Delicious Keto Stuffed Bell Peppers: The Ultimate Low-Carb Meal You’ll Crave!

Stuffed peppers are a classic comfort food, often enjoyed throughout childhood. This keto stuffed bell peppers recipe offers a delicious and healthy twist on the traditional dish, making it perfect for meal prep or a satisfying weeknight dinner. Instead of the usual rice-based filling, these peppers are loaded with savory Italian sausage, flavorful vegetables, and plenty of melted cheese. This recipe is not only delicious but also caters to those following a ketogenic or low-carb lifestyle.

Why Choose Keto Stuffed Bell Peppers?

This recipe offers several advantages:

Low Carb: With approximately 7 net carbs per serving, these stuffed peppers fit seamlessly into a keto diet. You can even reduce the carb count further by cutting the peppers in half before stuffing, effectively doubling the servings.
Complete Meal: Packed with protein from the Italian sausage and fiber from the vegetables, these stuffed peppers provide a balanced and satisfying meal.
Versatile: This recipe is easily customizable to suit your preferences. Feel free to experiment with different types of meat, cheeses, and vegetables.
Make-Ahead Friendly: These stuffed peppers can be prepared in advance and baked later, making them ideal for busy weeknights.
Freezer-Friendly: Leftover stuffed peppers can be frozen for up to 3 months, providing a convenient option for future meals.

Ingredients for Keto Stuffed Bell Peppers

Choosing the right ingredients is key to achieving the best flavor and texture in your keto stuffed peppers. Here's a breakdown of the ingredients and potential substitutions:

Bell Peppers: 4 Green Bell Peppers, tops and seeds removed. While green bell peppers are commonly used and have the lowest carb count, you can use any color pepper you like. Red peppers are sweeter than green, and orange and yellow peppers are even sweeter than red.
Italian Sausage: 1 Pound Ground Italian Sausage. Italian pork sausage adds a rich and savory flavor to the filling. For a leaner option, you can use ground chicken or turkey sausage. You can use all ground pork and sausage as well as with half ground pork and half ground beef. Using all pork has a juicer, richer flavor.
Vegetables: 1 Cup Chopped Mushrooms. If you're not a fan of mushrooms, you can leave them out or substitute with other low-carb vegetables like chopped zucchini, spinach, or bell pepper tops. Some people like to add chopped tomato, or onion to their pepper filling, but keep in mind that does add carbs.
Cheese: 1 ½ Cups Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese, divided. Monterey Jack cheese adds a delicious melty cheese factor. You can also use mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, or a combination of your favorite cheeses.
Cauliflower Rice: A low-carb alternative to traditional rice, cauliflower rice adds bulk and texture to the filling. You can use fresh or frozen cauliflower rice.
Tomato Sauce: Use a tomato sauce with no added sugar. Tomato sauce with basil, garlic, and oregano can add extra flavor, but be sure to check the carb content.
Cream Cheese: Cream cheese is the key ingredient to a memorable stuffed pepper filling. Blending the meat together with a rich and creamy addition helps spread all of the spices evenly throughout the stuffing.
Seasonings: Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, fresh parsley, Worcestershire sauce, taco seasoning, and your favorite herbs and spices to taste.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Keto Stuffed Bell Peppers

This section provides a detailed guide on how to prepare and cook these delicious keto stuffed peppers.

Preparing the Peppers

Pre-heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Wash and dry the bell peppers. Cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove the seeds and white membrane. You can chop up the tops of the peppers and add it to the meat as it cooks if you like. This saves waste and adds flavor to the meat.
(Optional) To soften the peppers, place them in a large microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. If you aren't a fan of the microwave, you can skip that step. Simply place the raw bell peppers in the casserole dish and bake them covered with foil for 30 minutes. Alternatively, for really soft bell peppers, place them in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes; remove from the pot, let cool, then fill with the ground beef mixture. Be sure not to boil them for too long or they'll be too flimsy.
Transfer the peppers to a baking dish and season the insides with salt. Grease a 9 x 13 glass baking dish or use a smaller square pan - I use an 8×8 baking dish. You can also place the peppers on a baking dish or in a muffin pan.

