Easy Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers Recipe (2024)

These air fryer stuffed peppers are full of healthy ingredients and take less than half the amount of time than traditionally cooked stuffed peppers. The filling is full of protein, veggies, and spices and the charred peppers add so much flavor.

We loveair fryer recipesbecause they keep dinner and cleanup easy.Another crazy good (and easy) air fryer recipe is our air fryer bacon wrapped chicken breast. Wait until you try the spiced maple glaze!

Stuffed peppers are a classic dinnertime staple for so many! Making this recipe cuts down on the time, but none of the delicious flavor or ingredients. It’s such a classic comfort food that reminds me of my favorite recipes growing up.

The air fry stuffed peppers are delicious on their own as a complete meal, but you can serve them with a kale salad and chocolate chip pudding cookies for dessert.

Why You’ll Love these Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers

• Quick and easy: They take half the time to make compared to traditional stuffed peppers in the oven.
• Healthy: They’re naturally gluten-free and can easily be made dairy-free by omitting the cheese on top. They’re also such a great way to get kids to eat vegetables.
• Meal-prep friendly: You can prep the filling ahead of time and throw them in the air fryer for a quick weeknight dinner.
• Family favorite: Adults and kiddos love this recipe, so you know it’s one of the go-to easy recipes the whole family will love.

If you’re craving more stuffed pepper recipes, you will love ourturkey taco stuffed peppers.

Ingredients and Brands I Love

Here are the simple ingredients to make stuffed peppers in the air fryer. Skip down to the recipe card for exact measurements.

• Onion and garlic: the base of every good recipe! If you don’t have fresh garlic you can add garlic powder with the Italian seasoning.
• Fresh bell peppers: Any color pepper is great, but we always find green peppers are the most affordable. We usually use a mixture of red, yellow, and green bell peppers. Learn how to cut a bell pepper and master this recipe.
• Ground beef: We used lean ground beef for this recipe! You could swap this for ground chicken, lean ground turkey, or Italian sausage.
• Italian seasoning and salt: For flavor!
• Canned diced tomatoes: I love the texture the tomatoes give this recipe, but you could swap this for tomato sauce as well.
• Worcestershire sauce: (or coconut aminos for sugar-free option)
• Rice: Any type of rice is great. We love white rice or brown rice but you could also use quinoa or cauliflower rice for a low-carb option (more on this below). You can make this recipe even faster if you have leftover rice. I love Kaizen low carb rice.
• Shredded cheese: We used cheddar cheese here, but you could also use shredded mozzarella cheese or colby jack cheese.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Note: you can skip down to the recipe card below for the full, printable recipe.

1. Cut and air fry the sweet peppers: Preheat the air fryer then cut the tops of the peppers off(watch how to cut a bell pepper). Place them upright in the air fryer tray then air fry just the peppers at 400°F for 6 minutes.
2. Make the filling: Cook the onion and diced peppers in a large skillet with olive oil over medium high heat, then add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the ground beef and brown until no pink remains and beef reaches 160°F with a meat thermometer (use this guide to learn more about determining beef doneness).
3. Cook the rice: Add the seasoning, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire, rice and water. Cover with a lid and simmer for 10-12 minutes.
4. Stuff the peppers: Evenly scoop the meat mixture into the halfway cooked peppers all the way to the top.
5. Air fry: Close the basket and air fry the stuffed peppers at 400°F for 4 minutes, then open the basket, add the cheddar cheese and continue cooking for 4 more minutes.
6. Serve: Top with fresh parsley or green onions and eat hot!

Expert Tips

We’ve tested this recipe for air fryer stuffed peppers several times and we’ve come up with a few tips that will ensure your recipe turns out every time.

• Size and shape: Look for peppers that are roughly the same size so they cook evenly. Additionally, look for peppers with an even bottom so they aren’t wobbly. The hot air needs to circulate around them so they shouldn’t lean on each other.
• Slice the peppers: Put your knife skills to good use if you know how to cut a bell pepper, and save the extra tops to put in the filling.
• Shred the cheese yourself: Pre-shredded cheese usually contains chemicals to prevent it from melting, which is what we want!
• Preheat the air fryer, just like you would an oven, for even cooking.
• Use a quality air fryer that has enough room for the peppers! I use the Ninja Foodi duel basket air fryer.
• Reuse extra filling for meal prep, more peppers later in the week, or as a pasta topping. Peppers vary in size, so you may have some extra!

FAQs and Troubleshooting

If you love this recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating. Be sure to tag me on Instagram so I can see it and feature you!