Each pepper is loaded with savory seasoned beef, hearty rice, and gooey melted mozzarella — all wrapped up in a beautifully softened shell with gorgeous char marks from the air fryer.

They look impressively fancy for how little effort they take, and getting dinner on the table in under 35 minutes never gets old.

Variations & Substitutions

Swap the ground beef for Italian sausage if you want a bolder, more savory filling — it adds a ton of flavor without any extra seasoning effort. Ground pork or a mix of beef and pork also works beautifully.

If you don’t like rice, try swapping it for cauliflower rice to cut carbs, or use cooked quinoa for a slightly nuttier bite. For the sauce, a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes works great in a pinch, and pepper jack cheese adds a welcome kick instead of mozzarella.

Tips & Tricks for Perfect Results

Make sure your peppers are roughly the same size so they cook evenly — oversized ones may need an extra 2–3 minutes. If your peppers wobble in the basket, slice just a tiny sliver off the bottom to create a flat base (without cutting through).

Pre-cook the filling completely before stuffing, since the air fryer is mainly there to soften the pepper and melt the cheese. Covering the tops loosely with foil for the first 10 minutes prevents the cheese from over-browning before the pepper softens.

Serving Suggestions

These peppers are a full meal on their own, but they pair wonderfully with a crisp green salad and some crusty garlic bread on the side. A dollop of sour cream on top adds a cool, creamy contrast to the savory filling.

For a fun weeknight spread, serve them alongside roasted zucchini or a simple cucumber tomato salad. If you’re feeding a crowd, slice the peppers in half lengthwise before stuffing for easy sharing — they look gorgeous on a platter and are much easier to portion out.

Equipment Needed

You don’t need much to pull this recipe off, which is one of my favorite things about it.

Tongs for removing peppers from the air fryer
Air fryer (4-quart capacity or larger recommended)
Large skillet
Cutting board and sharp knife
Wooden spoon or spatula
Measuring cups and spoons
Cooking spray or pastry brush
Spoon or small spatula for stuffing

Prep Ahead Tips

This recipe is great for meal prepping. Brown the meat mixture up to 3 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge — when you’re ready to eat, just stuff and air fry. You can also hollow out the peppers ahead of time and store them wrapped in plastic in the fridge.

Fully assembled (but uncooked) stuffed peppers can be wrapped tightly and refrigerated overnight, ready to pop into the air fryer straight from the fridge with just a couple of extra minutes added to the cook time.

Budget Tips

Ground beef is already a budget-friendly protein, but stretching the filling with extra rice is the easiest way to feed more people without spending more. Buying bell peppers in a multi-pack bag at the grocery store is almost always cheaper than grabbing individual ones.

Store-brand marinara sauce works just as well as the fancy stuff here — save the good jar for pasta night. Shredded cheese from a block is typically more economical than pre-shredded bags, and it melts better too, so it’s a win all around.

Storage & Reheating

Store leftover stuffed peppers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, pop them back in the air fryer at 350°F for 5–7 minutes until warmed through — this keeps the pepper from going soggy, unlike the microwave.

If you do use the microwave, heat on medium power in 90-second intervals. For freezing, wrap each pepper individually in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating in the air fryer.

Prep Time:15

Cook Time:20

Ingredients

4 large bell peppers any color, tops cut off and seeds removed
1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
1 cup cooked white or brown rice
1 cup marinara or tomato sauce divided
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese divided
½ cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp smoked paprika
Fresh parsley for garnish optional

Instructions

Brown the meat. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef with the diced onion and garlic until no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat.
Mix the filling. Remove the skillet from heat. Stir in the cooked rice, ¾ cup of the marinara sauce, half the mozzarella, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika until fully combined.
Prep the peppers. Lightly spray the outside of each pepper with cooking spray or brush with olive oil.
Stuff them up. Spoon the filling generously into each pepper, pressing it down as you go. Top each one with a spoonful of the remaining marinara and a sprinkle of mozzarella.
Air fry. Place the stuffed peppers upright in the air fryer basket. Cook at 360°F for 18–20 minutes, until the peppers are soft and the cheese is golden and bubbly.
Garnish and serve. Let them cool for a couple of minutes, then top with fresh parsley and dig in!

Servings: