Slow Cooker Stuffed Green Peppers

Coming home to the delicious aroma of stuffed green peppers in the slow cooker always makes the stress of the day melt away! The rich, meaty filling is infused with sweet juices as the peppers simmer over the course of the day. Pair them with pasta or rice and a side salad and you’ll have a comforting, savory meal ready within 15 minutes of walking through the door.

I just love to get home, open the door and smell that peppery aroma… it’s like coming home to a warm hug on a rainy day. And even if you’ve had one of THOSE days, these stuffed green peppers will work their magic to make you and your belly smile!

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What Are Slow Cooker Stuffed Green Peppers?

Traditionally, stuffed green peppers are bell peppers stuffed with a mixture of ground beef and rice, then baked in tomato sauce until the meat is cooked through.

This recipe uses the same basic ingredients, but the peppers are cooked in a slow cooker or crock pot. This is a great way for busy families to enjoy a hearty, homecooked meal during the week. It’s so nice to come home to the aroma of an already-cooked meal!

Other versions of this dish include stuffing with rice, beans, other meats, cheeses, vegetables, and even leftovers! The type of pepper can vary, too. It’s fun to use yellow, orange, or red bell peppers in this dish, or you can experiment with different types of peppers, like poblanos.

But before you buy a new type of pepper, make sure you know how hot it is first. Some peppers can get pretty spicy!

Can I Make These Ahead?

Yes!

I love making these stuffed green peppers in the slow cooker because I can prep them when I have the time, like on the weekend. I prepare the meat mixture and pre-portion it in large, pepper-sized balls, then I store them in a ziploc in the fridge or freezer.

If you choose to freeze the meatballs, ensure that the meat is thawed before adding it to the peppers. This prevents extra moisture from watering down the sauce and saturating the pepper.

When I’m ready to make the dish, I just have to cut the tops off the peppers, plop the meatballs in, and put them into the slow cooker. Then I’m off and running for the day and can be assured of a hot, delicious meal that night!

Do I Have to Use a Slow Cooker?

No.

I love using my slow cooker so my food cooks while I’m busy with other things, but I don’t always make my peppers that way.

You can also bake the peppers. Lay the sauce and peppers in a baking dish, and bake in a preheated 350F oven for 45 minutes. I like to keep the dish covered with foil for the first half hour, then I baste the peppers with sauce and bake for the remaining time uncovered.

If you have very large peppers, it may take a bit longer for them to bake. But the wait is well worth the taste!

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Directions

• Wash the peppers, cut off the tops, and scoop out the seeds. I like to cut out the white parts, known as the pith, to make room for the filling. The pith normally contains capsaicin, which is the substance responsible for the heat in most peppers. Bell peppers are the only peppers that have no capsaicin.
• Make the filling. Combine the ground sirloin*, instant rice, finely chopped onion, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, ground black pepper, and about 1/3 cup of the spaghetti sauce in a large mixing bowl. Knead it together with your hands until it’s well-mixed.
  
  *Ground sirloin is also known as 90/10 ground beef. You can use other grades, but 90/10 is the leanest and least greasy. Since this is a slow cooker recipe, I prefer less fat so my sauce doesn’t become a greasy mess.
• I like to try to stuff my peppers evenly. I found that the easiest way to do this is to separate the meat into equal parts at this stage. Using all the ground beef mixture, make four equally-sized giant meatballs. If you’re making more or less than four peppers, just match the number of super-sized meatballs with the number of peppers you’ve prepared.
  
  If you’re prepping this ahead of time and aren’t ready to start your slow cooker, place the meat in a ziploc bag and refrigerate until you’re ready to use.
• Stuff the peppers. Just plunk one giant meatball into each hollowed-out green pepper. Isn’t that easy?
• Pour about half the sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker, then add the stuffed peppers. Spoon the remaining sauce on top of each pepper.
• Place lid on slow cooker. Cook 6-7 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high. Serve with rice or pasta and sauce.

What Else Can I Make in my Slow Cooker?

• Cold winter nights cry out for 4 Ingredient Slow Cooker Pot Roast
• Party food is easy when you make Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Slow Cooker Stuffed Green Peppers

Course: Beef, Main DishesDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking Time

7

hours

Total Time

7 1/2

hours

Juicy stuffed green peppers, slow cooked to perfection, are ready for you to serve as soon as you get home!

Ingredients

• 4 green bell peppers

• 1 lb ground sirloin

• 1 cup uncooked instant rice

• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion

• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 jar spaghetti sauce

Directions

• Prepare the peppers. Wash them, cut off the tops, and scoop out the seeds. Set aside.
• Make the filling. Combine the ground sirloin, instant rice, finely chopped onion, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, ground black pepper, and about 1/3 cup of the spaghetti sauce in a large mixing bowl. Knead until well-mixed.
• Form meat mixture into one large meatball for each pepper. Drop meatballs into peppers.
• Pour half the sauce into bottom of slow cooker. Lay peppers on sauce. Spoon remaining sauce on each pepper.
• Place lid on slow cooker. Cook 6-7 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high. Serve with rice or pasta and sauce.

Notes

• If you like a saucy stuffed pepper, use an additional half-jar of sauce in the slow cooker when cooking.

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