These slow cooker stuffed bell peppers are comforting, hearty, and incredibly easy to make. It features a savory blend of mushrooms and rice packed into sweet bell peppers and slow-cooked to perfection.
For those of you who love a good and hearty meal, this crock pot stuffed bell peppers recipe is a must-try. The best part? It's a one-time prep, easy cleanup recipe that's perfect for a weeknight family dinner.
If you're a fan of these slow cooker stuffed bell peppers, I have a feeling you'll also love my vegan stuffed corn squash and mushroom-stuffed potato cakes.
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Why This Is The Best Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe
- Flavor-packed: The combination of savory mushrooms, aromatic thyme, and sweet bell peppers creates a flavor combo you'll love.
- Slow Cooker: With the slow cooker doing all the work, this recipe is a cinch to prepare. It's a perfect example of easy, breezy cooking.
- Easy to Store Leftovers: Any extras of this dish can be stored and reheated for a delicious next-day lunch. It's a dish that keeps on giving.
- Comfort Food: There's just something so comforting about a good, old-fashioned stuffed pepper. This recipe is the ultimate comfort food.
Key Ingredients
Here's an overview of some key ingredients for this recipe. For the full list of ingredients and measurements, please scroll to the recipe card below.
- Avocado Oil: This heart-healthy oil will be used to sauté our onions, providing a rich, buttery flavor.
- Onions: Finely minced onions form the flavor base for our dish, adding a sweet and tangy note.
- Dried Thyme: This herb brings a warm, aromatic flavor to the dish, giving it a comforting, home-cooked feel.
- Portobello Mushrooms: Chopped into small pieces, these mushrooms add a hearty, meaty texture and a rich, earthy flavor.
- White or Brown Rice: This will be mixed with our mushroom mixture and stuffed into the bell peppers, providing a hearty, filling base for the dish.
- Bell Peppers: These will serve as the "shell" for our stuffed peppers, adding a sweet, crunchy contrast to the savory filling.
- Parsley: This will be used as a garnish, adding a fresh, herby note to the finished dish.
- Sour Cream: This will be served on the side, adding a creamy, tangy note that balances out the flavors of the dish. You can use vegan sour cream as a plant-based option.
How to Make Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers
Making this incredible crockpot stuffed bell peppers recipe at home is super easy and will give you great results every single time. Here's how to make it step by step:
Sauté the onions: Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until it starts to brown, this will take around 5-7 minutes.
Add thyme and mushrooms: Stir in some thyme and your chopped mushrooms. Continue to cook over medium-high heat until all the water from the mushrooms evaporates and they are brown on the sides, this will take about 10 minutes.
Season and add garlic: Add salt, pepper, and garlic. Stir for another 30 seconds.
Combine with rice: Remove the pan from the heat and add rice to the onion and mushroom mixture. Mix everything and give it a quick tasting to see if it needs more salt and pepper.
Stuff the peppers: Fill your bell peppers with the rice and mushroom mixture.
Arrange in slow cooker: Place the stuffed bell peppers in your slow cooker.
Add water and cook: Pour some water in between the peppers. Cover your slow cooker and set it to high for 3 hours or low for 7 hours.
Garnish and Serve: Use a slotted spoon to lift the bell peppers out of the slow cooker. Serve your slow cooker stuffed bell peppers with a dollop of sour cream or mashed avocado and a sprinkle of parsley.
For a full list of ingredients and instructions, see the recipe card below.
Serving Suggestions
- For a wholesome weeknight dinner, pair these slow cooker stuffed bell peppers with a side of fresh salad.
- For a cozy family dinner, pair these stuffed bell peppers with a side of your favorite roasted vegetables. The caramelized flavors of the veggies match well with the earthy notes of the mushrooms in the stuffed peppers.
- These slow-cooker stuffed bell peppers also make a great meal prep option. Simply pack them in airtight containers and enjoy them as a quick, ready-made meal during a busy workweek.
Recipe Variation Ideas
- Spicier: If you enjoy bold flavors, add a diced jalapeno or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to the rice and mushroom mixture.
