Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers

6 Servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 7 hours
Total Time 7 hours 15 minutes

Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers are hearty, flavorful, and wonderfully easy to make – just set and forget and serve when ready! Try these today!

If you’ve already tried my classic recipe for Stuffed Peppers, then you know what an easy, delicious, and satisfying Dinner Recipe it can be. My slow cooker version has a similar rice and beef mixture packed into tender bell peppers for the delicious comfort food you love, made without an oven! Try this method with my BBQ Beef Stuffed Peppers recipe too!

Sabrina’s Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers Recipe

My Crock Pot Stuffed Peppers recipe calls for marinara sauce, rice, ground beef, and Italian seasoning. The Italian flavors in the meat mixture and the sauce go perfectly with bell peppers. Now, you might not have thought that Stuffed Peppers could be a slow cooker-friendly recipe, but it actually works really well. The slow cooking ensures tender peppers and a moist, fully cooked filling. It’s such an easy way to make this classic dish too! Just prep the peppers at the beginning of the day and you’ll have delicious Stuffed Bell Peppers ready when you get home.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Ground Beef: I’m using regular lean ground beef for my recipe, or 85/15 blend of meat to fat.
  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil: Used to saute the onions and garlic.
  • Aromatics: 1 Yellow Onion and 2 cloves Garlic give an aromatic and strong flavor. 2 teaspoons of garlic powder can be used instead of the fresh garlic.
  • 1 ½ cups Instant White Rice: Instant rice is par-boiled so it doesn’t need as much liquid to cook through. This keeps your stuffing moist and ensures your rice will be cooked. If you need to use uncooked rice, cook it half-way before adding. Don’t cook it all the way though or it will be mushy.
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce: This is the secret ingredient that brings a depth of flavor you’ll love!
  • 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning: This is a blend of herbs like oregano, basil, and thyme for an aromatic touch. You can mix individual herbs if you don’t have a blend.
  • 2 cups Beef Broth: This is what keeps the stuffed peppers moist. Plus it adds a nice flavor. Chicken or vegetable broth can be used as well.
  • 6 Bell Peppers: You can use red bell peppers, green bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, or all three! I have 3 halved peppers pictured but have an additional tray of cooked peppers not pictured.
  • ½ cup Parmesan Cheese: The salty and nutty flavor of Parm is perfect. You could use mozzarella or cheddar cheese in a pinch but let it melt only in the last 15 minutes before serving.

How to Make

Time needed: 7 hours and 15 minutes.

  1. Brown the Beef

    Sear the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Break the meat apart as you cook so it can brown all over. Once browned, drain any excess fat from the skillet.

  2. Sauté the Aromatics

    Add in the olive oil, onions, and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5-7 minutes.

  3. Combine Ingredients

    Add the rice, water, marinara sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to the beef mixture. Mix the ingredients together until well combined.

  4. Stuff the Peppers

    Cut off the pepper tops and scoop out the seeds from 6 medium bell peppers, so they’re like little bowls. Pack the mixture evenly into the bell peppers, then top it off with ½ parmesan cheese. 

  5. Prepare the Slow Cooker

    Pour the beef broth into the bottom of your slow cooker, then place the bell peppers side by side in the slow cooker.Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers in crockpot before cooking

  6. Cook on Low

    Cover the crockpot and cook for 7-8 hours.Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers in crockpot

  7. Finish and Serve

    Garnish with Parmesan cheese and remove with tongs to serve.Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers on plate

Recipe Card

Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers

Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers are hearty, flavorful, and wonderfully easy to make – just set and forget and serve when ready! Try these today!
Yield 6 Servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 7 hours
Total Time 7 hours 15 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients
 

  • 1 pound ground beef , lean 85/15
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion , finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 1/2 cups instant white rice , or half-cooked plain white rice
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 6 bell peppers , cut in half through the stem and cleaned
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese , grated or shredded

Instructions

  • Add beef to a large skillet on medium-high heat, breaking it apart as it cooks.
  • Drain excess fat after the beef is browned.
  • Add in the olive oil, onions, and garlic, reduce heat to medium, cooking for 5-7 minutes.
  • Add in the rice, water, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning along with the ground beef back into the pan and mix it all together.
  • Scoop the mixture into the bell peppers, packing it down slightly.
  • Top with ½ the Parmesan Cheese.
  • Pour beef broth into the bottom of your slow cooker and place bell peppers in the pot carefully.
  • Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
  • Garnish with remaining Parmesan cheese before serving.

Notes

  • Change Serving Size: Click on the yield amount to slide and change the number of servings and the recipe will automatically update! 
  • Conversion: To convert measurements to grams, click on the Metric option next to Ingredients in the recipe card.      
  • Kitchen Timer: Click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.  

