Layered Stuffed Onions and Tomatoes with Spiced Beef and Rice

By Lauren Mitchell, Test Kitchen Director · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-05-22 · Updated 2026-05-22

Tender onion layers and hollowed tomatoes stuffed with a fragrant blend of spiced ground beef, rice, and herbs, baked to perfection. This middle eastern-inspired beef ready in about 90 minutes pairs ground beef, uncooked long grain rice, small, finely chopped onion for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 320 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 3, peeled and separated into layers large onions
• 4, tops sliced and flesh scooped out medium tomatoes
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 cup uncooked long grain rice
• 1 small, finely chopped onion
• 3, minced garlic cloves
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup, chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups water or beef broth

Instructions

1. Step 1: Rinse 1 cup uncooked long grain rice under cold water until clear, then soak in warm water for 20 minutes and drain.
2. Step 2: In a large bowl, combine 1 lb ground beef, soaked rice, 1 small finely chopped onion, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp ground allspice, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley. Mix thoroughly.
3. Step 3: Separate 3 large peeled onions carefully into individual layers, and stuff each layer with a tablespoon of the beef and rice mixture, shaping into small rounds.
4. Step 4: Hollow out the centers of 4 medium tomatoes and stuff each with the remaining beef and rice filling.
5. Step 5: Arrange stuffed onion layers and stuffed tomatoes snugly in a large baking dish, drizzle with 3 tbsp olive oil, and pour 2 cups water or beef broth around them.
6. Step 6: Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 1 hour until the rice is tender and the beef is cooked through. Remove foil in the last 10 minutes to allow tops to brown slightly.