Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers. Loaded with ground turkey, rice, enchilada sauce, black beans, and corn. Healthy, satisfying, and loaded with flavor, these stuffed peppers are cooked until perfectly tender. A filling, hearty, and flavorful meal that’s naturally gluten-free and can easily be made vegetarian or vegan. The best part? It’s so quick and easy to throw together!
Looking for more stuffed pepper recipes? Try my amazing Chipotle Chicken Stuffed Peppers or my Healthy Mexican Quinoa and Turkey Stuffed Peppers!
There is so much you can do in a slow cooker. From desserts to breakfast, you can basically make anything in a slow cooker. Throw everything together and come home to a warm meal – nothing beats that!
I wanted to make one of my favorite recipes in the slow cooker. I adapted my recipe for Healthy Mexican Quinoa and Turkey Stuffed Peppers and made it slow cooker friendly. This time I used brown rice in place of quinoa and added enchilada sauce for extra flavor and a little kick.
Vegetarian? No problem! To turn this recipe into vegetarian stuffed peppers, just skip the meat and amp up the beans and veggies! You can even try adding a different bean, like chickpeas to change things up a little! To make them vegan stuffed peppers, use vegan cheese instead of dairy.
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Ingredients for the BEST stuffed peppers
The full ingredient list and measurements are listed in the printable recipe below.
- Bell Peppers: I used red, yellow, and green. Any color of bell pepper will work well – pick your favorite!
- Lean ground meat: You can use either ground beef, pork, chicken or ground turkey depending on what you have on hand. They all would taste great in this!
- Rice: The rice adds some starch and makes the stuffed peppers more filling.
- Black beans: For a little extra protein with a Mexican twist!
- Enchilada Sauce: Either a store-bought enchilada sauce or a homemade sauce. It adds so much flavor to these slow cooker stuffed peppers!
- Spices: Cumin and chili powder give the filling a little kick and flavor.
- Cheese: Shredded Mexican cheese is perfect in this recipe! It really brings all of the ingredients together and makes the peppers more filling.
How to make stuffed peppers in the slow cooker
- Prep the slow cooker and ingredients: Spray the bottom of a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray and then place the peppers inside.
- Add ground turkey, rice, black beans, corn, enchilada sauce, cheese and seasonings to a large bowl. Mix to combine.
- Stuff the peppers with the filling.
- Cook & serve: Cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-6 hours or until the meat is cooked through.
- Serve immediately with some of the optional toppings listed below, if desired. Serve these Mexican stuffed bell peppers with a side salad to make it a full meal!
What kind of rice should I use and can I use another grain?
You can use either cooked white rice or brown rice. These Mexican slow cooker stuffed peppers are also great if you have leftover rice you need to use up. Throw in some leftover Spanish rice, white or brown rice. You really can’t go wrong, so toss in what you have on hand.
If you want to use something other than rice, try quinoa or cauliflower rice!
What toppings should I serve with Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers?
There are plenty of options! Here are a few of my go-to’s:
- Cheese (Mexican, cheddar, or queso fresco)
- Sour cream
- Greek yogurt
- Salsa (red or green)
- Enchilada sauce
- Hot sauce
- Avocado
- Pico de Gallo
- Fresh cilantro
- A squeeze of fresh lime
How to store and freeze stuffed peppers
- Store: Leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: To heat up the leftovers, simply add the Mexican stuffed peppers to an oven-safe dish and reheat in the oven or microwave until heated through.
- Freezing: Freeze this dinner for up to 3 months in the freezer. When you’re ready to eat it, thaw it completely before heating it up in the oven.
more quick and easy Mexican recipes to try:
- Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas
- Loaded Mexican Sweet Potatoes
- Refried Black Beans
- Mexican Salmon Salad
- Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
- Mexican Chicken Rice Bake
- Slow Cooker Mexican Beef
Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 5-6 depending on size tri-color bell peppers, tops cut off and seeds and ribs removed
- 1 lb ground turkey, uncooked
- 1 cup rice, cooked (mexican, brown rice, or white rice)
- 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
- 1 cup red enchilada sauce
- 3/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese, plus more for topping, if desired
- 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
Optional Toppings
- cilantro
- sour cream
- shredded mexican cheese
- salsa
- enchilada sauce
- avocado
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Spray the bottom of a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Place the peppers inside.
