Home Beef
By Sarah Olson
78 Comments
Jun 05, 2023Updated Oct 21, 2023
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These Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers are made with beef and rice in a savory marinara sauce. They are easily made in the slow cooker for a comforting dinner the whole family will enjoy.
Whether it be the classic stuffed pepper recipe, stuffed pepper soup or even a twist like taco meatloaf stuffed peppers, you can’t beat the flavor of peppers and beef!
Table of Contents
- Why this recipe works
- Recipe Ingredients
- Step-by-Step Directions
- How to serve
- Recipe FAQs
- Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers {Beef and Rice} Recipe
- More bell pepper recipes for your slow cooker:
Why this recipe works
For my Crockpot Stuffed Peppers Recipe, I use a marinara sauce. I’ve made them with a sweetened diced tomato sauce, salsa for the sauce, and a ketchup brown sugar topping. I really like the way these stuffed peppers are with the marinara sauce. The beef, rice, and bell peppers tasted great, making the perfect meal.
Not to mention, this cooking method takes the guesswork out of making stuffed peppers a healthy meal, especially when you need one of those easy weeknight meals on the fly.
Recipe Ingredients
- Bell peppers – I love green bell peppers in this recipe though any color will work. If your bell peppers are very large you may need to use less than five. Be sure to save and chop the bell pepper tops and stir them into the filling
- Ground beef – In this recipe, I brown and crumble the meat, this makes for a loose filling, not a meatloaf-style stuffed bell peppers.
- Rice – Leftover cooked rice works well in this stuffed peppers recipe.
- Onion – Diced white onion adds flavor and heartiness to the crock pot stuffed peppers.
- Marinara – I choose to use marinara instead of tomato sauce or diced tomatoes; marinara sauce (or spaghetti sauce) already has a great flavor base to start with. You can use homemade marinara sauce if desired.
- Seasonings – Salt, pepper, thyme and oregano is all you need!
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – Brown the ground beef in a large skillet on the stove top and drain.
Step Two – Add the savory ground beef, cut up bell pepper tops, rice, 1 cup of the marinara sauce, onion, salt, garlic powder, thyme, and oregano to a medium sized bowl. Stir.
Step Three – Stuff the peppers with the filling you just made.
Step Four – Add the remaining marinara sauce and remaining ingredients from the meat mixture to the bottom of the slow cooker.
Step Five – Add the stuffed peppers in the slow cooker. I try not to let them rest on the sides of the slow cooker, but most of the time they end up falling over later.
HowStep Six – Cover and cook stuffed peppers on LOW for 5 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time. Serve with suggestions below and enjoy!
How to serve
- These can certainly be considered a full meal in one pepper, but if you’re looking to add a bit more to it, you can create a few appetizers like cauliflower bites, sauteed zucchini bites, or a chickpea salad.
- When it comes to toppings, you can try a variety of ideas such as a dollop of sour cream, diced tomatoes, salsa, bacon bits, or a dash of fresh parsley.
- As for seasonings, you can always add a dash of Italian seasoning and/or black pepper.
Recipe FAQs
How can I make this vegan?
Use soy crumbles instead of beef, or a can of pinto beans. Another option is adding extra veggies such as chopped squash or asparagus to the rice mixture.
Can I use a different type of meat?
Try one of these meat options instead of ground beef if you prefer: ground chicken, ground turkey, ground pork, or ground Italian sausage.
Can I add cheese to this?
Stuffed peppers often have cheese on top. Though adding shredded cheese is optional. If you want a cheese fix, add about two tablespoons of shredded mozzarella cheese to each pepper 10 minutes before the cooking time is up. Pepper Jack also makes a great topping option (sounds yummy).
How do I store leftover slow cooker stuffed peppers?
Add any remaining peppers to an airtight container or tupperware dish and keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can reheat them in the oven until warm throughout.
Can I use raw meat?
Raw meat in stuffed peppers does work well, but you will end up with more of a meatloaf texture than a crumbly filling.
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Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers {Beef and Rice}
4.67 from 15 votes
Prep Time: 20 minutes mins
Cook Time: 5 hours hrs
Total Time: 5 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Servings: 5
By: Sarah Olson
Classic stuffed peppers made with ground beef, rice in a savory marinara sauce.
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Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 5 bell peppers, tops cut off and diced for filling
- 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, can be leftover rice
- 24 oz. jar marinara sauce, divided
- 1 small white onion diced
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, tarragon works well too
Instructions
Brown the ground beef in a skillet on the stove top. Drain.
Add the beef, cut up bell pepper tops, rice, 1 cup of the marinara sauce, onion, salt, garlic powder, thyme and oregano to a medium sized bowl. Stir.
Stuff the peppers with the filling you just made. If there is any leftover filling add it to the bottom of the slow cooker.
Add remaining marinara sauce to the slow cooker.
Add the stuffed peppers in the slow cooker. I try not to let them rest on the sides of the slow cooker, but most of the time they end up falling over later.
Cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
How to Video
Sarah’s Notes
Can I add cheese to this?
- Stuffed peppers often have cheese on top, though adding cheese is optional.
- If you want a cheese fix, add about 2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella cheese to each pepper 10 minutes before the cooking time is up.
Can a different type of meat be used?
- Ground turkey
- Ground chicken
- Ground Italian sausage
Can I make this vegan?
- Use soy crumbles instead of beef
- Or a can of pinto beans
- Or add extra veggies such as chopped squash or asparagus to the rice mixture.
Nutrition
Calories: 303kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 971mg | Potassium: 1056mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 4355IU | Vitamin C: 164mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Made this recipe? Leave a comment below!
More bell pepper recipes for your slow cooker:
- Slow Cooker Pepper Steak
- Slow Cooker Salsa Beef Fajitas
- Slow Cooker Swiss Steak
- Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers
- Slow Cooker Taco Meatloaf Stuffed Peppers
- Slow Cooker Stuffed Pepper Soup