Instant Pot Stuffed Bell Peppers
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Instant Pot stuffed bell peppers are a simple dinner with less effort than the oven version. They cook up tender with a flavorful ground beef and rice filling and plenty of tomato sauce to serve alongside.
This recipe is cooked in an Instant Pot (a multicooker with a pressure cooker setting), which is perfect for busy nights when you want a hassle-free dinner.
Before you start
- Rice: this recipe uses cooked rice (leftover rice works well).
- Pressure cook time: 8 minutes for medium peppers. Add 1 to 2 minutes for large peppers.
- Release: let pressure drop naturally for 4 to 5 minutes, then do a quick release.
- Pot size: a 6-quart usually fits about 4 medium to large peppers upright on a trivet.
Ingredients
- Bell peppers
- Onion
- Ground beef or pork (or a combination of these two).
- Cooked rice
- Marjoram
- Salt and pepper
- Tomato sauce
- Breadcrumbs
- Garlic
- Sugar – optional, helps balance the sauce.
- Water – for a richer flavor, use chicken or vegetable stock.
Tools you’ll need
- Measuring cups and spoons or a scale.
- Mixing bowl and fork (hand will also do the trick).
- Cutting board & knife – For this simple cutting any knife will work here.
- 6-quart (6-liter) Instant Pot or 8-quart (8-liter).
Possible variations
- Cheese: either as a topping or mixed in the stuffing mixture.
- Meat: ground pork or a combination of ground pork and beef.
- Spicy: add a few finely chopped jalapenos in – to your taste.
- Cauliflower rice: many of our readers used cauliflower rice instead of white rice. If using cauliflower rice, drain or squeeze out excess liquid so the filling doesn’t turn loose.
- Quinoa: another great option and substitution for rice.
What can I serve with stuffed bell peppers
- Salad: Any leafy salad with a vinaigrette or dressing works great.
- Bread: It’s great to soak up the tomato sauce. What kind? Choose what you like: Crusty sourdough, garlic bread, store-bought or homemade bread – pick your favorite!
- Cooked vegetables: Green beans or broccoli are the easiest options.
- Mashed potatoes are also great here if you want something cozy to catch the sauce.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, you can. Uncooked stuffed peppers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge up to 24 hours before cooking. To make sure everything is cooked through, add 1 or 2 minutes to the pressure cook time. Or you can prep the filling a day in advance and refrigerate, in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap.
It is possible, but I don’t recommend it. The filling itself will be fine, but the peppers will change their texture. Perhaps try freezing uncooked stuffed peppers instead. That will give you a slightly better texture.
For medium peppers, count with 8 minutes of active cook time. With large peppers, add an extra 1 to 2 minutes. Keep in mind the 8 minutes is the pressure time. You’ll also need time for the pot to come to pressure, plus a few minutes for the release.
This recipe is written for cooked rice. Uncooked rice can stay firm inside the peppers and can make the filling dry. For consistent results, use cooked rice.
It usually means the sauce on the bottom is too thick, or there isn’t enough thin liquid. Add a splash of water or stock and make sure the peppers sit on a trivet so they aren’t sitting directly in the sauce.
Useful tips
- Any type of cooked rice will work here.
- Marjoram can be substituted with oregano. Italian seasoning is another good option.
- You can also add some fresh parsley to the filling.
- Great for meal prep: Cooked stuffed bell peppers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days if stored properly.
- Optional: Top stuffed bell peppers with shredded cheese right before serving.
- Peppers: I prefer yellow and red ones as they have a milder taste. Green peppers tend to taste bitter.
- Don’t pack the filling too tightly. A gentle fill helps everything heat evenly.
More instant pot recipes to try
- Chicken Risotto: Our readers’ favorite. So easy, done in a pressure cooker.
- Tortellini Soup: This is the perfect weeknight dinner. Serve it with crusty bread and you are in for a treat.
- Chicken Paprikash: A tasty chicken dinner (my favorite) with plenty of sauce, cooked without a hassle.
