Crockpot Stuffed Peppers are a delicious easy dinner to come home to. With it’s perfect Italian seasoning, the filling makes the best stuffed pepper recipe.
My kids love stuffed peppers. In fact, my pickiest eater, finishes this dinner recipe faster than her siblings. Which speaks to just how delicious and amazing these are.
Stuffed bell peppers are like a one pot meal. You get a lean protein, a vegetable, and a carbohydrate all in one delicious little package.
Making stuffed peppers in the crockpot means that you can run errands and get things done and still come home to a warm and delicious dinner. This stuffed peppers recipe is a meal that will be a hit with the whole family.
I made this and loved it. I will be making again for my sister this weekend.
How to Make Stuffed Peppers in the Crockpot
This is a brief overview of how easy this recipe is. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all of the measurements.
- Prepare the peppers: Cut off the tops of the bell peppers, pull out the ribs and seeds, and dice the tops.
- Make the filling: Sauté the diced pepper tops, brown the ground meat, add seasonings, and tomato sauce.
- Simmer: After adding the tomato sauce, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
- Finish and stuff: After the sauce has thickened, stir in cooked rice and shredded cheese. Place the peppers in the slow cooker, and distribute the stuffing among the peppers.
- Cook: Turn the slow cooker on low and cook for 3 to 4 hours. Top the peppers with more cheese and cook until the cheese has melted, about 10 minutes.
How Many Peppers to Use
The recipe calls for six peppers, but please note that if you buy large peppers, you will likely only be able to fit 5 peppers. In that case, you will still be able to fit all the stuffing in your five large peppers.
Making Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef
Our family loves using ground turkey in stuffed peppers. If your family prefers ground beef (or ground pork), that is totally fine. Proceed with the recipe as written, but in step 4, don’t add the spices with the meat. Cook the meat and then drain the fat. Then add the spices.
FAQ
Yes! The filling in these can be prepped and the peppers stuffed the night before. Store in the refrigerator covered for at most 24 hours. When you are ready to make them, proceed with step 6 in the recipe card below.
This stuffed pepper recipe is almost the same as my Italian Stuffed Peppers, which is made in the oven. You can follow those instructions if you’d like to skip the crockpot.
These can be reheated in the oven or in the microwave. In the oven, put in a covered baking dish at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. In the microwave, put it in a covered dish and cook at half power for three to five minutes.
What to Serve with Stuffed Peppers
As mentioned, I think stuffed peppers are a full meal in their own, but if you want to stretch this further, here are some great options.
- Kale Salad: This is my very favorite salad recipe, and it would go great with this dinner.
- Baked Potato Wedges: These are only three ingredients and they work great for rounding out this dinner.
- Three Bean Salad: I love making this salad the night before. The flavors combine perfectly and it can be pulled out right as this dinner is done.
If you make this amazing stuffed pepper recipe or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
Crockpot Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 6 bell peppers
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound ground turkey 93% lean (read about substituting pork and beef here)
- 2 cups cooked rice (see note in the post for tips and tricks)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
Instructions
- Spray a crockpot with cooking spray.
- Cut the tops off of the peppers, remove the ribs and seeds, and then dice the tops of the peppers.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. Add the chopped bell pepper tops and garlic. Sauté until soft, about five to seven minutes.
- Add the ground turkey and break up as you cook it. Season with onion powder, parsley, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook until the meat is no longer pink. Stir in the tomato sauce, bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the rice and one cup of the mozzarella cheese. Taste the mixture and add more salt and pepper to taste. Divide the mixture between the six hollowed out bell peppers. Place the bell peppers into the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. Top with the remaining cheese and cover the slow cooker allowing the cheese to melt, about 10 more minutes. Serve while hot.
Suzanne Hennessy says
No, I haven’t made it yet, but it sounds yummy. I’ve always loved stuffed peppers. As a matter of fact, about 52 years ago I won my husband’s heart with stuffed peppers – the first meal I ever made for him. All these years later, there’s only 2 of us to cook for. My question is, can these peppers be frozen once they’re cooked? Thank you for all your recipes. I love them :)
I hope you love these!
kathy Hynes says
I made this and loved it .I will be making again for my sister this weekend.
I’m so happy to hear that, Kathy! Thank you for taking the time to come back and tell me!
Annie M says
These sound delicious, but the amount of sodium they contain make them unhealthy as the recipe is written as one serving has half of the recommended daily amount of sodium. I’m going to try them using only 1/2 tsp of salt and no-salt tomato sauce.
Another option is to adjust the amount of sodium you eat the rest of the day to accommodate for these.
Jewel says
I’ve made this recipe a few times and it’s a hit with my family. I use cauliflower rice instead of rice and it still tastes bomb 😊
I’m so glad you like it!
Gwen Leigh says
I tried this recipe and was very pleased on how it turned out. I served cornbread with mine. I will be trying more of your recipes in the future.
Thank you
Gwen Leigh
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Gwen! Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know!
Roberta Taghavi says
Just made your stuffed peppers. I did them in the oven my crockpot is to small.
They are delicious and I shared with my neighbor . This recipe is a keeper
I’m so glad that they were a hit, Roberta!
Jackie says
I have made this several times with ground turkey. My family loves it!
I’m so happy to hear that!
HELEN M ZAKIAN says
I am recently widowed and cook for one now, this recipe looks easy to adjust, i will be trying it soon and will let you know how it turns out
I am so sorry for your loss, Helen. I hope you love these as much as we do! They do freeze pretty well too if you want to make an extra one or two.