Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers are the ultimate easy weeknight dinner for busy families. It only takes 15 minutes to prep this complete meal, then the crockpot does the rest! It’s a perfect cozy and nutritious comfort food that makes feeding your family stress-free and delicious.
I love these stuffed peppers because they are a nutritionally balanced meal in and of themselves. They are filled with lean protein, complex carbs and of course vegetable. Nothing else is needed to complete this well rounded meal! I love coming home after a busy day knowing I have a hot, delicious and healthy dinner ready to serve my hungry family!
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- Easy – The prep is simple and fast to execute. Nothing complex or tricky.
- Familiar Ingredients – There’s nothing complicated about this recipe or these ingredients. They are simple and nutritious.
- Nutritious – These peppers are a balanced meal in and of themselves. Filled with lean protein, vegetables and complex carbs, it’s a perfect wholesome meal.
- Quick Cleanup – I love crockpot meals because it means I’m only cleaning one pot at the end of the night. That’s a win on busy weeknights!
Recipe Notes
This slow cooker stuffed pepper recipe is as simple as promised! Just fifteen minutes of prep, then place in the crockpot for a family friendly meal that’s ready to eat just a few hours later.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use for how to make these easy crockpot stuffed peppers to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Bell Peppers – You’ll need 6 whole peppers. Any color will work! Green peppers have a slight bitter taste. Red and orange peppers are the sweetest.
- Ground Beef – Use lean ground beef 93% or above. This keeps the peppers from becoming overly greasy.
- Cooked Rice – This recipe calls for 1.5 cups of cooked rice, which is 1/2 cup of uncooked rice.
- Parmesan Cheese – In my opinion, shredding your own cheese always mixes best, but using pre-shredded cheese is just fine!
- Fresh Parsley – Not the dried spice.
- Garlic– 4 cloves, minced.
- Seasonings– Salt, Pepper, Oregano
- Marinara Sauce– Grab your favorite jarred or try making your own homemade marinara sauce!
Make sure to see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full quantities and ingredients list.
Recipe Variations
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers– Ground turkey is another lean protein option that you could use for this recipe.
- Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers– If you would prefer a vegetarian option for your stuffed peppers, omit the ground beef. You could add corn, black beans or tomatoes to boost the nutrients in the stuffing mixture.
- High Protein Stuffed Peppers– If you would like to boost the protein in this recipe, you could substitute quinoa for the rice. Quinoa is often referred to as a complete protein, containing more protein & fiber than white rice. As with the original recipe, cook the quinoa before adding it to the mixture.
Recipe Step by Step
I am going to highlight a few key steps in the recipe here, but make sure to jump down to the recipe card for comprehensive instructions on how to make these delicious Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers.
Combine the ground beef, cooked rice, parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano.
Cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove the seeds and ribs from inside.
Use a fork to poke holes in the bottom of each pepper. Stuff 1/6 of the meat mixture into each pepper.
Pour 3/4 of the marinara sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker. Place each stuffed pepper in the slow cooker and spoon the remaining sauce on top. Close slowcooker with lid and cook on low for 3 hours.
Recipe Tips
- Stand up the peppers – Place each pepper upright in the slow cooker. If you’re having trouble standing the peppers up, you can cut off a small section at the bottom so that it’s flat and easier to stand up.
- Poke holes – Make sure and poke holes in the bottom of the peppers to allow them to drain as they cook. I use a fork to make two pokes all the way through the bottom to the inside.
- Lean ground beef – It’s important to use lean ground beef 93% or above! If you use fattier ground beef you will find the dish to be very greasy since it can’t easily be drained.
- Cook the rice – Notice the recipe calls for cooked rice. If you stuff the peppers with uncooked rice, it won’t cook through completely or be soft enough to eat.
Recipe Short Cuts
If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!
- Minute Rice – If you’re short on time, you could use minute rice instead of regular rice.
- Prep Peppers and Mixture – This is an easy recipe to prep in advance! You can easily cut and hollow out the peppers, combine the mixture and go ahead and stuff peppers all in advance. When you’re a few hours away from serving dinner, simply add the marinara sauce and peppers to your slow cooker. They’ll only need to cook for 3-4 hours on low.
- Shredded Parmesan – My personal preference is always to shred my own cheese. It’s just better for combining with other ingredients and for melting well. But grabbing a bag of shredded parmesan cheese (not powdered) is also perfectly fine and will definitely make this already easy recipe even easier!
- Jarred Minced Garlic – I always keep a jar of minced, fresh garlic in my fridge for recipes like this that need a few pressed cloves. 1/2 teaspoon equals one fresh garlic clove. It’s so easy to grab the jar and scoop out what I need!
Freezer Meal Instructions
Making this Slow Cooker Stuffed Pepper recipe into a freezer meal is simple! Follow the steps below and you can store this recipe in the freezer for up to 6 months.
To freeze before cooking
- Follow recipe instructions to prepare the peppers and mixture.
- Stuff the peppers and individually wrap each pepper with plastic wrap. Place in freezer safe bag or freezer-safe container.
- You can place these in the the slow cooker from frozen, however increase the cook time until the mixture is cooked through (160° F internal temperature).
How to Freeze Stuffed Peppers After Cooking
- Allow peppers to cool completely.
- Either individually wrap each pepper with plastic wrap and place in freezer-safe container or place peppers into an airtight freezer-safe container.
- To reheat the peppers, remove the wrapping and place them in a 350° oven about 20-30 minutes or until they are warmed through.
What to Serve with Stuffed Peppers
Since this protein based dinner has delicious classic flavors, it will pair well with many of your favorite classic side dishes.
Choose one or several of these side dishes to create a wholesome, well-rounded dinner. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light.
Side Dish Ideas
- Buttermilk Cornbread
- Side salad with homemade dressing, Here are a few of my favorites! Give one a try and then store the extra in the fridge for your next salad!
- Maple Glazed Carrots
- Sauteed Green Beans
Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers Leftovers
If you have leftovers after making this recipe, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.
To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:
- in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
- in the freezer up to a month
Recipe FAQ’s
Can I overcook the peppers?
Yes, you don’t want to leave them in the slow cooker longer than 3 hours. They will start getting too soft and will begin to fall apart.
How do I know when the peppers are done cooking?
You’ll know the peppers are ready to eat when the stuffing mixture has reached 160°F internal temperature.
Can I prep stuffed peppers ahead of time?
Absolutely! You can prep the meat and rice mixture up to 3 days in advance. Just store in an air tight container in your fridge. You can also wash, cut the top off the peppers and clean out the seeds and membranes in advance.
More EASY Slow Cooker Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my easy slow cooker recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.
- Slow Cooker Thai Chicken
- Slow Cooker Garlic Parmesan Wings
- Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Soup
- Crockpot Beef and Broccoli
Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 6 bell peppers
- 1½ pounds 93% lean ground beef
- 1½ cups cooked rice
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsely
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 24 ounces marinara sauce, (1 jar)
Instructions
- Cut the tops off of the bell peppers and remove any seeds and ribs from inside the peppers, leaving a hollow shell.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, cooked rice, parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano. Use your hands to work the mixture until everything is evenly distributed.
- Use a fork to punch holes in the bottom of each pepper then stuff ⅙ of the meat mixture in each hollowed bell pepper.
- Pour about ¾ of the marinara sauce in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place each pepper upright in the slow cooker on top of the sauce. Then Top each pepper with the remaining sauce.
- Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until cooked through (160˚F internal temperature.) Once done, remove the peppers and serve on a bed of the marinara sauce from the bottom of the crockpot.
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