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My keto stuffed peppers feature juicy ground beef, tender cauliflower rice, and heaps of melted cheese. They’re healthy and can be made in 3 cooking methods! 3 grams net carbs.
Need more keto weeknight dinner ideas? Try my keto stir fry, keto pork chops, and keto jambalaya next.
On the rare occasion, I don’t feel like cooking an elaborate meal for my family, I resort to quick, low-effort dinners…like my keto stuffed pepper recipe.
Featuring taco-seasoned ground beef, fluffy cauliflower rice, and generous portions of cheese, everything gets stuffed into bell peppers and baked until they’re soft and soak up every bit of flavor.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- A healthy recipe. We’re talking fiber-packed veggies, lean ground beef, and just enough cheese to satisfy without weighing you down.
- Low-effort. Granted, you’ll have to cook the beef and veggies, but once you stuff the peppers, the oven does most of the work.
- Deceptively filling. It may sound like a light dish, but one or two stuffed peppers are plenty satiating–just ask my family!
- Suitable for veggie-haters. If you’re trying to get a family member to eat more veggies, this recipe is for you.
- Air fryer and Instant Pot methods included. While I prefer the traditional oven method, I included other options for a more convenient recipe.
Ingredients needed
- Bell peppers. I used a combination of yellow, red, and green bell peppers. Try to use ones of equal size so they cook at the same time.
- Olive oil. To sauté the filling.
- Onion. Finely chopped.
- Ground beef. I prefer lean ground beef (AKA 80/20 or 80% lean, 20% fat) as it keeps the recipe low-fat but high-protein. If you use 70/30, drain the excess grease from the beef.
- Taco seasoning. I love adding some homemade keto taco seasoning to give this dish a Mexican spin. For a non-Mexican version, use Italian seasoning.
- Canned diced tomatoes. Make sure there’s no added salt or sugar. Alternatively, use homemade marinara sauce.
- Cauliflower rice. Traditional stuffed peppers are made with rice, but cauliflower rice is just as satisfying. It will need to be steamed in the microwave until tender.
- Cheese. Half will be in the filing, and half will be baked on top. I used a Mexican three-cheese blend, but mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese also works.
How to make keto stuffed peppers
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven and grease a baking dish. De-stem and de-seed the peppers, then slice them in half and place them in the dish.
Step 2- Cook the filling. Sauté onions in an oiled skillet, then cook the beef until no longer pink. Add the seasoning and tomatoes and simmer until thick. Turn the heat off. Stir in the rice and most of the cheese.
Step 3- Bake. Pour the filling mixture into each stuffed bell pepper, sprinkle with the remaining cheese, and bake until the cheese melts and the peppers are fork-tender.
Alternative cooking methods
I like the classic oven-baked method, but depending on how much time you have, you may prefer the air fryer or Instant Pot.
Air fryer method. Almost identical to my air fryer stuffed peppers! Place the prepared stuffed peppers in an air fryer basket and cook at 200C/400F for 10 minutes or until the peppers are tender.
Instant pot method. Place the trivet into the pressure cooker, then add the filled peppers minus the cheese topping. Cook on High for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, add the cheese, and place the lid back on top. Let the peppers sit for five minutes or until the cheese melts.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Pat the cauliflower rice VERY well. You don’t want any excess liquid going into the peppers. Otherwise, they’ll become soggy.
- Make them ahead of time. Prepare and stuff the peppers with the cooked filling, then cover the baking dish in aluminum foil and freeze for up to 1 month. When you’re ready to bake, let it thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake as directed.
- Add veggies, like minced garlic, spinach, or mushrooms.
- Swap the protein. Use ground turkey, ground chicken, or chopped-up Italian sausage (omit the taco seasoning for the latter).
Storage instructions
To store: Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
To freeze: Place cooled stuffed peppers in a freezer-safe container and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Reheating: Microwave them for 30-40 second intervals or reheat in a preheated oven until warm.
Frequently asked questions
This keto stuffed peppers recipe yields 5 grams of net carbs per serving. Using cauliflower rice instead of white or brown rice cuts down the carbs considerably.
Green bell peppers have the lowest carbs, followed by red peppers and yellow peppers. However, the difference is very minimal, so use whatever you have on hand.
Bell peppers don’t need to be blanched before stuffing them. They naturally soften during the cooking process.
More low carb dinner recipes
- Keto beef stroganoff
- Keto cheeseburger casserole
- Keto taco casserole
- Keto chicken casserole
- Or any of these keto dinner ideas
Keto Stuffed Peppers
Video
Ingredients
- 4 large bell peppers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons keto taco seasoning
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes in their juices
- 1 cup cauliflower rice steamed
- 2 cups shredded cheese divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Lightly grease a large baking dish.
- Slice the tops of the bell peppers off, and de-seed them, and remove excess membranes. Slice each bell pepper in half and place them in the lined dish.
- In a large non-stick pan, heat up your olive oil on medium. When hot, add your onions and sautee for around one minute. Add your ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Add the taco seasoning then pour in the can of diced tomatoes along with the juices. Let simmer for 1 minute.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the steamed cauliflower rice and one cup of shredded cheese.
- Evenly distribute the filling amongst the bell pepper halves and top with remaining cheese.
- Bake the stuffed peppers for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the bell peppers are tender.
- Remove the stuffed peppers from the oven and serve immediately.
Love these! Easy to make and deliciously low carb…..
I’ve made this dish several times, and my family loves it! I boil the peppers first – it’s not really required, but it makes them more tender. Also, I used to make 3/4 of it with rice for my family and the rest with cauliflower for me – but these days I only use cauliflower rice and my family still loves it.
So good! Used ground turkey, 2 10oz cans of original rotel, 1 10 oz Green Giant cauliflower rice (cooked), and 1 packet of low sodium Old El Paso taco seasoning because I already had those items. Cooked for 24 minutes then broiled on high to brown the cheese. I liked that the peppers still had some structure. Needed salt but maybe because I used low sodium seasoning.. so finished with a sprinkle of garlic salt. Thank you so much for this easy to follow and make recipe!
Very delicious. Keep in mind that if you prefer soft peppers you’ll need to bake for double the time. Also, I would definitely salt the peppers prior to filling.
Thanks!
Yummy and quick to make!
Delicious. Next time, i will lightly steam the peppers before filling. Took about 50 minutes to get the crisp tender if you don’t
It was easy to make and yummy. Thank you.
Good recipe. I like that you suggested cutting the peppers in half,