Keto stuffed peppers with cauliflower rice and cream cheese

These keto stuffed peppers are a quick, easy, and healthy dinner recipe that comes together in less than 20 minutes! Filled with ground beef, cauliflower rice, and topped with melted cheese, everyone will beg for seconds!

When it comes to keto ground beef recipes, my favorites to make are meatballs, meatloaf, and these easy stuffed peppers.

Are peppers okay on keto?

Bell peppers are a fantastic keto friendly vegetable to include on a low carb diet. Per 1 cup serving (150 grams) yields a mere 38 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and a mere 3 grams net carbs.

There are some who say the colors change the carb count, but they are incredibly negligible. Regardless, the bell peppers play a star role in these stuffed peppers!

These keto stuffed peppers recipe is one you’ll make on a weekly basis. Tender and juicy peppers filled with a Mexican-inspired beef and cauliflower mixture, topped with plenty of cheese. It’s the kind of dinner that comes together in minutes and something the whole family will love, keto or not.

What I love about this recipe is just how customizable they are. You can literally fill the peppers with anything and everything. Whenever I have leftover spaghetti sauce or even alfredo sauce, I love adding it to some peppers, sprinkling some cheese, and voila- Instant dinner.

How do you make keto stuffed peppers?

The Ingredients

• Bell peppers– Green, yellow, red, or a combination of the three. Try to choose equal sized ones so they all cook evenly.
• Olive oil– To sauteed the fillin.
• Onion– Finely chopped.
• Ground beef– Lean ground beef is preferred, as it keeps the overall recipe lower in fat and reduces the excess moisture that higher fat cuts of ground beef tends to have excess carbs.
• Taco seasoning– To give this dish a Mexican spin, I love adding some homemade taco seasoning.
• Canned diced tomatoes– No added salt or sugar canned tomatoes in their natural juices.
• Cauliflower rice– Steamed until tender. This not only adds extra nutrients but helps bulk out the filling without needing excess carbs.
• Cheese– Half will be mixed into the filling and half with be baked on top. I used a Mexican cheese blend but any full flavored cheese will work.

The Instructions

Start by slicing the peppers in half and removing the stems and innards. Place them in a large baking dish and set them aside. Next, prepare the filling. Add the oil into a non-stick pan and add the ground beef and onion. Cook until the beef is no longer pink. Drain excess liquid then add the taco seasoning, followed by the canned tomatoes. Let it simmer for 1-2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir through the steamed cauliflower rice, along with half the shredded cheese.

Now, distribute the filling amongst the halved peppers and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Place the stuffed peppers in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until tender and the cheese has melted.

Air fryer and instant pot instructions

Easily make this dish in the air fryer or instant pot, if you own either of them.

• Air fryer stuffed peppers– Place the prepared stuffed peppers in an air fryer basket and cook at 200C/400F for 10 minutes, turning halfway through.
• Instant pot stuffed peppers– Place the trivet into the instant pot, then add the filled peppers, minus the cheese topping. Cook on high for 10 minutes, covered. Remove the lid, add the cheese, and place the lid back on top. Let the peppers sit for five minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

Tips to make the best recipe

• Remove any excess liquid from the cauliflower rice mixture before adding it into the hollowed out peppers. This will ensure the filling remains fluffy and tender, instead of soggy.
• The larger the peppers, the easier they will be to fill. Try and find the largest ones possible, so you won’t be left with excess cauliflower fried rice. 
• Do not overbake them as we want the peppers to be soft yet still tender.

Dietary swaps and flavor variations

• Make it vegetarian. Swap out the ground beef for equal amounts of chopped mushrooms, eggplant, or other vegetables.
• Make it vegan. Replace the meat with vegan ground beef (like Beyond meat) and the cheese with vegan shredded cheese.
• Switch the meat. Enjoy turkey stuffed peppers or chicken stuffed peppers by replacing the ground beef with ground turkey or ground chicken, respectively.
• Cheesesteak stuffed peppers. Fill the peppers with homemade Philly cheesesteak.
• Buffalo chicken stuffed peppers. Fill the peppers with shredded buffalo chicken.

Storing, freezing, reheating and make ahead instructions

• To store: Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator, completely covered or in a sealed container. Some moisture will begin to form, but that can be removed when you reheat it. They will keep well for up to 5 days
• To freeze: Place cooled stuffed peppers in an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
• Reheating: Microwave them for 30-40 second spurts or reheat in a preheated oven until warm.
• To make ahead: Prepare everything as instructed then cover the baking dish with aluminum foil (tin foil). Place it in the freezer for up to 1 month. When ready to cook, remove from the oven and bring it to room temperature, then cook as instructed.

What to serve with keto stuffed capsicums

This is the kind of dish that goes SO well with vegetable or low carb bread. My favorites include onion rings, keto French fries, coleslaw, cornbread, rolls, buns, and biscuits.

More easy keto dinner recipes to try

• Stir fry
• Pad Thai
• Chicken parmesan
• Hunan chicken
• Hunan beef

Frequently Asked Questions

How many carbs are in keto stuffed peppers?

This keto stuffed peppers recipe yields 5 grams net carbs per serving. Using cauliflower rice instead of white or brown rice cuts down the carbs considerably.

What color bell pepper is best for keto?

Green bell peppers have the lowest in carbs, then red peppers, then yellow ones. However, the difference is very minimal so use whichever you have on hand.

Should peppers be blanched before stuffing?

Bell peppers don’t need to be blanched before stuffing them. They naturally soften during the cooking process.

• 4 large bell peppers
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons keto taco seasoning
• 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes in their juices
• 1 cup cauliflower rice steamed
• 2 cups shredded cheese divided

• Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Lightly grease a large baking dish.

• Slice the tops of the bell peppers off, and de-seed them, and remove excess membranes. Slice each bell pepper in half and place them in the lined dish.

• In a large non-stick pan, heat up your olive oil on medium. When hot, add your onions and sautee for around one minute. Add your ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Add the taco seasoning then pour in the can of diced tomatoes along with the juices. Let simmer for 1 minute.

• Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the steamed cauliflower rice and one cup of shredded cheese.

• Evenly distribute the filling amongst the bell pepper halves and top with remaining cheese.

• Bake the stuffed peppers for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the bell peppers are tender.

• Remove the stuffed peppers from the oven and serve immediately.

Air fryer and instant pot options are included in the post. 

TO STORE: Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator, completely covered, or in a sealed container. Some moisture will begin to form, but that can be removed when you reheat it. They will keep well for up to 5 days.

TO FREEZE: Place cooled stuffed peppers in an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.

TO REHEAT: Microwave them for 30-40 second spurts or reheat in a preheated oven until warm.

TO MAKE AHEAD: Prepare everything as instructed then cover the baking dish with aluminum foil (tin foil). Place it in the freezer for up to 1 month. When ready to cook, remove from the oven and bring it to room temperature, then cook as instructed.

Serving: 2bell pepper halves | Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 14g | Sodium: 439mg | Potassium: 581mg | Fiber: 6g | Vitamin A: 379IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 306mg | Iron: 3mg | NET CARBS: 4g