- In a large bowl combine ground beef or turkey, rice, black beans, corn, enchilada sauce, cheese, seasoning and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
- Place the filling into the cavity of each pepper.
- Cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-6 hours or until the meat is cooked through.
- Serve immediately with some of the optional toppings, if desired. Goes great with a side salad!
Notes
Nutrition Information
Did you make this?
I’d love to hear your feedback! Leave a review and make sure to share your pictures on social media! Don’t forget to follow @thechefsavvy.
Ashley R
I’m wondering if I could stack them to make more; 5-6 wouldn’t be enough to have leftovers for lunch. Also, can the beef mixture be made ahead?
Kelley
Hi Ashley,
The beef or turkey mixture can not be made ahead of time. It cooks in the slow cooker with the peppers. My slow cooker was only able to fit 5 peppers (you may be able to fit more if you have a large slow cooker). I am not sure that more would fit even if you stacked them. Mine came pretty close to the top of the slow cooker.
I hope this helps & that you enjoy! Thank you!
Kelley
Larissa
I was wondering if the beef was greasy from cooking in the slow cooker?
Kelley
Hi Larissa,
No the beef does not get greasy in the slow cooker. I used lean ground beef.
Thanks!
Kelley
Casey
Hi there,
This recipe looks amazing! I am wondering – can you freeze this? I am making freezer meals for post-baby. If I make the mix, stuff the peppers, and freeze it all like that, would it hold up okay? Thank you so much!
Kelley
Hi Casey!
I would cook this first in the slow cooker and then freeze it. I would feel more comfortable doing that versus freezing the uncooked meat in the pepper. I hope this helps and hope you enjoy!
Thank you!
Kelley
Jae
Is cooking of rice included in prep time?
Kelley
Hi Jae,
Yes the cooking time for rice is included. I use minute rice which takes about 5 minutes to make.
Thanks!
Kelley
Larsen Scott
Have you considered using the work “prepare” instead of”make”. Perhaps that would be more apropos as I’m sure you are not really “making” any of this!
Larsen Scott
I know, I made a typo!
ona
So, no liquid added, is it? Have I understood it correctly? Thank you.
Kelley
Yes no liquid. Thanks!
Mary Bremer
Hi, you have a creamy Mexican cheese on top. Is it the shredded Mexican cheese in the burger mix? And the name of the top cheese please. Thank you. I appreciated how you walk through the recipe. Wonderful job.?
Kelley
Hi Mary,
There is shredded Mexican cheese on top and in the peppers. There is also a drizzle of sour cream on top.
Thanks!
Kelley
Melaine
Hi, have you ever tried with shredded chicken? I’m just wondering because I can’t do turkey…lol and right now on a no red meat diet.
Kelley
Hi Melanie,
I have not tried this with shredded chicken but I think that should work or ground chicken.
Thanks!
Kelley
Brittany
So you do NOT cook ground beef ahead of time you mix it uncooked and then stuff pepper ? Is that correct ?
Kelley
Hi Brittany,
No you do not cook the ground beef before hand.
Thank you,
Kelley
Krysta
Can I omit the rice if I don’t have any? Maybe add a little more black beans and corn?
Kelley
Hi Krysta,
Sure that would be perfectly fine!
Enjoy!
Kelley
Darlene
I’m confused are the beans supposed to be cooked prior or do they cook in the slow cooker?
Kelley
Hi Darlene,
No they are canned black beans and do not need to be cooked ahead of time. They cook in the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients.
Thanks!
Kelley