Stuffed Peppers made with beef and rice in a savory marinara sauce. Easily made in the slow cooker for a comforting dinner.
Whether it be the classic stuffed pepper recipe, stuffed pepper soup or even a twist like taco meatloaf stuffed peppers, you can’t beat the flavor of peppers and beef!
This recipe for Slow Cooker Beef and Rice Stuffed Peppers I use a marinara sauce. I’ve made them with a sweetened diced tomato sauce, a salsa for the sauce, and a ketchup brown sugar topping. I really like the way these stuffed peppers are with the marinara sauce, it tasted great with the beef, rice and bell peppers.
How to make stuffed peppers in a crockpot:
- Bell peppers – I love green bell peppers in this recipe though any color will work. If your bell peppers are very large you may need to use less than five. Be sure to save and chop the bell pepper tops and stir into the filling
- Ground beef – In this recipe, I brown and crumble the meat, this makes for a loose filling, not a meatloaf style stuffed bell peppers.
- Rice – Leftover cooked rice works well in this recipe.
- Onion – Diced white onion
- Marinara – I choose to use marinara instead of tomato sauce or diced tomatoes, marinara sauce (or spaghetti sauce) already has a great flavor base to start with. You can use homemade marinara sauce if desired.
How long do I cook?
- Place the lid on the slow cooker.
- Cook on LOW for 5 hours, without opening the lid during the cooking time.
Can I add cheese to this?
- Stuffed peppers often have cheese on top. Though adding cheese is optional.
- If you want a cheese fix, add about 2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella cheese to each pepper 10 minutes before the cooking time is up.
Can I use a different type of meat?
Try one of these meat options instead of ground beef if you prefer:
- Ground turkey
- Ground chicken
- Ground Italian sausage
How can I make this vegan?
- Use soy crumbles instead of beef
- Or a can of pinto beans
- Or add extra veggies such as chopped squash or asparagus to the rice mixture.
More bell pepper recipes for your slow cooker:
- Slow Cooker Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Slow Cooker Taco Meatloaf Stuffed Peppers
- Slow Cooker Pepper Steak
- Slow Cooker Salsa Steak Fajitas
- Slow Cooker Swiss Steak
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Slow Cooker Beef and Rice Stuffed Peppers
Classic stuffed peppers made with ground beef, rice in a savory marinara sauce.
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Servings: 5
Calories: 303kcal
Equipment Needed:
- Slow Cooker – 5 quart or larger
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 5 bell peppers tops cut off and diced for filling
- 1 1/2 cups cooked rice can be leftover rice
- 24 oz. jar marinara sauce, divided
- 1 small white onion diced
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp. dried tarragon oregano works well too
Instructions:
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet on the stove top. Drain.
- Add the beef, cut up bell pepper tops, rice, 1 cup of the marinara sauce, onion, salt, garlic powder, thyme and tarragon to a medium sized bowl. Stir.
- Stuff the peppers with the filling you just made. If there is any leftover filling add it to the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Add remaining marinara sauce to the slow cooker.
- Add the stuffed peppers in the slow cooker. I try not to let them rest on the sides of the slow cooker, but most of the time they end up falling over later.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
How to Video:
Recipe Notes:
Can I add cheese to this?
- Stuffed peppers often have cheese on top, though adding cheese is optional.
- If you want a cheese fix, add about 2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella cheese to each pepper 10 minutes before the cooking time is up.
- Ground turkey
- Ground chicken
- Ground Italian sausage
- Use soy crumbles instead of beef
- Or a can of pinto beans
- Or add extra veggies such as chopped squash or asparagus to the rice mixture.
Nutrition:
Calories: 303kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 971mg | Potassium: 1056mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 4355IU | Vitamin C: 164mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 5mg
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I would definitely try cooking stuffed peppers in my slow cooker. I used to brown the hamburger before stuffing, but I now mix the meat, herbs, spices, and an egg – as though for a neat loaf– and do NOT cook prior to stuffing the pepper. They come or delicious! So… I am wondering about slow cooker cooking time if I prepared them that way. Do you think the peppers would hold up with a longer cooking time? Thanks for any thoughts on this.
Hi Penny! I do this sometimes, here is another recipe that is similar to what you are describing. I cook on low for 5 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time. https://www.themagicalslowcooker.com/taco-meat-loaf-stuffed-peppers/
Just finished this recipe. It tasted great. I cooked them in the crock pot on high. I used tomatoe sauce and added extra spices, as I did not have marinara. Will definitely cook them again. Thank you!
