Slow-Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers for Weeknight Dinner

Crock Pot Stuffed Bell Peppers is an inexpensive, family-friendly slow cooker recipe featuring ground beef and a savory tomato sauce.

Ground beef crock pot recipes are not only comforting but also a great way to stretch your grocery budget.

This post also includes simple instructions for making perfect long-grain white rice so it never turns out mushy.

As a child I remember my mom cooking many ground beef dishes. While prices have changed, ground beef remains one of the more affordable proteins—especially when bought on sale or in bulk.

Alongside stuffed peppers, stuffed cabbage was a family favorite. Many classic recipes use canned tomato soup, but in this version we use canned tomato sauce for a clean, tomato-forward flavor.

This Crock Pot Stuffed Bell Peppers dish is hearty and satisfying. I served mine over a bed of white rice, which soaks up the tomato sauce beautifully.

If you plan to serve the peppers over rice, double the rice amount in the recipe so everyone gets a generous portion—the recipe yields about one cup of extra cooked rice, enough for roughly two servings.

Crock Pot Stuffed Bell Peppers Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked long-grain white rice, cooled to room temperature (see rice instructions below)
• 1½ lb ground beef
• ½ cup diced onion
• ¼ cup diced green bell pepper (from the cap of one pepper)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 large green bell peppers
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, plus extra for topping
• ¼ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
• Two 15-oz cans tomato sauce
• Additional cooked rice if serving the stuffed peppers over rice (double rice for 4–6 people)

How to make crock pot stuffed peppers

1. Cook the long-grain white rice and let it cool to room temperature (see rice instructions below).
2. Cook the filling: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté the diced onion, diced green pepper, and minced garlic for about 3 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Stir in the Italian seasoning, cook for one more minute, then drain the beef and let it cool completely.
3. Combine the filling: In a large bowl, mix the cooled browned beef with 1 cup of the cooked rice, 1 cup shredded mozzarella, and ¼ cup shredded Parmesan.
4. Prepare the peppers: Cut the caps off the bell peppers, remove seeds and membranes, and stand each pepper upright inside a 6-quart crock pot.
5. Fill the peppers: Spoon the filling into each pepper until nearly overflowing.
6. Slow cook: Pour the two cans of tomato sauce over the filled peppers. Cover and cook on LOW for about 6 hours or on HIGH for 3½ hours. Just before serving, top each pepper with about ¼ cup shredded mozzarella, cover again and heat until the cheese melts.
7. Serve each stuffed pepper over a bed of cooked rice if desired.

Helpful tips for making Crock Pot Stuffed Bell Peppers

• Slightly undercook the rice so it keeps its texture while the peppers cook.
• If a pepper won’t stand upright, trim a thin slice from the bottom so it sits level.
• Cooking time varies with pepper size: smaller peppers need less time; peppers should be tender but still hold their shape.
• You can fit six large bell peppers tightly into a 6-quart crock pot.

How To Make Perfect White Rice Every Time

Ingredients

• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 2 cups water
• ½ teaspoon salt (optional)

1. Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs almost clear—this can take up to five minutes and helps prevent mushy rice.
2. Measure 2 cups water (and salt if using) into a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring the water to a hard boil over high heat.
3. Add the rinsed rice, stir once to prevent sticking, and return to a full boil. Stir again, then cover and boil hard for 1 minute.
4. After 1 minute, turn off the heat. Do not lift the lid. If the water starts to run over, move the pot off the hot burner. Let the rice sit undisturbed for 20–30 minutes.
5. After 30 minutes, lift the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. If water remains, replace the lid and wait another 20 minutes. Properly cooked rice will be tender, separate, and not mushy.
6. If the rice is mushy, the ratio or boiling time was likely off—adjust measurements and technique next time.
7. This method has been reliable for years: use a 2:1 water-to-rice ratio for long-grain white rice. One cup uncooked rice yields about two cups cooked.

More recipes you’ll love

Here are a few other bell pepper recipes to try.

Print the Crock Pot Stuffed Bell Peppers recipe below