Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers

Juicy and flavorful stuffed peppers, made with ground meat, rice and lots of vegetables are so quick to prepare from start to finish in the Instant Pot.

Stuffed Peppers are a favorite in our family. My boys absolutely love them. Since it’s such a healthy and satisfying meal, I had to try to make it in the Instant Pot and I loved the results, especially since the peppers cook so quickly and I can cook everything in one appliance. Any time I can reduce the amount of dishes I have to wash, I am a happy girl.

My secret to really tender stuffed peppers that are also flavorful is to use A LOT of vegetables in the meat mixture. The vegetables really add so many dimensions of flavor and give make the filling really juicy. I also add a good amount of water for the rice to soak up so it doesn’t take all the moisture out of the meat mixture, leaving very dense and dry stuffed peppers.

The accompanying tomato sauce also has some added veggies for an extra layer of flavor, as well as a splash of cream to mellow out the acidity and fresh herbs to make it all taste fresh and bright. 

Ingredients:

5 medium bell peppers (any color, except green)

1/2 Tablespoon olive oil

1 lb ground chicken

1/2 – 3/4 lb ground pork

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

1/2 cup long grain white rice, uncooked

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

3/4 cup water

1/2 Tablespoon dry herbs or a seasoning mix (a combination of anything you like, parsley, basil, oregano, granulated garlic, onion, etc.)

Sauce:

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups tomato sauce or tomato ragu (or 1 (14.5 oz) can)

3/4 cup water

1/2 Tablespoon dry herbs or a seasoning mix (a combination of anything you like, parsley, basil, oregano, granulated garlic, onion, etc.)

1/4 – 1/2 cup heavy cream

1 Tablespoon fresh herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, etc.)

To serve: sour cream, as a garnish, optional

Instructions:

Prep the bell peppers by cutting off the tops and scooping out the seeds. Finely chop the tops of the peppers and use them in the stuffing and the sauce. I’m all about utilizing every part of an ingredient – more flavor, less waste.

If you are using larger bell peppers, it will take a bit longer for the rice to cook all the way through. Here’s a trick I like to use. Put the rice in a bowl and pour boiling water over it and allow it to stand for about 10 minutes, then drain the water before adding the rice to the meat mixture.

Using the “Saute” mode on the Instant Pot, adjust the heat to “More”. Add the olive oil and when the oil is hot, add the onion, celery, and the bell pepper tops, seasoning with about 1/4 teaspoon salt and ground black pepper. Cook until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Remove 3/4 of the vegetables to a large bowl and cool until barely warm. This will be for the meat filling and the remaining vegetables will be for the sauce.

I’ll be honest. I like adding more vegetables (double the amount) to my meat mixture and sauce. I think it gives much more flavor and makes the meat mixture more tender and not as dense, however, it will also work out with 1 onion and 2 celery stalks.

Sometimes, I also add other vegetables, like finely chopped or shredded zucchini, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, etc. I love the flavor it gives the final dish. It’s completely up to you.

Meanwhile, add the minced garlic to the Instant Pot, continuing to sauté for another minute. Pour in the tomato sauce and the water. You can use a can of tomato sauce, it will be a little bit less than 2 cups, but in order for you not to have to open another can, one will work out just fine. If you are using a bigger jar or are using homemade sauce, use 2 cups.

Season the sauce to taste with salt and ground black pepper, as well as 1/2 Tablespoon of your favorite dry herbs (Italian seasoning, dry thyme, oregano, parsley, granulated garlic, granulated onion, etc.) Bring the sauce to a boil and cook for another 3 minutes or so. Turn off the Instant Pot.

Meanwhile, the first part of the vegetables should have cooled off by now. Add the ground chicken and ground pork to the large bowl.

You can use any ground meat that you like, so ground turkey and ground beef will work just as well in this recipe too.

Add the rice, 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper, the dry herbs and the water. Mix to combine. Fill the bell peppers with the meat mixture. (If your peppers are smaller, you may have some meat mixture left over. You can freeze it to use another time or form meatballs and cook them right alongside the stuffed peppers.)

Place the bell peppers in the Instant Pot, nestling them into the sauce. (If you’re using larger bell peppers, only 4 may fit.)Pour some of the sauce over the stuffed peppers. Cover the Instant Pot with the lid. Turn the valve to “Sealing”. Turn on the “Manual” mode, high pressure, for 10 minutes. If your peppers are bigger, you may need to cook them longer, up to 15 minutes.

Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 3-5 minutes, then release the pressure manually. Take out the stuffed peppers with a large slotted spoon and place on a serving plate. Pour in the heavy cream to the sauce and add the fresh herbs, mix to combine. Serve the stuffed peppers with the sauce and sour cream.