Can you use tomato sauce instead of marinara sauce
You can but you will need to add salt, pepper and seasonings to it.
This recipe tasted great!! I cut my peppers in half so it is easier for my kids to eat. The recipe turned out fantastic. I froze the leftovers and gave them to my father in law and he really enjoyed them. I have made this recipe with chicken and beef it tastes great either way. I added corn when I made it with chicken.
Thank you.
I made your recipe for Taco Meat Loaf stuffed bell peppers which was outstanding!! I will try this one as well. Being stuck here at home right now, I have tried several of your crock pot recipes! Keep them coming!
Made this recipe tonight for dinner.
YUMMY!!! It’s a keeper….
I have green peppers from my garden. I mix ground beef, cooked rice, seasonings, and some tomato sauce. ( beef is raw ). I fill peppers and freeze them. When ready to use, I put as many as I want into crockpot with a little tomato sauce on top. Cook on low 6 to 8 hrs. Sometimes on high. You can tell when they are done. In the winter, when peppers are 2.00 a piece mine are in the freezer. Ready to cook.
Such a great idea. I batch cook things for my mom and grandpa, they would LOVE this.
I like this idea I always cook then freeze, good idea!
I cooked everything as per the instructions but also added a can of petite cut tomatoes to the marina sauce!! Turned out great!!
Why did my peppers get so bitter. Could not eat them.
I never use green peppers for stuffed peppers only red or yellow or orange. We find that the green ones tend to get bitter
Can you shorten cooking time by putting on high for a bit
Yes, will work fine for this recipe.
I read your recipe it sounds good but I replaced ground beef with ground turkey and used uncooked Persian rice and add more veggies to it . Turned out really delicious and my family loved it. Thank you
Please describe Persian rice. Thank you.
I made your stuffed peppers according to the recipe, except I traded rice for well-drained microwaved cauliflower rice to make it low carb. It was delicious and I couldn’t taste the cauliflower, which was good. I would make this again. Thank you!
Could I use this recipe but cook them in the oven? At what temp and how long would you recommend? Thanks!
I have never used a crock pot to make stuffed peppers. I have always cooked them in a pot on the stove top. I usually boil the peppers to soften them a little. Would I need to boil them if I make them in a crock pot?
If you really like them extra soft you can. Or you could extend the cooking time a bit.
I have made this recipe several times, and the best part is you do not have to parboil the peppers. They come out nice and soft in the slow cooker. Also, if you have leftover filling like I usually do adding to the sauce in the bottom of the slow cooker is a great idea. This is by far the easiest way to make fabulous stuffed peppers.
I made your stuffed pepper recipe and it was delicious … I’m making it again
So glad you liked it!
I didn’t read the recipe right and missed (browned beef) will it still work.
Yes, should be fine.
I want to make this for somebody who is unsure about green bell peppers due to their bitterness, would using a different color of bell pepper work also?
yes, any color will work
Choosing the right bell pepper is easy. Flip the pepper over. You will see either 3 humps or 4 humps. The pepper with 3 humps are the male pepper and the 4 hump peppers are female. The female peppers are sweeter and good for eating them raw. The make peppers are less sweet and are used in cooking.
Thanks for that info, I never knew this either.
Great tip! Thank you/
This must definitely be a Springfield recipe, as my wife use to prepare this meal a couple of times every year and she was raised in Springfield. Springfield H.S. class of ’67.
I am a little confused with this recipe. The photos show you using browned beef, but the recipe says nothing about pre-browning and reads as if the beef is uncooked. Which is it?
Thank you Jessica, it’s browned. I added that to the recipe.
That is not the way in interpreted the recipe, When I make my stuffed peppers you do not brown the meat and you also can add a little sausage to the recipe for “flavor”!!!!!
There are different ways to make them, I have both on my site. I’m sure yours is delicious. The video shows browned crumbled beef. Sorry for the confusion.
Jessica, read the directions, it does not say brown the beef, it states add all those ingredients and stuff the peppers, any left over add to slow cooker.. In other words you do not brown the ground beef…
In the ingredients it says browned beef, I added in the instructions that is browned. Sorry about the confusion.
It says browned ground beef