Nutrition

Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 1140mg | Potassium: 845mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 4145IU | Vitamin C: 160mg | Calcium: 153mg | Iron: 5mg

Chef’s Note: A Weekly Dinner Idea

Crockpot stuffed bell peppers are a great addition to your rotating weeknight dinner ideas because you can switch up the fillings for an easy dinner that feels new each week. You can always add in different veggies, switch out the meat, and try a variety of different seasonings or sauces. I included some of my favorite variation ideas later in this post!

Can This Be Made Ahead?

Yes, you can prepare the stuffing and clean the peppers the night before. Store them separately in the refrigerator. In the morning, stuff the peppers and cook for 7 hours on low!

Nutritional Facts

Nutrition Facts
Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers
Amount Per Serving
Calories 392 Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Fat 19g29%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 57mg19%
Sodium 1140mg50%
Potassium 845mg24%
Carbohydrates 32g11%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 10g11%
Protein 22g44%
Vitamin A 4145IU83%
Vitamin C 160mg194%
Calcium 153mg15%
Iron 5mg28%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

How to Serve Stuffed Peppers

The hearty meat stuffing makes these peppers filling enough, you really don’t have to worry about adding much else to the meal. However, if you want some light sides to round out your dinner try some buttered noodles topped with Sauteed Mushrooms, Roasted Broccoli, or Dinner Rolls.

Alternative Cooking Method

Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers

You can decrease the cooking time by making Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers.

  • To make Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers, prep the ingredients and stuff the peppers the exact same way you do for Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers. 
  • Place the prepared stuffed peppers in the instant pot.
  • Seal the lid and pressure cook for 9 minutes.
  • After 9 minutes do a quick pressure release. Once the pressure has completely released you can open the lid.
  • To make sure the beef is done cooking use an instant-read thermometer. If the temperature isn’t at least 160°, put the lid on again and check after about 3 minutes. 
  • Sprinkle cheese over the top of the Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers and remove with tongs to serve. 

How to Store

  • Store: You shouldn’t leave stuffed, delicious bell peppers at room temperature for more than 2 hours. To store Crockpot Stuffed Peppers, let them first cool to room temperature. Put Them in an airtight container or freezer bag. To make sure the filling doesn’t fall out, you can wrap the bell peppers tightly in tin foil before putting them in the container to store in the fridge. The Stuffed Peppers will stay good in the fridge for 4 days.
  • Reheating: Heat covered in microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, checking halfway through to make sure it’s not splattering too much.
  • Freeze: You can also freeze the peppers for up to 3 months.

Frequent Questions

What if I don’t have instant rice?

You can use regular rice, but make sure it’s half-cooked before adding it to the beef mixture to ensure it gets fully cooked since it won’t be submerged in liquid.

How do I prevent the peppers from becoming too soft?

If you prefer that the peppers remain slightly firm, you can reduce the cooking time by an hour or use firmer peppers like green or yellow ones, which tend to hold their shape better than red or orange peppers.

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Variations

  • Rice: You can change the Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers recipe depending on what kind of rice you want to use. Instead of white rice, you can make some Brown Rice. With brown rice, you still want to use partially cooked rice. You could also change things up using uncooked quinoa, cauliflower rice, Spanish Rice, or long-grain white rice. 
  • Meat Mixture: Instead of using a beef mixture you can use ground turkey in the meat mixture to make turkey stuffed peppers. Another way to make Crock Pot Stuffed Peppers healthier is by still using beef but using lean ground beef.
  • Vegetarian Version: To make Stuffed Peppers vegetarian, use vegetable broth in place of the beef broth, and leave out the beef. You could add in some black beans or pinto beans to the mixture to add some protein and keep them filling even without the meat. 
  • Tomato Sauce Mixture: You can add some extra tomato paste or diced tomatoes to the recipe to give it some more tomato flavor. Another option is using a cup of enchilada sauce and a cup of salsa, instead of spaghetti sauce to make Tex-Mex Stuffed Peppers. 
  • Seasonings: You can add a lot of flavor to the rice mixture with chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, fresh cilantro, and seasoned salt. 
  • Toppings: There are plenty of delicious cheeses you can top the Stuffed Peppers off with besides parmesan. Try Mozzarella Cheese, cheddar cheese, Mexican blend cheese, or pepper jack cheese. For more optional toppings try adding a dollop of sour cream, fresh chives, or bacon bits.

More Stuffed Pepper Filling Ideas

3 image collage of crockpot with Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers and a spoon. Recipe name across top.

Photos used in previous versions of this post.

Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers collage
Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers in crockpot
Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers on plate
Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers in crockpot before cooking
Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers in crockpot

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. This recipe looks good – and easy! Do you have any suggestions for substitutions for the beef broth (I don’t have any right now)? Plain water, tomato sauce?

  2. I’m confused… The pictures show 6 stuffed pepper ‘halves’-but the recipe calls for 6 bell peppers?
    I hope to hear from you because I really want to make these!

    1. Sorry for the delayed response. You’re right the pan used 3 peppers cut in half and we used another pan for the other 3! Sorry for the confusion.