Instant Pot Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 medium bell peppers see notes 1 and 2
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- ½ pound ground beef or pork, (220 grams)
- 2 cups cooked rice (300 grams)
- 1½ tablespoons marjoram divided, see note 3
- 1½ teaspoons salt divided
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 1 can tomato sauce divided, (14 ounces/400 grams), see note 4
- ½ cup water or chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon sugar optional
- 1 teaspoon olive oil optional
Instructions
- Rinse all the peppers. Cut off the tops, then remove the membranes and seeds.
- In a medium bowl, combine 1 small finely chopped onion, ½ pound ground meat, 2 cups cooked rice, 1 tablespoon marjoram, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 2 minced cloves garlic, 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs and 4 tablespoons of tomato sauce (reserve the rest for later). Mix with a fork or hand until well combined.
- Fill each pepper with the mixture.
- Pour water (or chicken stock) and the remaining tomato sauce to the inner pot of a 6-quart (6-liter) Instant Pot. Stir in ½ teaspoon sugar (optional), ½ teaspoon marjoram, generous pinch of salt (skip it if using salty stock) and a drizzle of olive oil (optional).
- Insert the trivet and arrange the stuffed peppers on top.
- Lock the lid and set the steam release valve to SEALING. Press MANUAL (older models) or PRESSURE COOK (newer models) and set to 8 minutes on High Pressure. When done, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then carefully turn the valve to VENTING to release the remaining pressure. Or wait until the pin drops itself (natural release).
- Let the peppers rest for a few minutes before serving.
- Serve the peppers in the sauce or ladle the sauce over each portion.
Video
Notes
- Any color will do but keep in mind that green peppers tend to taste bitter.
- For large peppers, add 1 to 2 minutes to the pressure cook time to make sure the meat is cooked through. Ground beef and pork should reach 160°F (71°C).
- Marjoram can be substituted with oregano or Italian seasoning.
- Tomato sauce can be substituted with tomato passata or flavored tomato sauce.
- This recipe is enough to fill 4 medium peppers.
- Optional: top cooked stuffed peppers with shredded cheese.
- The meat to rice ratio can be adjusted to your liking.
- The cooking time does not include time for the pot to come to pressure and release pressure, usually about 20 to 25 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and may vary based on ingredient brands, substitutions, and portion sizes.
I’m not sure what I did wrong but I have a lot of stuffing leftover and Even filled a 5th one. Since I didn’t cook the beef, can I only dispose of it ? I hate being very wasteful.
Maybe the peppers you used were rather small. If you end up with any leftovers, just roll them in a ball and cook them alongside the stuffed peppers.
These peppers are amazing and so easy!
We added an 11.5 oz can of V8 juice into the pot, and a 1/2 c of elbow macaroni. Turned out P-E-R-F-E-C-T!!
Fantastic. I added 2 Tbsp half and half and 1 Tbsp Worcestershire to the meat mixture and finished the sauce with 1/2 C Ketchup. Love these!
Thanks so much for your feedback, Eric.
Tried these tonight, thanks for having the recipe available!! Delicious!!
You are welcome, Barbara. Thanks for finding time to leave a feedback and rating!
I made this recipe and it was delicious. I substituted ground turkey and oregano as I didn’t have marjoram. The time of 8 minutes was spot on. Peppers and filling were so good. I will definitely make these again…thank you!
Thanks so much for your feedback and rating, Christine! Hope you find on my blog more recipes you like.
We love this recipe. This is my go to for stuffed peppers. I generally do a single modification of using Spanish rice instead and it gives it a spicy pop.
That’s great to hear :) Thanks so much for your feedback and the tip!
Hello there,
This recipe is for a 6qt since I have an 8qt I am wondering how much water to use? This one here says 1/2 a cup of water plus tomatoes and liquid but I know that the 8qt requires at least 2 cups of liquid. Would 1 cup of water and more tomatoe and it’s juice work?
Thank you
Juliane
Hi Juliane, yes, your suggestion should work perfectly. Hope you enjoy this recipe!
