Diner Pepper Beef Rice Cups
Peppery beef, scallions, and creamy horseradish sauce fill crisp rice cups for a bold diner-style snack.
Prep: 15 · Cook: 15 · Total: 30 · Serves: 4 · Difficulty: Easy · Rating: 4.8/5 (173 reviews)
INSPIRED BY
This original snack turns familiar diner beef and rice into crisp hand-held cups with a tangy sauce.
Story
Theo wants snacks with enough attitude to hold their own under a diner counter light. Cold rice packs into crisp little cups, then makes room for beef, pepper, and a sauce with a clean horseradish kick. The result is part bar snack, part road-trip pit stop, and entirely built for grabbing. Keep the cups crisp and pass the sauce separately.
By Theo
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked white rice, cooled
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 8 ounces ground beef
- 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425 F and coat eight cups of a muffin tin with a little oil.
- Mix the cooled rice with the egg and 1/4 teaspoon salt, then press the mixture firmly into the bottom and sides of the prepared cups.
- Bake the rice cups for 12 minutes until the edges are crisp and the cups hold together.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a skillet, add the beef and bell pepper, and cook for 5 minutes, breaking up the beef.
- Stir in the scallions, garlic, soy sauce, paprika, and remaining salt, then cook for 2 minutes until glossy.
- Stir the yogurt, horseradish, and lemon juice together, fill each rice cup with beef, and serve with the sauce.
Chef Tips
- Pack the rice firmly into the muffin cups so the sides do not crumble.
- Cold, slightly sticky rice makes the strongest cups.
- Swap ground turkey for beef and reduce the cooking time by 1 minute.
- Let the cups cool for 3 minutes before removing them from the tin.
Cook's Notes
- **Rice:** Use fully cooled rice so it packs cleanly.
- **Cups:** Press the rice into the corners of each muffin well.
- **Beef:** Break it into small crumbles for easy filling.
- **Sauce:** Add horseradish gradually and taste as you go.