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Freezer Friendly Stuffed Peppers

With a little prep work, these Freezer Stuffed Peppers make an amazing weeknight dinner! Have dinner on the table in 30 minutes without the fuss!

Image of prepared stuffed peppers with the title "Freezer stuffed peppers"

Who else hates the hassle of making stuffed peppers?

I mean, I honestly don’t have a ton of patience when it comes to cooking dinner. I like just plain old cooking something- and if I have to cook something and THEN bake it… well, we have a problem.

Cooked stuffed peppers in a baking pan

We like 30 minute dinners- how about you? Luckily, these stuffed peppers CAN only take 30 minutes… if you turn them into a freezer meal!

See, making food ahead of time saves SO much time and sanity. It’s so easy to pull a meal out of the freezer and cook it the next day. No extra prep work required!

And these stuffed peppers are no different. You can make one batch just to put in the freezer, or do a double batch so you can eat some first.

Do a little bit of work now so you don’t have to panic when you’re low on time for cooking. This is an EXCELLENT meal prep recipe you can make on a Sunday afternoon!

What do you need to make stuffed peppers?

The ingredients are simple:

  • Ground beef (or ground turkey)
  • Rice (Instant rice works well, or you can cook regular rice quickly in a rice cooker!)
  • Onion
  • Bell peppers
  • Garlic
  • Diced tomatoes
  • Tomato sauce
  • Cheese
  • Lots of yummy spices!
Image of a bell pepper on a cutting board

Cooking Instructions:

To prepare these stuffed peppers, start by cutting off the tops of six bell peppers. They can be any color- I prefer green most times because they’re cheaper.

Image of ground beef and onions in a pan

Next, cook onion and ground meat in a large skillet. While that’s cooking, prepare some instant rice.

Can you use regular rice? Sure, but that takes upwards of an hour while instant rice takes minutes. Sometimes convenience wins out!

Image of stuffed pepper mixture in a pan

When the ground beef is fully cooked, add the rest of the ingredients and combine, saving a little bit of cheese for later.

Image of prepared stuffed peppers

Now it’s time to stuff the peppers! If you have any leftover rice mix (Which I did, maybe a half cup), you can freeze it for later or use as a topping for pasta. Or get creative!

The best way to freeze your stuffed peppers is to place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and carefully put them in the freezer.

Make sure your peppers are quite frozen before transferring them to a freezer bag (About 2-3 hours of freezing time). Some of the filling may fall out otherwise; and if it still does, no biggie.

Try to keep the bag flat in the freezer so the peppers stay upright.

These will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months. They’re still safe to eat after that, but then you risk freezer burn!

Image of stuffed peppers in a freezer bag

What can you serve with Freezer Stuffed Peppers?

A nice big salad would work nicely with these stuffed peppers! Or if you think you’ve got enough veggies, you can serve with dinner rolls or even some fruit.

Two stuffed peppers and roasted zucchini on a plate

Do you have to freeze the stuffed peppers?

Nope! You can go ahead and bake them as normal, in a baking dish, per the instructions. I’ve done it both ways and they’re both perfectly delicious.

This was so easy to make, I think I’ll do this more often! Stuffed peppers are a rarity over here, and that’s about to change.

Can you cook these in a slow cooker instead?

I haven’t tried it with this bell pepper recipe- but you probably could. The cooking time would be 4-5 hours on LOW if they’re frozen.

What kind of substitutions can I make?

I have a few substitution ideas that you can use to tweak your meal to fit your needs:

  • Use ground turkey instead of ground beef for fewer calories and fat.
  • Use brown rice instead of white rice. It’s a great way to get in whole grains and extra fiber.
  • Use garlic powder instead of garlic if you don’t have any.
  • Add a can of black beans and only half the meat if you want to save money or add extra fiber.
  • To make this low carb, omit the rice. Cauliflower rice might work instead, but I don’t know if it’ll be liquidous after baking.

This is a great recipe with delicious flavors from the seasonings and meat. Print this recipe using the recipe card below!

Want more freezer recipes? Check out my 25 Days of Freezer Meals series!

Freezer Stuffed Peppers

Freezer Stuffed Peppers

Yield: 6 peppers
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

With a little prep work, these Freezer Stuffed Peppers make an amazing weeknight dinner! Have dinner on the table in 30 minutes without the fuss!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup uncooked brown instant rice (Standard rice is fine but will take longer to cook)
  • 6 bell peppers, any color
  • 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 8-ounce can tomato sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup shredded cheese, divided

Instructions

  1. Cook rice according to the directions and set aside.
  2. In a large pan, sautee the onions until they become translucent. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink.
  3. Add garlic and continue to cook for another 30 seconds.
  4. Cut off the tops of all six bell peppers and remove the membranes and seeds. Set aside.
  5. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.
  6. Add the rice and half the cheese and stir.
  7. Fill each pepper completely with the mixture, then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Freeze any extra mixture for later.
  8. To freeze, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and put in the freezer for 2-3 hours. Then transfer to a gallon-size freezer bag.
  9. Thaw overnight and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 393Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 654mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 28g

Jean

Tuesday 29th of August 2023

I put the peppers in muffin tins to keep them upright while filling. Wrapped the tin and put it in the freezer. When frozen, rewrapped individually keep in freezer until use.

diane

Saturday 20th of January 2024

I cooked mine already - can i still freeze them?

Jaime

Wednesday 30th of August 2023

The muffin tin idea is genius!!

Susan

Wednesday 2nd of August 2023

do you cook or blanch the peppers first before filling??

Jaime

Wednesday 2nd of August 2023

I didn't! They turned out just fine. =)

Debi

Wednesday 28th of September 2022

The stuffed peppers remain uncooked for freezing, and cooked when removed from freezer?

Just double checking

Thank you

Jaime

Wednesday 28th of September 2022

That's correct! =)

Christy

Friday 20th of May 2022

I use Manwich sauce instead of tomatoes etc. It’s already got onions and spices. I mix some in the raw hamburger and rice, then put in peppers. The rest of Manwich sauce goes on top of stuffed peppers and then add alittle water to clean out rest in can and dump in bottom of baking dish. Bake in oven. Lot less prep.

Sally P

Sunday 27th of August 2023

@Christy, that sounds good!

Cherry

Friday 4th of February 2022

So if I’ve already had my peppers frozen for a couple months now and Iam already To cook them and the already have everything in them. How long do I thaw?? And cook?? Won’t they just fall apart when thawed? And I’m going to stuff 3 more. Those are frozen but not stuffed yet . How long should I leave the frozen peppers out and do I stuffed while frozen or wait until thawed . Thank you cherry

Jaime

Friday 4th of February 2022

Hi Cherry! If the peppers are frozen and unfilled, I think it'd be okay to stuff the peppers while they're still frozen.

For the frozen ones with filling, thaw them out at least overnight or 8-10 hours. The recipe says 400 degrees for 30 minutes; but if your peppers are still slightly frozen, it might take a little longer. And mine didn't fall apart when they thawed. =) I hope that helps!

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