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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.
Easy! Takes a little longer than the suggested prep time, but we’ll worth it. Added some extra chili powder ( 1 Tbsp) for a little extra kick. Or add hot sauce on top.
Great with a salad or steamed vegetables.
Always happy with this guys recipes!!!!
Delivious and easy approach to stuffed peppers. Thanks.
Excellent dish will make it again, added some spices and Jalapeños peppers
Easy and delicious recipe.
Yummy! Yummy! Yummy! My husband and I loved it.
Taste amazing and even kids love them
Delicious and easy to make. My husband and brother-in-law loved it.
Very tasty. I made the taco seasoning that was listed in the description..🫑Will make again.
I just made these and they’re very good. I just wanna know how many carbs are in them??
Check out the recipe card 🙂
Very tasty, but the peppers were a little too firm, I will Blanche next time. I also added 8 oz tomato sauce because we prefer a bit more broth
This recipe was fabulous and easy to prepare. My husband loved it. I didn’t have crushed tomatoes on hand so I used tomato sauce instead. This definitely will go into heavy rotator in ou hom.
I LOVE that you tend to include vegan options in your recipes!!!💖
new member, making stuffed peppers. look yummy
looks like just the right dish for pot luck dinner,
Left over roast beef or lamb add to stuffed peppers .Or stuff big tomatoes delicious