Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers
Recipe Snapshot
PREP + COOK TIME: 30 minutes
COOKING METHOD: Air Fryer
OTHER TOOLS NEEDED: Skillet, Spatula
NUMBER OF INGREDIENTS: 7
Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers are such an easy solution for getting a healthy combination of ingredients all in one dish! The yummy filling includes ground beef, rice, and marinara sauce and each pepper is topped with cheese. The air fryer makes it simple to make a fresh all-in-one meal!
What’s To Love About Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers
- This is a great option for a filling, nutritious meal that is easy to prep multiple servings at once.
- Air fryer stuffed peppers are quick and easy for busy nights. From start to finish, you can have dinner on the table in about 30 minutes, or even less if you are using precooked filling!
- Stuffed peppers are a good option to use up leftover rice and any other veggies you might want to add.
- It’s easy to prep the filling ahead and store in the fridge or as a freezer meal. This makes it easy to batch prep and assemble a healthy meal when you are pressed for time.
- I especially love stuffed peppers because it includes protein, carbs, and veggies all in one!
Ingredients Needed
- Bell peppers – Choose 4 bell peppers of any color combination. Depending on their size, you may need 6 to use up all of the filling mixture.
- Ground beef – Choose lean ground beef (93% lean is best) to prevent the filling from getting too greasy. The meat will be cooked before adding to the air fryer so you can also drain off any excess grease if needed.
- Yellow onion – Dice ½ cup of yellow onion to give extra flavor.
- Cooked white rice – You can use any white rice grain you prefer. This is a great use for precooked rice or leftovers!
- Marinara sauce – Use about half of a standard jar of your favorite marinara sauce to combine the ground beef, rice, and onion.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese and shredded parmesan cheese – A mix of these cheeses creates the best melted topping on the peppers.
How To Make Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers
- Wash the peppers and use a sharp knife to remove the top of each pepper.
- Remove all ribs and seeds from the peppers and discard.
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until browned. Use a spatula or meat chopper utensil to break it apart as it cooks.
- Let the ground beef cool slightly, then add diced onion, rice, and marinara sauce to the pan and stir to combine.
- Stuff the filling mixture into each pepper until filled just below the top rim.
- Add the stuffed peppers to the air fryer and cook at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
- Top the peppers with mozzarella and parmesan cheese and cook an additional 2-4 minutes until melted.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
Stuffed peppers are such a versatile recipe because you can easily customize the flavors and ingredients.
- If you prefer a more traditional flavor, choose green bell peppers. Many people like to use a combination of peppers for flavor and visual appeal – red, yellow, or orange peppers will all work!
- Instead of cooking the rice or waiting for leftover rice, you can also buy pre-cooked rice in microwavable pouches. These work perfectly for this recipe since you only need 1 cup, and you can also save the extra step of cooking the rice.
- Use Brown Rice, Jasmine Rice, or your favorite rice grain.
- Try a pizza-flavored twist by using a pizza sauce and top the peppers with mini-pepperonis and Colby Jack cheese.
- You could also use spicy marinara sauce for an extra flavor kick!
Tips For Making The Best Stuffed Peppers In The Air Fryer
- You may need to adjust the number of stuffed peppers in the air fryer depending on the size of the basket. You want the peppers to be lightly touching so that they don’t fall over, but not packed in.
- If you need more than 4 servings, prep a double batch of this stuffed pepper recipe at the same time, then cook them in batches in the air fryer.
- To ensure even cooking, use similar sizes of peppers.
What Goes Best With Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed peppers can be a complete meal, or you could serve them with some extra sides for a larger meal option.
Serve extra rice on the side, or a cup of seasoned Pinto Beans. To add some other fresh options, mix up Black Bean and Corn Salsa or Corn Slaw and serve with tortilla chips!
Leftover Instructions
Store leftover peppers in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat leftovers in the air fryer for the best results. Stuffed peppers will not freeze well since the peppers will become too soft when they are defrosted.
Freezer meal: To make this recipe as a freezer meal, premake the filling and freeze it in a gallon bag or airtight container. Purchase fresh peppers and prepare them when ready to cook. Defrost the filling first and then continue the air fryer steps as directed.
Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers
Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers are such an easy solution for getting a healthy combination of ingredients all in one dish! The yummy filling includes ground beef, rice, and marinara sauce and each pepper is topped with cheese. The air fryer makes it simple to make a fresh all-in-one meal!
Equipment
- Skillet
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 4 bell peppers any preferred color, may need up to 6 peppers depending on size
- 1 pound lean 93% ground beef
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup cooked white rice
- 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
- 4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 oz shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Wash the peppers and use a sharp knife to remove top of each pepper.
- Remove all ribs and seeds from peppers and discard.
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until browned. Use a spatula or meat chopper utensil to break apart as it cooks.
- Let ground beef cool slightly, then add diced onion, rice, and marinara sauce to pan and stir to combine.
- Stuff filling mixture into each pepper until filled just below top rim.
- Add stuffed peppers to air fryer and cook at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
- Top peppers with mozzarella and parmesan cheese and cook an additional 2-4 minutes until melted.
Notes
- Store in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in the air fryer.
- Prep the filling ahead and freeze for up to 3 months, then assemble fresh when ready to cook.
- Customize your stuffed pepper filling with other finely diced veggies.
Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers FAQs
- Do the peppers need to be pre-cooked? The peppers do not need to be pre-cooked. Fresh, raw bell peppers will cook to just the right tenderness and maintain their shape in the air fryer.
- Can I cook multiple peppers at once in the air fryer? Yes, a standard air fryer should hold 4 average-sized bell peppers or possibly 6 smaller ones. You can add several bell peppers as long as they are not packed in so tightly so that the heat won’t circulate between them.
- How can I ensure my peppers cook evenly in the air fryer? Use peppers of similar sizes and fill them evenly. Be sure there is some room between them in the air fryer basket to allow the heat to circulate evenly.
- How do I store and reheat leftovers while retaining crispness? Store stuffed peppers by placing them upright in a container in the fridge. When ready to reheat, use the air fryer for just a few minutes until the filling is warmed through.