Julia, it’s awesome! I cannot wait to try this. I bet it makes the house smell divine and tastes incredible!
Hi There, Stuffed Peppers are my very very favorite food but I have a question when adapting the way I cook into Instant Pot cooking. I usually stuff my peppers, place in a casserole dish filled with tomato sauce, and bake. Can I put the Peppers in the Pressure Cooker without the rack and right in the sauce? I really enjoy the sauce tasting like the peppers and we serve the pepper over elbow mac w/ the sauce. I’m just curious if I’ll get the burn notice if I do it this way. Thank you!
Laurie
Hi Laurie, I’d say it’s OK to cook them without the rack. If not sure, increase the amount of sauce slightly. Hope this helps :)
I’m so EXCITED to try this! But, I’m wondering….what did ya’ll pair these peppers with as a side dish? I’m stuck on what it might mix will with.
Hi Ashley, I usually serve them with bread or bread rolls or nothing but some people like serving these with salads, roasted potatoes or steamed veggies. Hope this helps!
I used TVP (texturized vegetable protein) in place of meat to make this a vegan meal and it turned out amazing! Looks, smells and tastes like the stuffed green peppers I remember from my childhood. Wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you!
Yay! I am glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting us know that this recipe can be made vegan.
Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe. I used ground turkey instead of beef and it was still very delicious just had to cook it a few minutes more to get it to the correct temp. Also used the boil in bag brown rice for a short cut.
Could I replace the cooked rice for cooked quinoa?
Hi Jessica, it sounds like a delicious substitution to me and I don’t see a reason why it shouldn’t work! Please let us know how you liked it!
8 minutes is too much. My peppers fell apart :(
This may be due to the size of peppers you used. Also the fresher peppers the better. As you can see on the video, my peppers did not fall apart. If you make it next time, you can either try reducing the cooking time slightly or release the pressure after the cooking is finished. This will stop them from cooking any further.
Hi are the canned tomatoes puréed, diced, or whole?
Hi Celeste, I used diced tomatoes. You can also use whole if you have those on hand. Just smash them with a fork or dice with knife. Hope this helps.
I used a can of ro-tel! It was great!
Sounds like a great substitution! Glad to hear you enjoyed it :)
Do I have to cook the rice first if I am using Instant Rice?
Hi Connie. I would say that yes, you have to. The reason is that there is not much of a liquid for the rice to be cooked in. Please let me know how you liked this dish when you try!
I can’t wait to try this! I have a larger family and will need to make more than four. Do you think stacking another layer of peppers would work? I’m still trying to figure out how to use this thing and what you can and can’t do!
I know it’s OK to stack food in Instant Pot but haven’t really tried it myself yet so I am afraid I am not much of a help here. I think it should be fine when it comes to cooking time. I am not sure if they will hold their shape well though. Please let me know if you do give it a try!
I am just now getting comfortable with my instant pot and am excited to try this recipe tonight. When you say “let the pressure release naturally” what does that mean? Do I turn the valve to “vent” for 4 minutes or just wait 4 minutes after the cooking time is complete? Thank you in advance!
Jordan, sorry for the late reply. Yes, you wait 4 minutes after the cooking time is complete and then you turn the valve to vent (be careful not to burn yourself with the steam). Let me know how they turned out for you if you get a chance!
Im so excited to try this tonight! I usually use frozen riced cauliflower and ground turkey with stuffed peppers. Would I cook that first and mix it with the raw meat? Or could I precook the rice and meat before filling the peppers and then put them in the Instant Pot for a shorter amount of time? This will be my first try with the Instant Pot-i just got a 6 qt on Prime Day last week :)
I hope you will love your instant pot as much as I do! :) I have never used frozen riced cauliflower in anything so can’t really advise you on this. You could try pre-cooking both the rice and meat and reducing the active cooking time like you suggested. If you do give it a go, please let us know!
Did you end up using cooked cauli-rice? I’m worried if I pre cook the cauli-rice if might turn out too mushy. On the other hand, I didn’t want it to be crunchy if I didn’t pre cook the cauli-rice. Please help.