Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers
A quick and cozy dinner option, Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers are filled with savory ground meat, rice, and cheese, making them hearty yet easy to prepare.
Ingredients
For the Peppers
- 4-6 pieces medium bell peppers, tops sliced off and seeds removed
For the Filling
- 1 pound ground beef or turkey
- 1 cup cooked rice, white or brown
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup tomato sauce, plus extra for topping
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- to taste Salt and pepper
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack, plus more for topping
- 1 cup water for the Instant Pot Essential for steaming
Instructions
Preparation
- Cut off the tops of the peppers, scoop out the seeds, and trim the bottoms if they need to stand up.
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground meat with onion and garlic until browned. Drain if needed.
- Stir in cooked rice, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and cheese into the meat mixture.
- Pack the filling into each pepper and add a spoonful of extra tomato sauce on top if desired.
Cooking
- Pour 1 cup of water into the Instant Pot and place the trivet inside.
- Arrange the peppers on the trivet, standing upright. If any pepper leans, tuck a small piece of foil to help it stand.
- Lock the lid, set the valve to 'Sealing', and cook on High Pressure for 8 minutes.
- Let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure.
Finishing Touch
- Sprinkle more cheese over the peppers, close the lid for 1 to 2 minutes on Keep Warm to allow it to melt, or broil quickly in the oven for a bubbly top.
Serving
- Serve the peppers spooning any juices from the pot over them for extra flavor.
Notes
For perfect results, use cooked rice for the filling. Choose peppers of similar sizes to ensure even cooking. If you prefer, you can swap out ground meat for turkey or go vegetarian by adding more rice and veggies.