Making the Filling

If using frozen cauliflower rice, steam the cauliflower rice in the microwave.
VERY IMPORTANT: After the cauliflower has cooked, you must press out as much liquid as possible. Place the cooked cauliflower rice in a mesh strainer, then place several paper towels on top of the cauliflower and use your fist to press very firmly on the cauliflower rice. Repeat this process, switching out the wet paper towels with dry paper towels until there is no more liquid draining/dripping out of the strainer. Pat the cauliflower rice VERY well. You don’t want any excess liquid going into the peppers.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook and break up the sausage until no longer pink and cooked through. Cook ground beef in a large skillet, salt and pepper as you brown it. Drain extra fat from cooked meat, return it to skillet and turn heat to low. I don’t ever drain it, I think you’re pouring all the flavor down the drain! If you are concerned about excess fat then make sure you use lean ground beef and you shouldn’t have any issues.
Reduce the heat to medium and add in the chopped mushrooms, garlic, and cauliflower. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the ground beef to the skillet and brown until it’s cooked all the way through. Mix the cooked ground beef, onions, Italian Seasoning, fresh parsley , salt, pepper, finely chopped mushrooms, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and 2/3 cup tomato sauce.
Add cubed cream cheese to meat, stir until cream cheese has melted, add onion powder and garlic powder. Turn off heat and add salsa or hot sauce, stirring to mix. Salt and pepper the meat as it cooks. Combine the ground beef and cauliflower rice. Add the tomato sauce (use the tomato sauce with basil, garlic, and oregano for added flavor but check carb content), sour cream, and seasonings. Mix well. Check the flavor and add additional seasonings if desired.
Stir in 1 cup of cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Assembling and Baking the Stuffed Peppers

Using a spoon, fill each green bell pepper with the filling mixture, packing each one full and smoothing out the top. Spoon creamy meat mixture into prepared peppers, filling all the way to the top.
Top with the remaining ½ cup of cheese. Set aside 1/3 cup (80mls) of tomato sauce for topping the stuffed peppers. After 35 minutes you can remove the peppers from the oven and top with the cheese.
Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes. For softer bell peppers, cover with foil before baking (see note below). However, if you like your bell peppers to be really soft: before filling them, place them in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes; remove from the pot, let cool, then fill with the ground beef mixture. Be sure not to boil them for too long or they'll be too flimsy. Proceed with the rest of the instructions.
Remove the peppers from the oven and top with the cheese, bake for a further 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbling.

Alternative Cooking Methods

Besides baking, you can also cook these keto stuffed peppers using other methods:

Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers

Slow Cooker: Follow Steps 1-3 of the recipe card. Add ½ teaspoon olive oil to the bottom of the slow cooker. Place stuffed peppers in the slow cooker. Cover and cook 4 hours on low (5 hours for a much softer pepper). Add the cheese, cover, and cook for another 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Air Fryer: Almost identical to my air fryer stuffed peppers!
Instant Pot: 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.

Tips and Tricks for Perfect Keto Stuffed Peppers

Don't overcook the cauliflower rice: Overcooked cauliflower rice can become mushy. Steam it until it's just tender.
Press out excess moisture: This is crucial to prevent the filling from becoming watery.
Adjust seasonings to your liking: Don't be afraid to experiment with different herbs and spices to create your perfect flavor profile.
Use a variety of cheeses: Combining different cheeses can add depth and complexity to the flavor.
Get creative with toppings: Consider adding a dollop of sour cream, guacamole, or a sprinkle of fresh herbs before serving.

Serving and Storage Suggestions

Serve these keto stuffed peppers hot, straight from the oven, slow cooker, air fryer, or Instant Pot.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat, bake in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through. You can also reheat them in the microwave.
To freeze, let the stuffed peppers cool completely. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. Note: Frozen bell peppers tend to get soft when they thaw. Please note they won't be firm or crunchy.

Make-Ahead Instructions

Low Carb Stuffed Bell Peppers can be made earlier in the week or in the morning, then covered and put into the fridge until later, where you would just pop them into the oven.

Yes, but do not blanch or boil the peppers. Frozen bell peppers tend to get soft after they thaw. After making the filling, let the filling completely cool. Then you can stuff the peppers (don't bake them) and freeze them. Store them in a ziplock bag or some other kind of airtight container. Then, when you're ready to eat them, thaw the peppers in the refrigerator. They may take up to 24 hours to thaw in the refrigerator. Once thawed, bake as directed. Again, frozen bell peppers tend to get soft when they thaw. Please note they won't be firm or crunchy.

Nutritional Information

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. The data may differ according to the brands used versus the brands you use.

Net Carbs: Approximately 7 grams per serving (can be reduced to 3.5 grams by cutting peppers in half).
Note: Nutritional information is based on using green bell peppers.

Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto

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