Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Tender, juicy Stuffed Peppers in minutes. Easy Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers are simple to make with just a few ingredients and your favorite tomato sauce. Add rice for a classic stuffed pepper recipe or leave it out! Either way, it’s a complete dinner the whole family will love.

These easy Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers are one of my favorite things to make when I’m tight on time. Or when I’m feeling super lazy. They can be prepped in advance and chilled in the refrigerator for up to a day. So, they’re essentially meal prepping magic.

Stuffed Peppers were not always my favorite but over the years I’ve come to love their versatility. Hollowed out red, orange and green bell peppers are stuffed with a savory filling of ground beef, onions and seasonings.

You can also include rice in your filling, which is traditional in most stuffed pepper recipes, but I forgot to add it when making this specific version for the Instant Pot. These are accidentally Keto Stuffed Peppers because they’re extremely low carb. But they’re still packed with flavor.

The pressure cooker is a great way to cook stuffed peppers because they cook in a fraction of the time it takes to bake them in the oven and you don’t have to brown the ground beef before you stuff them.

How To Make Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers

Pressure Cooker Stuffed Peppers are really, crazy easy to make and you won’t need a ton of ingredients to get them on the table quickly.

1. Simply cut the tops off of your bell peppers and hollow them out by removing the seeds. Be sure to remove the white membrane, as well, while you’re in there.
2. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, chopped onion and seasonings. Divide the beef mixture evenly among the bell pepper and lightly pack into the cavity of the pepper. Be sure not to pack it too tightly or your beef will become tough instead of juicy and tender.
3. Arrange the bell peppers filling side up on the rack inside the Instant Pot, top with sauce and lock the lid in place.
4. Cook the stuffed peppers on high pressure.
5. Use the quick release valve to release the pressure and then remove the lid. Top the peppers with shredded cheese, if desired.
6. That’s it….so easy!

Serving Suggestions and Side Dish Ideas

We like to serve our stuffed peppers with a light green salad dressed with a simple vinaigrette or go big with this amazing Wedge Salad!

You could also serve alongside a pile of sauteed green beans, a simple green like Broccoli Rabe or add some cauliflower rice to the side to keep things healthy.

Tips for Perfect Stuffed Peppers

• To ensure juicy, tender beef, use RAW ground beef for this recipe. Do not cook the ground beef ahead of time.
• Also, DO NOT PRE-COOK the bell peppers before stuffing them with the ground beef mixture. The peppers cook perfectly in the instant pot or while baking.
• To add rice to your stuffed peppers, mix in 1 cup of cooked jasmine rice or medium grain rice into the stuffing mixture before stuffing into the bell peppers.
• Don’t have ground beef? You can also use ground turkey or ground chicken in place of the beef for the stuffing.

How To Cook Stuffed Peppers in the Oven

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can place your stuffed peppers in a baking dish and bake them at 350˚F for 1 hour. They turn out just as perfect as they do in the Instant Pot, they just take a while longer to cook.

I baked these Greek Stuffed Peppers in the oven but you can also cook them in the pressure cooking using this same cooking method.

How To Freeze Stuffed Peppers

You can prep your stuffed peppers in advance. Wrap each uncooked stuffed bell pepper in plastic wrap and then transfer them to a freezer bag. Press out the air and freeze for up to 3 months.

To cook your frozen stuffed peppers, remove from the plastic wrap and place in a baking dish. Bake your stuffed peppers from frozen at 350˚F for 40 minutes, then top with the sauce and cheese. Continue baking for an additional 20-30 minutes or until cooked through. 

If you’re looking for more stress free dinners, we LOVE this easy Baked Chicken Breast recipe. It’s on repeat every single week because it’s so versatile and leftovers are great for so many things. You’ll also like these Stuffed Poblano Peppers, they’re so flavorful and healthy. 

For more easy ground beef recipes, try this Stuffed Cabbage roll recipe OR this easy Stuffed Cabbage Soup is super easy with the same great flavor.

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