Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers With Ground Beef, Rice, and Vegetables

Are you looking for an easy, hearty dinner? Try these slow cooker stuffed bell peppers filled with seasoned ground beef, rice, zucchini, tomatoes, red onion, and a touch of jalapeño.

You can prep some of the ingredients ahead of time or make everything at once. Saute the vegetables and ground beef, cook the rice, and combine everything to make the filling. I also like to lightly sauté the bell peppers to give the softening process a head start. Once filled, the peppers slowly cook in the pasta sauce until tender and flavorful.

This stuffed bell pepper recipe is delicious year-round, but is especially good in late summer and early fall when bell peppers, zucchini, and tomatoes are fresh and plentiful.

Why You'll Love This Stuffed Pepper Recipe

• Hearty, family-friendly meal
• Uses fresh seasonal vegetables
• Easily adapted to your taste preference
• Easy slow cooker prep
• Great for summer through fall
• Delicious leftovers

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers

• 1 jar (32 ounces) Rao's Marinara Sauce
• 1/ jar water (about 2 cups)
• 4 medium-to-large Red or Yellow Bell Peppers
• 1/2 pound Lean Ground Beef
• 1 cup Cooked Jasmine Rice
• Olive Oil
• Two Small Zucchini
• 1 medium Tomato
• chopped 1/4 Red Onion
• 1 Jalapeño, seeded and divided
• Salt, Pepper, Garlic, and Italian Seasoning (to taste)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese and additional for serving.

How to Prepare the Bell Peppers

Wash and cut the tops off; remove the seeds and membranes. Set on a towel or paper towel until needed for stuffing. After stuffing, you will set the peppers upright in the slow cooker.

Prepare the Rice

Use either a rice cooker or another method. Set to the side until needed. I used 1 cup of rice. I used 1 cup of jasmine rice.

How to Make the Ground Beef and Vegetable Filling

Sauté the Vegetables

In a skillet or non-stick pan with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sauté the chopped zucchini, tomatoes, red onion, and seeded jalapeño. Transfer them to a bowl.

Brown and Season the Ground Beef

Using the same skillet, cook the ground beef with the spices. Drain excess grease if needed.

Combine the Filling

Mix the cooked beef, sautéed vegetables, and cooked rice. Add in about 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese.

How to Make Stuffed Bell Peppers in the Slow Cooker

1. Add some pasta sauce to the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Fill each prepared pepper with the beef, rice, and vegetable mixture.
3. Arrange the peppers upright.
4. Spoon additional pasta sauce around and over the peppers.
5. Fill the empty sauce jar halfway with water, replace the lid, and shake. Pour the mixture around the bell peppers.
6. Cover and cook on high for approximately 3 hours, or until the peppers are tender and the filling is hot.

How Long to Cook Stuffed Peppers in a Slow Cooker

In my slow cooker, the cooking time was 3 hours on high. I looked at them to see their doneness and whether the filling was hot. Note: the tomato sauce was bubbling at this point too.

Variations and Substitutions

• Substitute ground turkey or ground chicken.
• Use white rice, jasmine rice, or brown rice.
• Adjust or omit the jalapeño.
• Use other seasonal vegetables.
• Add shredded cheese during the final few minutes.
• You can use the tops of the bell peppers by placing them on the stuffed peppers or chopping them and adding them to the rice mixture.

What to Serve with Stuffed Bell Peppers

Garlic bread, a green salad, roasted vegetables, or corn on the cob.

Storage and Reheating

For any leftovers, store them in a lidded container (I like glass storage containers like this). When ready to reheat, remove them from the container, add them to a microwaveable bowl, and microwave until warmed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have to cook the ground beef before making slow cooker stuffed peppers?

Yes. For this recipe, brown and season the ground beef before combining it with the rice and vegetables. Cook ground beef to 160°F for food safety. USDA guidance

Should the rice be cooked before stuffing the peppers?

Yes. Use fully cooked rice so it has the right texture and doesn’t absorb too much of the sauce. White, brown, or another favorite rice will work.

Can I prepare stuffed peppers ahead of time?

Yes. Prepare the filling and bell peppers ahead, but store them separately in the refrigerator. Fill the peppers and place them in the slow cooker when you’re ready to cook.

Can slow cooker stuffed peppers be frozen?

Yes. Allow the cooked peppers to cool completely, then freeze them individually in airtight containers for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

How do you keep stuffed peppers standing upright?

Choose similarly sized peppers with fairly flat bottoms and arrange them snugly together in the slow cooker. You can carefully trim a very thin slice from an uneven bottom, but avoid cutting through the pepper.

Can you make this recipe vegetarian?

Yes, omit the ground beef. Consider adding beans as the protein or just replace the meat with additional vegetables.

Why I love this recipe

• Prep is quick
• Uses fresh, healthy ingredients and can be easily adapted based on what you have to cook with.
• Cooking with a slow cooker (I love my slow cooker) or crockpot keeps the kitchen from getting hot.
• We love cooking with bell peppers.

Note: This recipe will serve four adults. Or two to three adults with leftovers. Or two adults and four kids by serving them each half of the stuffed bell pepper. (making the serving size 6). Additional bell peppers can be added to the slow cooker for more servings. Just remember to adjust the ingredients by adding more ground beef, rice, and vegetables for stuffing the additional bell peppers.

Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe

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Yield: 4

Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers

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Slow cooker stuffed bell peppers filled with seasoned ground beef, rice, zucchini, tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese, then cooked in marinara sauce until tender. An easy, hearty dinner for any time of year.

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 jar (31.7 ounces) Rao's Marinara Sauce
• 1/2 jar water (about 2 cups)
• 4 medium-to-large Red or Yellow Bell Peppers
• 1/2 pound Lean Ground Beef
• 1 cup Cooked Jasmine Rice
• Olive Oil
• Two Small Zucchini
• 1 medium Tomato
• chopped 1/4 Red Onion
• 1 Jalapeño, seeded and divided
• Salt, Pepper, Garlic, and Italian Seasoning (to taste)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese and additional for serving.

Instructions

1. Wash the bell peppers and cut off the tops. Remove the seeds and membranes. Set aside.
2. Prepare the rice according to the package directions. Measure 1 cup of cooked rice and set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped zucchini, tomato, red onion, and half of the jalapeño. Sauté until slightly softened. Transfer to a large bowl.
4. Using the same skillet, cook the ground beef with salt, pepper, garlic, and Italian seasoning until browned. Drain excess grease if needed.
5. Add the cooked ground beef, rice, and ½ cup Parmesan cheese to the sautéed vegetables. Stir until combined.
6. Pour enough marinara sauce into the slow cooker to cover the bottom.
7. Divide the filling evenly among the four bell peppers. Arrange them upright in the slow cooker.
8. Pour the remaining marinara sauce around the peppers and spoon a little over the tops. Add the reserved jalapeño to the sauce.
9. Fill the empty sauce jar halfway with water, replace the lid, and shake. Pour the water around the stuffed peppers.
10. Cover and cook on high for approximately 3 hours, or until the peppers are tender, the filling is hot, and the sauce is bubbling.
11. Top with additional Parmesan cheese and serve.

Notes

Cooking times may vary depending on your slow cooker and the size of the peppers.

Use 1 cup of fully cooked rice; jasmine, white, or brown rice will work.

Adjust or omit the jalapeño to control the heat.

Ground turkey can be substituted for ground beef.

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days.

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 400Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 8gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 78mgSodium 771mgCarbohydrates 34gFiber 3gSugar 6gProtein 28g

Not all nutritional information is always 100% accurate.

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