Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers

Yumna Jawad
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These easy air fryer stuffed peppers are stuffed with seasoned beef and rice and topped with bubbly cheese! 15 minutes in the air fryer gets the peppers soft and cheese melty.

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Air fryer stuffed peppers in an air fryer basket garnished with fresh chopped parsley.
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Make Stuffed Peppers in the Air Fryer

I recently tried making stuffed peppers in the air fryer, and it was a huge success!

You will have to cook the filling first but then you can stuff the peppers and stick them in the air fryer and they’re cooked in less than 15 minutes. You don’t even need to pre-cook the peppers! The peppers trap the moisture from the filling so they don’t dry out. And the cheesy top makes them so delicious and irresistible!

Air Fryer Stuffed Pepper Ingredients

Ingredients for recipe: tomato sauce, spices, cooked rice, bell peppers, garlic, oil, onion, ground beef and shredded mozzarella.
  • Bell peppers: Try to choose bell peppers that are similarly sized so they cook at the same speed!
  • Olive oil: You can use another high-heat oil to cook the filling.
  • Onion and garlic: I recommend dicing the onion and mincing the garlic. If you don’t have fresh garlic, use 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder.
  • Ground beef: I usually opt for 80/20 ground beef (80 percent lean, 20 percent fat). I haven’t tried it yet, but ground chicken or turkey would also be good in this recipe.
  • Tomato sauce: If you can’t find no salt added tomato sauce, use less salt than the recipe says and just add it to taste.
  • Spices: Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and paprika are my go-to spices for the filling. I want to try taco and ranch seasoning next!
  • Rice: You can use white or brown cooked rice.
  • Shredded cheese: Mozzarella melts really well, so I usually use that. Cheddar, fontina, gouda, or Monterey Jack would also work.
  • Veggies. I can never get enough vegetables. Try mixing 1 cup of frozen corn or peas or a couple of handfuls of chopped spinach or kale into the filling.
  • Beans. For more fiber and protein, drain and rinse a can of chickpeas, white beans, or black beans and stir into the beef mixture.
  • Pine nuts. I think topping the stuffed peppers with toasted pine nuts would add a nice crunch!
  • Fresh herbs. Who doesn’t love fresh herbs? I know I do. Top the air fryer stuffed peppers with chopped cilantro or parsley.

How to Make Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers

Onions and peppers in a skillet after cooking with beef added.
Step 1: Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and the diced pepper tops and cook until softened and browned. Add the beef.
After beef is crumbled and browned garlic cooked in.
Step 2: Cook until the beef is browned, breaking it into small pieces. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
Tomato sauce and seasonings added to cooked beef and veggies in skillet.
Step 3: Add the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a low boil and cook until the sauce has thickened.
Meat sauce after thickened with cooked rice added.
Step 4: Remove from the heat and add the cooked rice.
Beef and rice filling after combining.
Step 5: Stir to mix the rice into the filling.
Four bell peppers stuffed with beef and rice filling before cooking in an air fryer basket.
Step 6: Spoon filling into each pepper, packing them tightly. Place the stuffed peppers into the air fryer basket and cook.
After cooking for 10 minutes with shredded cheese added and italian seasoning sprinkled on top.
Step 7: Top each pepper with shredded cheese and the remaining Italian seasoning.
Peppers after cheese is browned and bubbly.
Step 8: Air fry until the cheese is melted, browned, and bubbly.

My Best Air Fryer Stuffed Pepper Tips

  1. Remove all the seeds from the peppers. I like to cut the tops of the peppers off, then use my hand to pull out the cores of seeds. You can then use a spoon or your fingers to brush away any remaining seeds.
  2. Pre-cook the peppers. I don’t find it necessary to do this step because I think the cooking time is sufficient to soften them. But if you like your peppers really soft for stuffing, just pop these into the air fryer for 5 minutes alone first before stuffing them.
  3. Use frozen rice. If you don’t have leftover, pre-cooked rice, I think frozen rice is an excellent shortcut for this recipe! Just thaw/cook it however the package says to.
  4. Adjust the cooking time as necessary. Some air fryers cook faster and others slower. Just keep an eye on the peppers and adjust the cooking time as necessary!
Air fried beef stuffed peppers with melted cheese on a large round platter.

Serving Ideas

Air fryer stuffed pepper on a small plate cut in half to show filling inside.

More Easy Air Fryer Dinner Recipes

If you try this Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!

Air fryer beef stuffed peppers recipe.
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Air Fryer Stuffed Pepper Recipe

These easy air fryer stuffed peppers are stuffed with seasoned beef and rice and topped with bubbly cheese! 15 minutes in the air fryer gets the peppers soft and cheese melty.
No ratings yet
Author Yumna Jawad
Servings 4 servings
Course Dinner, Entree, Main Dish
Calories 452
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
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Ingredients
  

  • 4 large bell peppers
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 (15–ounce) can no salt added tomato sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning divided
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup cooked rice
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  • Slice the top of each pepper and dice the tops. Set aside the diced tops. Deseed the remaining whole pepper.
  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and the diced pepper tops and cook for 6-7 minutes until softened and browned. Add beef and cook until browned, breaking into small pieces. Add garlic and cook for another 1 minute until fragrant. Add tomato sauce, 1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a low boil and continue to cook over medium-high heat until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, add the cooked rice, and toss to combine.
  • Preheat the air fryer to 360°F for about 5 minutes.
  • Spoon 1 to 1 ¼ cups of filling into each pepper, packing them tightly. Place the stuffed peppers into the air fryer basket and cook for 10 minutes.
  • Open the air fryer. Top each pepper with shredded cheese and remaining ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning and air fry for an additional 2 minutes until the cheese is melted, browned, and bubbly.

Equipment

Notes

Storage: Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container. They will last about 3-4 days! To reheat, you can add them to a 350°F air fryer for five minutes or put them in the microwave for a couple of minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pepper with 1-1 ¼ cup filling, Calories: 452kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 92mg, Sodium: 857mg, Potassium: 1315mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 6272IU, Vitamin C: 224mg, Calcium: 300mg, Iron: 6mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Diet: Gluten Free
Cuisine American
Course: Dinner, Entree, Main Dish

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