Crockpot Stuffed Peppers

overhead view of stuffed peppers in crockpot

4.88 from 25 votes

You only need a few minutes of prep time to make these Crockpot Stuffed Peppers – quick to assemble, and the slow cooker does the rest! Perfect for busy days.

Prep Time10

Cook Time6

Total Time6 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Traditional

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: servings

Calories: 440kcal

Author: Nora from Savory Nothings

Ingredients

For the sauce

14 oz tomato puree (use ½ of a 28-oz can)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon dried garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried onion powder
½ teaspoon salt

For the stuffed peppers

14 oz tomato puree (use the other ½ of a 28-oz can)
1 ½ pounds lean ground beef at least 80% lean
1 medium onion finely chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic minced
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups parboiled rice uncooked!
6-8 medium-large peppers tops sliced off and cores removed (I used 4 large and 4 smaller ones); any color is fine

To top

shredded mozzarella optional

Instructions

Make sauce: Mix all ingredients for the sauce in a medium measuring cup.
Make filling: Mix all ingredients for the stuffed peppers (EXCEPT for the peppers themselves) in a large bowl.
Assemble: Ladle a little of the sauce in the bottom of a 6-7 quart crockpot. Tightly stuff peppers, until filling reaches just under rim. Place stuffed peppers in crock, making sure they are upright. Slight stacking is fine, as long as lid closes tightly without touching peppers. Spread remaining sauce evenly over peppers.
Cook: Close lid and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours, or on HIGH for 2-3 hours. Check peppers to make sure filling has cooked all the way through. Top with shredded cheese if you like and close lid for another 5 minutes until cheese has melted. Serve with sauce rom bottom of crock.

Notes

Leftovers

Store leftover peppers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Place in a casserole dish and reheat, covered, at 350°F for around 30 minutes or until steaming hot all the way through.

Ingredient notes

Rice: It’s important to use parboiled/quick-cooking rice, NOT long-cooking rice. I previously made this recipe with instant rice, but felt the rice gets a touch too mushy. If you have previously made this with instant rice and like it, keep using instant! Just use 1.5 cups. Parboiled rice does expand a little more during cooking, but I’ve never had issues with peppers breaking when sticking to not overstuffing them.
Tomato purée: This is not the same as tomato paste! It’s much thinner, kind of like tomato sauce. You can use seasoned pizza sauce instead, just skip the garlic/onion powder and Italian seasoning; add salt to taste.

Recipe tips

Don't skip the sauce on the bottom of the crock, it keeps the peppers from sticking and creates more steam to soften and cook them.
Make sure you stuff the peppers tightly without any gaps or air pockets in between.
If you don't want to use raw meat or want to drain the fat from greasier ground beef, you can brown it before adding to the filling. It will be less juicy and also more crumbly, but still tasty.

Freezer tips

Place peppers in a freezer bag or container. Label with the contents and the use-by date (the peppers are best eaten within 3 months).
Make sure your container is fully sealed, or you’ll get freezer burn on those peppers.
To reheat, place frozen peppers in a casserole dish and cover with foil. Reheat at 350°F for 30-60 minutes (depending on the size of your peppers), making sure the peppers are piping hot and steaming all the way through.

Nutrition was calculated using ½ ounce mozzarella cheese per pepper.

Nutrition