Print

Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers

Print Recipe

Classic stuffed bell peppers filled with seasoned ground beef, rice, and tomatoes, topped with melted cheese and cooked in the air fryer in just 20 minutes — no preheating required.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 large bell peppers, any color
  • 1 lb ground beef, 80/20 (or ground turkey for a lighter version)
  • 1 cup cooked white or brown rice (leftover rice preferred)
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella or Mexican blend cheese
  • Olive oil, for brushing pepper exteriors
  • Fresh parsley, for garnish
  • Sour cream or Greek yogurt, for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. Halve each bell pepper lengthwise and remove the seeds, membranes, and stem. Brush the exterior of each pepper half with olive oil.
  2. Cook ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking into small crumbles, until no pink remains and internal temperature reaches 160°F. Drain excess fat.
  3. Add onion and garlic to the same pan and cook 2 minutes. Add drained diced tomatoes, cooked rice, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook 2 more minutes until heated through. Remove from heat.
  4. Spoon the filling into each pepper half, filling to just at or slightly above the rim — no more than 1/4 inch above to prevent spills.
  5. Place filled pepper halves in the air fryer basket in a single layer, filling side up. Air fry at 380°F for 15 minutes until pepper walls are tender.
  6. Top each pepper half with shredded cheese. Return to the air fryer at 380°F for 4 more minutes until cheese is fully melted, bubbling, and golden-brown.
  7. Rest for 3 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with sour cream or Greek yogurt on the side.

Notes

Always pre-cook the meat filling completely before stuffing — the pepper walls act as insulation and a dense filling can stay below safe temperature even after the exterior is cooked.

Leftover rice works better than freshly cooked rice; if using fresh rice, spread it on a sheet pan for 5 minutes to release steam before adding to the filling.

Freshly shredded cheese melts significantly better than pre-bagged shredded cheese, which contains anti-caking agents that cause a grainy texture.

For appetizers, substitute mini sweet peppers and reduce cook time accordingly.

Find it online: https://airfrycentral.com/air-fryer-stuffed-peppers/