Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers with Beef and Rice
Tender green bell peppers filled with seasoned ground beef, raw rice, and aromatics, slow-cooked in a savory tomato-soup sauce until the rice is tender and peppers are melt-in-your-mouth soft. The rice cooks inside the pepper, absorbing flavors while the sauce below keeps everything moist. Serve as a comforting weeknight dinner for families seeking minimal active cooking time and maximum flavor. This version uses tomato soup as a base, creating a slightly sweeter, thicker sauce than traditional versions.
Ingredients
- 6 green bell peppers, cored and seededred bell peppers1:1vegetable
sweeter, slightly longer cook
- 1 lb extra lean ground beef, 90% lean
- ¾ cup long grain white rice, rawbrown rice1:1grain
nuttier flavor, longer cooking time
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 clove garlic, minced
- 14 oz canned stewed tomatoes, original, choppedcrushed tomatoes14 oztomato product
chunkier texture
- 10 ½ oz canned tomato soup
- ½ cup chili saucetomato sauce plus cayenne3/4 cup sauce plus 1/8 tsp cayennecondiment
spicier control
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper, fresh cracked
Instructions
- 1
Wash peppers and cut off tops, remove cores and seeds, drain well.
- 2
Drain canned stewed tomatoes in a strainer, reserving liquid, then chop.
- 3
Combine ground beef, raw rice, onion, garlic, half the chopped tomatoes, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
- 4
Stuff each pepper with beef mixture and stand upright in slow cooker, trimming bottoms if needed for stability.
- 5
Whisk together tomato soup, chili sauce, remaining chopped tomatoes, and reserved tomato liquid; adjust consistency as needed.
- 6
Pour sauce around and over peppers.
- 7
Cook on low until peppers are tender and rice is cooked through.
Tips
Crockpots vary in heat output; start checking peppers at 5.5 hours. Rice should be tender but not mushy, peppers soft but holding shape.
Don't skip draining the canned tomatoes; reserve all liquid for sauce consistency. This prevents the dish from becoming too watery.
Trim pepper bottoms flat so they stand upright without tipping over, keeping filling secure during long cooking.
Good to Know
Refrigerate in airtight container up to 4 days. Freeze up to 3 months; thaw overnight before reheating in slow cooker on low or microwave.
Assemble stuffed peppers in slow cooker crock up to 12 hours ahead; refrigerate. Add sauce and cook when ready, extending cook time by 30 minutes from cold start.
Serve hot from slow cooker with crusty bread, green salad, or over rice. Ladle extra sauce over peppers at serving.
Common Mistakes
Use raw rice to avoid overcooked, mushy texture; cooked rice will disintegrate during long cooking.
Pack filling loosely so rice has room to expand; overstuffing prevents even cooking and causes peppers to burst.
Reserve tomato liquid before chopping to control sauce thickness and avoid watery dish.
Substitutions
sweeter, slightly longer cook
milder sweetness
spicier control
FAQ
Can I use cooked rice instead of raw?
No. Raw rice cooks perfectly during the 6-8 hour slow cook cycle. Cooked rice will become mushy and fall apart. The rice needs the long, moist heat to cook through properly.
What if my peppers aren't tender after 6 hours?
Slow cookers vary significantly in heat output. Continue cooking in 1-hour increments until peppers are fork-tender. Some models cook much hotter than others, so start checking at 5.5 hours.
How long can I keep leftovers and can I freeze them?
Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze whole stuffed peppers for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating gently.