One of the easiest and healthiest dishes to make for the whole family is stuffed peppers. Unfortunately, most recipes call for a portion of rice to be added to the peppers, which increases the total carb count and is generally not keto-friendly.
Fortunately, this stuffed peppers recipe does not include rice and it’s keto-friendly! With plenty of meat, cheese, and veggies, this is a seriously delicious recipe and it’s simple to make.
Plus, it’s healthy and low-carb! Bell peppers are packed with fiber, potassium, and vitamins A and C. In addition, a whole bell pepper only contains about 5 grams of carbs.
Note: Red bell peppers have about 6 grams of total carbs, but all other colors of bell peppers have 5 grams.
Best of all, any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days which means you can intentionally make extra if you want to enjoy some premade stuffed peppers later in the week!
Ingredients for Stuffed Peppers without Rice
You’ll need the following ingredients to prepare this recipe:
- 3 medium bell peppers
- 1 pound ground beef (I personally use 85% lean)
- 1 cup shredded cheese (I personally use shredded cheddar)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1/2 cup medium yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes (or tomato sauce)
If you’d like to add any toppings at the end, you can optionally pick up the following ingredients as well:
- Avocado
- Sour cream
- Cilantro
- Your favorite salsa
Once you’ve gathered these ingredients, you’re ready to start cooking!
How to Make Stuffed Peppers without Rice
Follow these step-by-step instructions to make these keto-friendly stuffed peppers:
1. Prep the peppers: Slice each bell pepper in half. Remove the seeds and membrane. Season the inside of each pepper with salt and pepper. Lightly cover the bottom of a baking dish with olive oil (or cooking spray if you’d prefer) and place the peppers in the baking dish in one layer. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 350.
3. Cook the fillings: Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the one pound of ground beef, mix in salt and pepper, and stir occasionally until the beef turns brown. Add the 1/2 cup of chopped onions and one teaspoon of chili powder; continue to stir. Add in the one cup of crushed tomatoes (or tomato sauce) and stir. Remove from heat once the onions and tomatoes soften.
4. Stuff the peppers: Add the fillings to the inside of the peppers. Make sure to evenly distribute the fillings in each pepper.
5. Bake: Bake the peppers until they’re tender and the fillings are heated all the way through. This should take about 45 minutes.
6. Add cheese: After 45 minutes, sprinkle the peppers with shredded cheese and return them to the oven until the cheese is melted. This should take about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and add any desired toppings before serving.
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The Finished Product
The finished product should be meaty, cheesy, and delicious! The peppers should be tender enough that they can easily be sliced with a knife or fork.
Pro tip: For those who really love cheese, feel free to sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top of the peppers as well.
Sides for Stuffed Peppers without Rice
While stuffed peppers are a perfectly good entree that can be enjoyed by itself, you can also throw in the following sides to form a complete meal:
- Cauliflower rice
- Broccoli rice
- Roasted broccoli
- Other roasted veggies
Recipe Card
The recipe card below summarizes all of the ingredients needed to make these stuffed peppers without rice, along with the exact instructions to follow:
Stuffed Peppers Without Rice (Keto-Friendly)
Ingredients
- 3 medium bell peppers
- 1 pound ground beef (I personally use 85% lean)
- 1 cup shredded cheese (I personally use shredded cheddar)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1/2 cup medium yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes (or tomato sauce)
Instructions
1. Prep the peppers: Slice each bell pepper in half. Remove the seeds and membrane. Season the inside of each pepper with salt and pepper. Lightly cover the bottom of a baking dish with olive oil (or cooking spray if you’d prefer) and place the peppers in the baking dish in one layer. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 350.
3. Cook the fillings: Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the one pound of ground beef, mix in salt and pepper, and stir occasionally until the beef turns brown. Add the 1/2 cup of chopped onions and one teaspoon of chili powder; continue to stir. Add in the one cup of crushed tomatoes (or tomato sauce) and stir. Remove from heat once the onions and tomatoes soften.
4. Stuff the peppers: Add the fillings to the inside of the peppers. Make sure to evenly distribute the fillings in each pepper.
5. Bake: Bake the peppers until they’re tender and the fillings are heated all the way through. This should take about 45 minutes.
6. Add cheese: After 45 minutes, sprinkle the peppers with shredded cheese and return them to the oven until the cheese is melted. This should take about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and add any desired toppings before serving.
Notes
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 370 Total Fat: 25g Saturated Fat: 8g Trans Fat: 1g Unsaturated Fat: 12g Cholesterol: 80mg Sodium: 720mg Carbohydrates: 12g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 5g Protein: 30g
Zach
Some of Zach's favorite keto resources include:
Perfect Keto: For those who are looking for easy supplements that support a Keto diet, Perfect Keto offers a variety of products that make it easy to stay in ketosis including keto bars, whey protein, and keto nootropics.
KetoLogic: For those who have a sweet tooth, KetoLogic sells keto-friendly chocolate candies with only 1g of net carbs & zero added sugars.
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