- Vegan: For a plant-based version of this dish, simply omit the sour cream or use a vegan sour cream.
- Protein-Packed: If you're looking to add more protein to your diet, mix in some cooked quinoa or a lean ground turkey, beef, or chicken into the rice and mushroom mixture before stuffing the bell peppers.
- Cheesy: If you're a cheese lover, you can add cheese on top of the stuffed bell peppers before serving. Cheddar, mozzarella, or parmesan would all be great extras and will add a rich, creamy layer of flavor to the dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! This crockpot stuffed pepper recipe is versatile. While Portobello mushrooms bring a robust, meaty flavor to the dish, you can also use cremini, shitake, or any other mushrooms of your choice.
You can use either white or brown rice for this crock pot stuffed peppers recipe. Basmati and jasmine rice are both great options as they have distinct flavors that will add a nice touch to the dish.
Yes, you can. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and bake the stuffed bell peppers for about 45-60 minutes, or until the peppers are tender.
After enjoying this delicious crockpot stuffed peppers recipe, you might have some leftovers. Don't worry, you can store them in the refrigerator. Simply place the stuffed bell peppers in an airtight container and they'll keep for up to 3-4 days.
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Recipe
Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 medium onions finely minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 8 c portobello mushrooms chopped into small pieces
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 2 ½ c cooked white or brown rice
- 6 bell peppers tops, and cores removed
- Salt pepper to taste
- ½ c water
- ¼ c parsley
- Sour cream for serving vegan or regular
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes until it starts to brown.
- Add thyme and chopped mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat until all water evaporates and the mushrooms are brown on the sides, about 10 minutes.
- Add salt, about ½ teaspoons, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and garlic. Stir for 30 more seconds.
- Remove from the heat and add rice to the onion and mushroom mixture. Mix to combine and taste if needs more salt and pepper.
- Stuff bell peppers with the rice and mushroom mixture and arrange them in the slow cooker. Pour water in between the peppers.
- Cover with a lid and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 7 hours.
- Use a slotted spoon to lift bell peppers from the slow cooker.
- Serve with some sour cream/mashed avocado and a sprinkling of parsley.
Notes
- For this crockpot stuffed peppers recipe, you can use a variety of mushrooms. Portobello mushrooms are recommended for their meaty texture and robust flavors, but you can also use cremini or shiitake mushrooms.
- Feel free to use your favorite type of cooked rice in this dish. Whether it's white, brown, basmati, or jasmine rice, the choice is yours. Just make sure it's cooked before adding it to the recipe.
- If you're following a vegan diet, simply swap the regular sour cream for a vegan alternative. This will give you a delicious, plant-based version of this dish.
- When lifting the bell peppers from the slow cooker, use a slotted spoon. This will help drain any excess liquid and prevent the peppers from becoming soggy.
- After enjoying this delicious crockpot stuffed peppers recipe, you might have some leftovers. Don't worry, you can store them in the refrigerator. Simply place the stuffed bell peppers in an airtight container and they'll keep for up to 3-4 days.
- You can also making these stuffed peppers in the oven. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and bake the stuffed bell peppers for about 45-60 minutes, or until the peppers are tender.
Nutrition
Iryna Bychkiv is the founder and writer of the culinary website Lavender & Macarons, where she shares clean, European-inspired recipes that are delicious, easy to prepare, and made with wholesome ingredients. Iryna loves creating meals that are simple yet healthy and unique, including vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Iryna is also a freelance writer for MSN and Associated Press Wire.
Kulia says
A great option for vegetarians. I actually love meat stuffed pepper, with rice of course, but mushrooms work well too, I think. I need to try. Thank you for the recipe, your peppers look so beautiful.
DEBBIE says
I REALLY WANT TO MAKE THIS BUT, I LOVE BLACK BEANS. I THINK I WILL SWAP OUT JUST 1 CUP OF THE RICE FOR THE BEANS. THE RECIPE SOUNDS SO GOOD AND, I LIKE THE IDEA OF COOKING IN THE CROCKPOT. IT'S SUMMER HERE AND "HOT!!!" NO OVEN FOR ME! LOL