Crockpot stuffed bell peppers with ground beef or sausage, cheese and rice turns out fantastic! You can even make them vegetarian if you wanted, there are a ton of ways to fill them. Spicy or mild, stuffed green peppers are a hearty slow cooker dinner everyone loves. These are Mexican style!
If you’ve only used your oven to make this classic dish, get ready for greatness. Crockpot stuffed bell peppers with ground beef do a lot of the work for you. Just a bit of prep and they’ll be ready for dinner when you are. One of many easy Crockpot recipes on our site. (affiliate links present)
Table of Contents
- Easy Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers
- Ingredients
- Variations
- Optional Add-ins
- Can You Make Stuffed Peppers with Ground Turkey?
- Can You Make Stuffed Peppers with No Rice?
- How long to cook stuffed peppers in slow cooker on high
- How to Cook Stuffed Peppers in a Crockpot
- How do you keep stuffed peppers from getting soggy?
- Can you save stuffed peppers?
- Crockpot Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe
Easy Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers
Yes we too had only made stuffed bell peppers in the oven in the past. With those you have to take the time to blanch bell peppers which takes a good 20 minutes to prepare. With this you can skip that step!
You don’t have to do it when making air fryer stuffed peppers either, but that is another device you’ll have to learn about. We can help with that too if you’re so inclined…..
Let’s talk a little bit about slow cooking shall we?? First off I have a few different varieties and I love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….
- This is my favorite 6 quart programmable one with a locking lid so it’s great for bringing to a potluck too.
- I prefer not to use liners, but rather just spray olive oil inside before adding my food for easier cleanups.
Let me give you a peek of my pretty thang I bought recently. It goes with my kitchen so I can just leave it out on the countertop all the time. 😉
For the most part, no matter how you cook them the same ingredients are used. As with anything else you can always omit or change things out a bit too. This one has a bit of a Mexican flare so you may not want beans etc…
Ingredients
- Ground beef or spicy ground sausage is a fabulous choice to use. You’re not going to need to precook this beforehand which is nice. It will cook nicely in the long cook time just fine.
- You can choose any colored bell peppers you prefer. Green bell peppers is always the cheapest because it’s more proliferous. The other colors tend to be a bit sweeter.
- Brown rice was used over Ninja Foodi white rice. It will hold up a bit better and not break down as much but could be swapped for the other. You will need to cook this beforehand.
- A can of drained and rinsed black beans were added.
- Enchilada sauce was used instead of just plain tomato sauce to add moisture.
- Taco seasoning adds a ton of flavor and we add a LOT of cheese in the mix and on top as well to melt.
- Cheese of course is a must for us but optional, or use vegan variety.
Variations
If you needed a dairy free variation you can find lactose free cheese at the store now that is pretty good. I use this for my husband so he can enjoy these with us.
You can season the meat as you wish too. If you chose to use a roll of Jimmy Dean spicy ground sausage you don’t have to add anything for a punch of some heat. There is enough WOW in that to just add it as is.
Optional Add-ins
- 1/2 cup of diced tomatoes to add a bit of texture and chunkiness.
- There are many varieties of shredded cheeses, choose a variety if you like.
- 1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce and/or garlic powder will add more flavor.
- A can of drained and diced green chiles is a nice add in as well.
Can You Make Stuffed Peppers with Ground Turkey?
Absolutely, you can use any type of meat you prefer. Ground turkey and chicken are lower in fat so if you want a healthy option you can go with that. I will say less fat = less flavor but it is your preference.
You might have a few questions before you get started. This is my most common one so we answered it here. If you have others then post those below and I will try to help you out.
Normally I would say yes you need to cook the meat first, except when using a slow cooker. In this case there is such a long cooking session that it is unnecessary. I have never had an issue with meat being underdone using this method.
Yes, that is very important. Start with that first and then if you need to blanch them you should go on to that. Next step would be to brown the meat with onions if desired and then you can combine it all together to cook.
Yes, either one works. Some prefer to not add rice at all for more of a low carb version. Brown is healthier of course but takes longer to get fluffy and tender. Use your favorite variety.
