.

What is Gemista?

Gemista or yemista (in Greek, ‘filled with’) is a delicious summer recipe for oven-baked Greek stuffed tomatoes and other vegetables.

Traditional gemista can be either vegetarian/vegan and are filled with rice, vegetables, and herbs. They can also be filled with ground meat or a combination of rice and ground meat. The ground meat can be beef, pork, or turkey. The truth is every Greek household has its own gemista recipe.

Stuffed tomatoes, bell peppers and potatoes in a tomato sauce.

Ingredients for gemista

Gemista can be made with rice or ground meat. Each Greek family has perfected their gemista recipe. I prefer the rice version; they are lighter, very aromatic, and can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature.

Below are my top ingredients for this classic traditional Greek dish.

Tomatoes, green bell peppers and potatoes in a baking pan.

Tomatoes. The star ingredient of a great gemista recipe is juicy firm tomatoes. Green bell peppers. Their slightly bitter, grassy flavor pairs perfectly with the sweet and savory filling and tomatoes.

Potatoes. It’s a must ingredient. The slow roast in the tomato-pepper juices makes the potatoes taste heavenly. They develop nice crusty edges while buttery soft, and delicious inside.

A pepper mill, small bowls with salt, pine nuts, sugar, rice, breadcrumbs, a box of chopped tomatoes, fresh herbs, a bottle of olive oil, two onions and a box with dry oregano.

You will also need

This is the vegetarian version of Greek tomatoes & peppers, without any meat. Additional essential ingredients are rice, onions, some extra chopped tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, lots of fresh herbs, dry oregano, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. I also added raisins and pine nuts, but both are optional. A little sugar and some breadcrumbs give a nice crust on top of the veggies.

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

How to make them

Tomatoes and green bell peppers with the tops cut, on top of each one.

Tomatoes with the tops cut, on top of each one.

Remove all tomato stems.

Using a sharp slice off the bottom side of the tomatoes, cut about 1/8 of an inch or even less if you can. Save the little cap on the side.

Carefully scoop out the flesh, making sure you do not rip the tomato skin. Place the flesh in a separate bowl and set it aside.

Sprinkle each tomato with a little sugar and sea salt and turn them upside down to release their juices while you clean the peppers.

Slice the bottom of the bell peppers, cut about 1/4 inch this time. Save the little pepper cap on the side.

Carefully remove the bell pepper flesh, and rinse each pepper under water to remove any seeds.

Place the peppers and tomatoes in a large baking pan, open side up this time. Cover each with their little caps.

In a large sauté pan add 4 tbs olive oil. In medium heat, sauté the onion 2-3 min until soft and fragrant. Add the rice, pine nuts, and raisins. Sauté 2-3 min.

Chop the tomato flesh and add it with its juices to the filling.

Add half of the crushed tomatoes, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, stir well and simmer for 5 minutes.

Turn the heat off and mix in the chopped mint and parsley. Add 1 tbsp dry oregano, and season with salt and pepper. Mix everything very well.

Preheat oven to 350 F / 180 C

Using a tablespoon take a spoonful of the mixture and start filling your veggies. Fill around 3/4 from the top. The rice will grow in size as it cooks, and you don’t want to overflow your veggies. Cover each with their little caps.

Potato wedges dressed in olive oil in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix the potatoes with 1-2 tbs olive oil and season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and a tablespoon of oregano.

Any filling mixture you have left, you can add it around the veggies, at the bottom of the pan.

Tuck the potatoes snuggly between the tomatoes and peppers.

Mix 1 tsp sugar with the breadcrumbs. Add a teaspoon or so of the breadcrumb mix on top of each tomato and pepper.

Any olive oil you have left, drizzle it evenly all over the pan. Add the rest of the crushed tomatoes carefully to the bottom of the pan, around the filled veggies and potatoes.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1/2 hour.

Uncover and continue baking for another 90 min until most liquid has evaporated and the tops of veggies are nice and golden. Every oven cooks differently, and you might not need to cook them for the full 90 minutes. Check the potatoes, they need to have nice crusty edges and a soft buttery inside.

A big copper pan with stuffed tomatoes bell peppers and potatoes in a tomato sauce.

Tips and tricks

The secret for succulent, amazing gemista is to sauté the onion before stuffing the vegetables. Sautéing the diced onion allows its sweetness to come through and is key for developing great flavor.
You can also stuff zucchini, eggplant, even zucchini blossoms for this recipe. A great trick is after taking the flesh out of the veggies, chop it and add it* to the stuffing mixture. Grate them in a hand grater or add everything in a food processor for a quick chop.
The addition of fresh herbs such as parsley, dill, mint, fresh oregano adds brightness to any recipe. All are staples in Greek cuisine, and feel free to use your favorites.

*Important note: Avoid adding the flesh from green bell peppers. It has a very intense flavor and will dominate the filling.

A plate with a stuffed tomato and a green bell pepper, potatoes, fresh herbs and a fork with some rice stuffing.

Helpful Q&A

What other vegetables can I use for gemista?

Gemista is usually a summer food due to the abundance of tomatoes and other summer vegetables available. Other stuffed vegetables can be bell peppers, zucchini, summer squash, and their blossoms and eggplants.

Do I need potatoes?

Greek tomatoes & peppers always have potatoes surrounding them in the pan. The potatoes get all the juices from the veggies and are SO good. They remain tender on the inside but get crisp brown edges from the roasting.

What are the best potatoes for stuffed vegetables?

The best potatoes for gemista are Yukon Gold. I don’t remove the skin, it is very thin, and I love it when it crisps up at the edges. Baby Yukon Gold potatoes are great for Gemista. The size is ideal. I slice them in half, season them, and pop them around the stuffed vegetables.

A plate with a stuffed tomato and a green bell pepper, potatoes and fresh herbs. A pan with food at the back and a cloth napkin.

How to eat gemista

Gemista can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature. They taste even better the next day!

I love eating them at room temperature with the necessary feta cheese on the side and a generous piece of crusty bread to dip in the delicious sauce.

Stuffed tomatoes & peppers is an unpretentious, delicious Greek dish and a staple in the summer. Dipping a piece of bread in the sauce is a treat and a quick delicious snack. The aroma of the food, while it bakes, is captivating, to say the least.

Stuffed tomatoes & peppers make the kitchen smell like sweet Greek summer. I love it! ❤️