Air fryer stuffed peppers are a quick and easy way to cook bell peppers!

We love stuffed peppers with a delicious savory filling of ground beef and rice. Add some tomato sauce and some melted cheese on top for a new air fryer favorite!

cooked and plated Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers

Air Fryer Favorite

No Air Fryer? No problem, check out our Classic Stuffed Peppers recipe.

  • A little prep time, a little air fry time, and dinner is on the table.
  • Use large or small bell peppers of any color.
  • Instead of boiling the peppers before stuffing, place them in the air fryer while making the filling.
  • They can even be frozen and saved for a rainy day!

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ingredients to make Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

BELL PEPPERS Use 2 large green or colored bell peppers. If your peppers are smaller, you’ll need some extras.

GROUND BEEF Use either lean ground beef or Italian sausage in this recipe. For a leaner option, try ground chicken or turkey.

SAUCE  Use your favorite pasta sauce or marinara and bump up the flavor with bit of Italian seasoning.

RICE To keep things extra quick, this recipe uses instant rice (or Minute Rice). You can use pre-cooked or leftover rice as well but skip the water.

cooking ingredients to make Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers

How to Make Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers

  1. Place the peppers in the air fryer to cook a bit while you brown the beef.
  2. Once browned, drain any fat and add the remaining stuffing ingredients (per the recipe below).
  3. Fill the peppers in the air fryer, top with sauce and cook.
  4. Once heated through, add cheese and cook a couple of minutes to melt.

peppers and meat filling to make Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers

Tips for Perfect Peppers

  • Leave the stems on the peppers while air frying to make them look pretty.
  • If your peppers don’t sit flat, use a little bit of bunched-up foil to hold them in place.
  • If your peppers are small you may need a few extra.
  • If you happen to have leftover filling, it’s great in tomato soup or stuffed inside zucchini as well.
  • To brown the cheese add it a little bit earlier.

close up of cooked Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers

Leftovers

Leftover stuffed peppers taste just as good reheated right in the air fryer!

Frozen air fryer stuffed peppers are great for make-ahead meals. Just leave the cheese off, then add it when ready to cook. The stuffing mixture can also be frozen and used for batch cooking or meal prep.

Perfect Pepper Recipes

Did you make these Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below! 

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text
cooked Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers in the air fryer
5 from 20 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
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Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers

These Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers are loaded with simple, flavorful ingredients and come together so quickly!
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4
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Ingredients  

  • 2 large bell peppers or 4 small bell peppers
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • ½ onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ cup instant rice or minute rice
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 cups pasta sauce divided
  • ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions 

  • Preheat air fryer to 320°F.
  • Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds (if using small peppers, cut off tops instead).
  • Brush peppers with olive oil and place in the air fryer basket. Cook 5-6 minutes.
  • While peppers are cooking, brown beef, onion, and garlic in a medium saucepan until no pink remains. Drain fat.
  • Add instant rice, Italian seasoning, water, and 1 cup pasta sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 3-4 minutes.
  • Scoop the mixture into the peppers and top with remaining sauce. Turn air fryer up to 350°F and cook 8-10 minutes or until heated through and peppers are soft. Top with cheese and cook an additional 1-2 minutes.

Notes

  • Leave the stems on the peppers while air frying to make them look pretty.
  • If your peppers don't sit flat, use a little bit of bunched up foil to hold them in place.
  • If your peppers are small you may need a few extra.
  • If you happen to have leftover filling, it's great in tomato soup or stuffed inside zucchini as well.
  • To brown the cheese add it a little bit earlier.
5 from 20 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 390 | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 811mg | Potassium: 956mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3197IU | Vitamin C: 115mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Beef, Dinner, Entree
Cuisine American
top view of Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers in the air fryer cooking with writing
close up of Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers with writing

 

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cooked Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers in the air fryer and plated with a title

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

  1. I’ve always made these in the oven, but this air fryer version is just as good. Today I made them with leftover Spanish rice with some extra cheese mixed in. They turned out great and are a tasty alternative to the written recipe (which is fabulous too). Thanks Holly, you lit it out of the park again.5 stars

  2. I was looking for a stuffed pepper recipe, found one I liked, and a tool bar at the top of my browser had a link to this recipe. Clicked on it, because I love my air fryer for the time saved cooking and cleaning… I used ground venison sausage that was mildly spiced, and the only thing different was I used garlic powder ( no garlic in the house) and Italian dressing in place of seasoning. Diced my own tomatoes to add and a little Worcestershire sauce. Came out absolutely delicious in my opinion. Thank you so much..

    Pat5 stars

  3. Just popping back in to say, these really are fantastic! 10/10! I’ll never make them any other way again. I’m very grateful. thank you.5 stars

  4. I was able to fill 6 big split peppers! I’m freezing some for work lunches. It’s very delicious, and the air fryer makes it so easy. Thank you very much. It would be easy to play with this to change it up, too, but as a classic recipe, it’s a winner in my book. Thank you very much!5 stars

  5. What a delicious, fast and easy meal! I live at an altitude of approximately 7,500’ and cooking stuffed peppers in the oven easily takes about an hour and a half! Since we use propane, this can get expensive. I’ve also tried cooking them in the Instant Pot which is faster than an oven, but they still take some time and tend to end up a bit soggy. With the air fryer, the peppers have a really nice texture and maximum cooking time is about 17 minutes! Now that’s a fast and easy meal! I definitely need to add this to my regular meal rotation as this recipe is really tasty!5 stars

  6. I made these for dinner last night and they were amazing! We swapped out the ground beef for Italian sausage and I highly recommend it! So delicious ❤️ SWP Employee5 stars

  7. Was looking thru cookbooks for something new to add to my favorite recipes book. I love these. Have you made or will make a book for diabetics? Keep the hard work. Terrie

  8. So easy and quick! I have a bunch of filling eft, any advice or idea what to do with it? It’s just me at home this week5 stars

    1. You could make some more peppers of course. Heat and serve it up over top of zoodles or other cooked veggies, or wrap it in cabbage for cabbage rolls. Even bake it in a casserole dish and top with some extra sauce, and a sprinkle of bread crumbs! Maybe wrap in egg roll wrappers or make eggplant rollups with thinly sliced zucchini or eggplant. You could also add some broth and other veggies to create a soup!