Can You Make Stuffed Peppers with No Rice?
Yes you could definitely omit the rice all together if you wanted a keto low carb version too. Personally that is a must have ingredient for us but I like to explain all the possible tweaks. I might make double the meat if you take that out so you can still fill them all to the top. Other items you could add into your meat mixture could be;
How long to cook stuffed peppers in slow cooker on high
I do not recommend hours on high because it really needs low and slow. It will allow all those flavors to really deepen this way and ensure the meat is cooked all the way through and get the “edible bowls” tender. If you had to do this though you could cut the cook time in half.
How to Cook Stuffed Peppers in a Crockpot
- Once you have your cooked rice ready you can add everything together in a bowl. Allow it to cool down a bit so it isn’t quite as soft and easier to fold all items together nicely.
- Spray inside liner of slow cooker with some non stick spray. Cut tops off bell peppers and remove the seeds, set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the raw ground beef or sausage, cooked brown rice, taco seasoning, garlic powder, drained and rinsed can of black beans, 3/4 cup of your cheese and 1 c of enchilada sauce.
- Stir together. Use a small ice cream scoop or large Tbsp to scoop mixture to fill inside cavity of each bell pepper.
- Put each one into Crockpot so they sit flat and set next to one another.
- if you choose female bell peppers they will have 4 bumps vs. 3 on the bottom and sit more sturdy
- Cover with lid and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until thermometer reads 165 F when inserted into center of meat mixture.
- Pour remaining enchilada sauce on top and add remaining cheese on top of them all.
- Set lid on just so cheese melts and then serve.
I mean these are really a complete meal as is but if you wanted a side dish you could add some vegetables as well. It is easiest served in a bowl with them sliced down the center. Then you can just eat the insides or slice and eat it all one bite at a time like my husband and I do.
How do you keep stuffed peppers from getting soggy?
I mean for these I think you do want to soften the outsides quite a bit so for us that is a good thing. If you don’t want them to get quite as soft on the bottoms you could set a trivet on the bottom and sit them on top. Then the liquid on the bottom won’t touch.
Can you save stuffed peppers?
If you prepare them and want to cook them later, wrap each one in plastic wrap and then store in a large freezer bag for up to 3 months. If they’re already cooked allow them to reach room temperature first. Then do the same method.
Rewarm previously cooked once they have defrosted in the microwave, or air fryer. If they are raw defrost them entirely and then follow this direction or you could make Instant Pot stuffed peppers too.
Other ideas to serve with these might be making Crockpot rolls which requires no yeast or time to rise. We love any sort of corn on the cob too because it’s cheap and it’s the girls’ favorite side dish for sure.
Nutrition facts are listed below with calories, saturated fat, etc…. Of course it will vary slightly depending on what type of beef you chose, this was 80/20. Ground turkey or chicken would be lower in fat but doesn’t have the flavor profile if you ask me. Get started and let us know what you think!
Crockpot Stuffed Bell Peppers
Equipment
- 1 slow cooker
Ingredients
- 6 bell peppers, seeds removed, top removed
- 1 lb ground beef, or spicy ground sausage
- 1 c brown rice, cooked
- 1/4 c taco seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 can black beans, 15 oz, drained
- 1 c cheese, fiesta blend, shredded
- 1 1/4 c enchilada sauce, red
Instructions
- Spray inside liner of slow cooker with non stick spray. Cut tops off bell peppers and remove the seeds, set aside.
- In a bowl combine the ground beef, cooked rice, taco seasoning, garlic powder, drained can of black beans, 3/4 c of your cheese and 1 c of enchilada sauce. Stir together.
- Use a small ice cream scoop or large Tbsp to scoop mixture to fill inside cavity of each bell pepper.
- Put each one into Crockpot so they sit flat and set next to one another.
- Cover with lid and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until thermometer reads 165 F when inserted into center of meat mixture.
- Pour remaining enchilada sauce on top and add remaining cheese sprinkled on top of them all. Set lid on just so cheese melts and then serve.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