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Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers

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5 from 7 reviews

Juicy and flavorful stuffed peppers, made with ground meat, rice and lots of vegetables are so quick to prepare from start to finish in the Instant Pot. 

  • Author: Olga's Flavor Factory
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 35 mins
  • Yield: 4-6 1x
  • Category: Entree

Ingredients

Scale
  • 5 medium bell peppers (any color, except green)
  • 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 1/23/4 lb ground pork
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup long grain white rice, uncooked
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/2 Tablespoon dry herbs or a seasoning mix (a combination of anything you like, parsley, basil, oregano, granulated garlic, onion, etc.)

Sauce:

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups tomato sauce or tomato ragu (or 1 (14.5 oz) can)
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/2 Tablespoon dry herbs or a seasoning mix (a combination of anything you like, parsley, basil, oregano, granulated garlic, onion, etc.)
  • 1/41/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, etc.)

To serve: sour cream, as a garnish, optional

Instructions

  1. Prep the bell peppers by cutting off the tops and scooping out the seeds. Finely chop the tops of the peppers and use them in the stuffing and the sauce. I’m all about utilizing every part of an ingredient – more flavor, less waste.
  2. If you are using larger bell peppers, it will take a bit longer for the rice to cook all the way through. Here’s a trick I like to use. Put the rice in a bowl and pour boiling water over it and allow it to stand for about 10 minutes, then drain the water before adding the rice to the meat mixture.
  3. Using the “Saute” mode on the Instant Pot, adjust the heat to “More”. Add the olive oil and when the oil is hot, add the onion, celery, and the bell pepper tops, seasoning with about 1/4 teaspoon salt and ground black pepper. Cook until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Remove 3/4 of the vegetables to a large bowl and cool until barely warm. This will be for the meat filling and the remaining vegetables will be for the sauce.
  4. Sometimes, I also add other vegetables, like finely chopped or shredded zucchini, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, etc. I love the flavor it gives the final dish. It’s completely up to you.
  5. Meanwhile, add the minced garlic to the Instant Pot, continuing to sauté for another minute. Pour in the tomato sauce and the water. You can use a can of tomato sauce, it will be a little bit less than 2 cups, but in order for you not to have to open another can, one will work out just fine. If you are using a bigger jar or are using homemade sauce, use 2 cups.
  6. Season the sauce to taste with salt and ground black pepper, as well as 1/2 Tablespoon of your favorite dry herbs (Italian seasoning, dry thyme, oregano, parsley, granulated garlic, granulated onion, etc.) Bring the sauce to a boil and cook for another 3 minutes or so. Turn off the Instant Pot.
  7. Meanwhile, the first part of the vegetables should have cooled off by now. Add the ground chicken and ground pork to the large bowl.
  8. You can use any ground meat that you like, so ground turkey and ground beef will work just as well in this recipe too.
  9. Add the rice, 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper, the dry herbs and the water. Mix to combine. Fill the bell peppers with the meat mixture. (If your peppers are smaller, you may have some meat mixture left over. You can freeze it to use another time or form meatballs and cook them right alongside the stuffed peppers.)
  10. Place the bell peppers in the Instant Pot, nestling them into the sauce. Pour some of the sauce over the stuffed peppers. Cover the Instant Pot with the lid. Turn the valve to “Sealing”. Turn on the “Manual” mode, high pressure, for 10 minutes. If your peppers are bigger, you may need to cook them longer, up to 15 minutes.
  11. Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 5 minutes, then release the pressure manually.
  12. Take out the stuffed peppers with a large slotted spoon and place on a serving plate. Pour in the heavy cream to the sauce and add the fresh herbs, mixing to combine. Serve the stuffed peppers with the sauce and sour cream.

Notes

Stuffed Peppers freeze really well. You can freeze them assembled, uncooked, in an airtight container or a freezer ziplock bag and then cook. You can cook them in the Instant Pot right out of the freezer. Take them out of the container/bag, (make the sauce then or prep it beforehand and pour it in). The time should be only a bit longer than when the peppers aren’t frozen, since it will take longer for the Instant Pot to come to pressure, so you only need to add a few more minutes to the cooking time.

You can also freeze the cooked bell peppers. Freeze them in an airtight container or a freezer ziplock bag, for 3-6 months. When reheating, you can thaw the peppers first in the refrigerator, and then reheat until warmed all the way through. You can also reheat them, stating in a cold oven and heating to 400 degrees, until the peppers are heated all the way through.

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Freezing Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed Peppers freeze really well. You can freeze them assembled, uncooked, in an airtight container or a freezer ziplock bag and then cook. You can cook them in the Instant Pot right out of the freezer. Take them out of the container/bag, (make the sauce then or prep it beforehand and pour it in). The time should be only a bit longer than when the peppers aren’t frozen, since it will take longer for the Instant Pot to come to pressure, so you only need to add a few more minutes to the cooking time.

You can also freeze the cooked bell peppers. Freeze them in an airtight container or a freezer ziplock bag, for 3-6 months. When reheating, you can thaw the peppers first in the refrigerator, and then reheat until warmed all the way through. You can also reheat them, stating in a cold oven and heating to 400 degrees, until the peppers are heated all the way through.

If you don’t want to use the Instant Pot, you can use this exact recipe and make everything on the stovetop. Use leftover rice or partially cook the rice before adding it to the meat mixture. After filling the peppers with the meat mixture, cook them in a large dutch oven on the stovetop, on low heat for about 30-40 minutes, or in the oven, 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-45 minutes.

35 Comments

  • Yana

    Any advice on using diced chicken instead of ground? I personally love it that way and don’t know if I can use raw meat or cook it prior to stuffing the peppers?

    • olgak7

      You would need to cook it longer if you are using diced chicken, Yana. You would need to experiment with timing, or possibly precook the chicken in advance.

      • Yana

        The peppers were perfect! I couldn’t believe how fast it took compared to my oven method. I cooked the chicken before adding it to the rice & veggie mixture and everything turned out so juicy! This will be my go-to from now on! Thanks for sharing this recipe!

  • Kate

    Wohoo! Made these today and my food taster who is my husband said these were far the best stuffed peppers he has tried! Will be making these again! Thank you for the recipe 🙂

  • Tanya

    Hi Olga! I am wondering if you know the instant pot timing for staffing cabbage rolls…. I need the whole pot of them…

    • olgak7

      I would say 18-20 minutes on high pressure. However, I usually make mine on the stovetop or in the oven, so I don’t have a lot of experience making it in the pressure cooker.

  • Viktoriya

    Hey, Olga)
    I wanted to ask you if you can make a video tutorial of how to use instant pot (for beginners).
    I got one and seem to have this phobia of using it…..
    Thanks in advance)

    • olgak7

      Hi Jessica,
      This is usually the case if the peppers are really large and there is a lot of filling in them. You can try cooking them longer or using smaller peppers. Also, try not to pack in the meat and rice filling too tightly. It also helps to add more vegetables:).

  • Dina

    I make these all the time now, they are so quick and delicious!!
    Thank you for the website, I mostly cook using your website 👍






  • Mary

    Loved these! 15 minutes worked out perfect for my large peppers. I also used ground chicken breast because it’s what I had and didn’t think it was too dry. Olga, do you know how much time I’d need if I do small peppers? I’m going on maternity leave and would love to meal prep small peppers to cook when baby arrives. I’m thinking to try the same time amount? Thanks for any insight.






    • olgak7

      That’s great, Mary! So glad you enjoyed them.
      You will need to experiment with the timing, Mary. I would start with 5 minutes, release the pressure, see it they are done and add more time if they need it.
      Congrats on a new baby! That is so exciting. I wish you all the best. Enjoy your maternity leave.

  • Katya Skorupsky

    Hi Olga, I made the recipe a month ago and it was amazing! I’m making it again and wanted to know if I can fully assemble the peppers the night before, keep them in the fridge and cook them in the morning? Just want to make sure pepper won’t get soggy or something of that sort. Thank you!






      • Nadia

        Is there a reason you say any color peppers except green? I have green peppers I need to use up and now I’m not sure if I should.

        • olgak7

          Green peppers are unripe versions of the other bell peppers. As they ripen, they get sweeter, so the green peppers are much more bitter. However, if you like the taste of green peppers, you can certainly use them here too. I like the sweeter bell peppers for this recipe.

  • Irina

    Hi Olga,
    Do you know of a different sauce I can use instead? Can I use broth? My family doesn’t like red sauce but they want stuffed peppers 😀

  • Yana

    Just cooked these. Loved them! We decided not to use heavy cream as on a diet so need to think how to make the sauce less liquidy. Thank you for yet another awesome recipe, Olga!






    • olgak7

      That’s wonderful, Yana! So happy you enjoyed the Stuffed Peppers. Thank you for taking the time to write. After the peppers are cooked, you can take them out of the Instant Pot, turn on the Saute function and cook the sauce a bit longer to reduce some of the liquid if you want to make it a bit thicker.

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