These keto stuffed bell peppers are filled with ground beef, creamy tomato sauce, and cauliflower rice. Topped with mozzarella cheese and baked to perfection! Ready to eat in under 1 hour!
Cauliflower. Who knew it would become the most versatile vegetable for the low carb and keto lifestyle. You can make just about anything with cauliflower from mashed cauliflower to pizza crusts!
Why You'll Love Them
Cauliflower rice is a healthy, excellent replacement for regular, starchy rice. Stuffed bell peppers have been popular for a long time. And now for low carb and keto eaters, they're a great healthy choice as cauliflower rice replaces traditional rice.
Easy protein substitution - you can swap out the hamburger meat and use ground turkey or even ground sausage.
This recipe also uses frozen cauliflower rice which is super convenient. I've recently discovered a muffin pan works well to hold the stuffed bell peppers upright. I personally like this jumbo muffin pan but a regular baking dish works well, too.
This is one of my favorite keto ground beef recipes. My other favorites are my Low Carb Lasagna Stuffed Portobello Mushroom recipe and my Stuffed Spaghetti Squash recipe. Both recipes have a meaty, hearty filling that's served inside a vegetable! Both are high protein low carb dinner recipes that you've got to try! For a change of pace, a cup of low carb soup fits the bill. Try my Instant Pot Creamy Asparagus Soup. All are gluten free.
Ingredients
(scroll down to the printable recipe card for complete details)
Ground Beef - 90/10 or 80/20
Cauliflower Rice - use frozen cauliflower rice
Bell Peppers - there are fewer carbs in green peppers than yellow and red
Tomato Sauce - no sugar added
Sour Cream - use the full fat sour cream
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese - or use a cheese blend such as Italian blend
Seasonings - parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper
How to Make Them
Here's a quick summary of the instructions. Please follow the recipe card when making these stuffed bell peppers!
Step 1. Steam the cauliflower rice in the microwave. Press out all the liquid. Set aside. Cook the ground beef and drain the grease.
Step 2. Add the remaining ingredients (cauliflower rice, tomato sauce, sour cream, and seasonings) to the ground beef. At this point, check the flavor and add additional seasonings if desired.
Step 3. Cut the tops off of 5-7 large bell peppers, remove the seeds, and fill with the seasoned, creamy cauliflower rice and meat mixture (Blanch or boil the peppers before stuffing if you prefer tender peppers).
Step 4. Place the peppers on a baking dish or in a muffin pan. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. Then, top each bell pepper with mozzarella cheese, and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned.
You could also use the broiler for a few minutes to get the cheese nicely browned.
Recipe Tips
- VERY IMPORTANT: After the cauliflower has cooked, you must press out as much liquid as possible. Place the cooked cauliflower rice in a mesh strainer, then place several paper towels on top of the cauliflower and use your fist to press very firmly on the cauliflower rice. Repeat this process, switching out the wet paper towels with dry paper towels until there is no more liquid draining/dripping out of the strainer.
- Green bell peppers are available year round at the grocery store but peak season runs from July through September.
- The sour cream makes the ground beef-cauliflower mixture so rich and creamy!
- These hearty, low carb stuffed bell peppers are excellent comfort food and make great leftovers!
- Do you have a garden full of bell pepper? Check out this article from My Frugal Home, here's the link How To Freeze Peppers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store cooked stuffed bell peppers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I prefer to use BPA-free glass containers with locking lids. Check out this 18 piece set of glass food storage containers with snap locking lids.
You can freeze leftover stuffed bell peppers for up to 3 months. Make sure they are stored in an airtight container like a freezer bag and be sure to write the date on the bag for an easy reminder when they went into the freezer. When you’re ready to eat them, let them thaw in the refrigerator then heat them in a preheated 350 oven for about 10-15 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Note: Frozen bell peppers tend to get soft when they thaw. Please note they won't be firm or crunchy.
Yes, but do not blanch or boil the peppers. Frozen bell peppers tend to get soft after they thaw. After making the filling, let the filling completely cool. Then you can stuff the peppers (don’t bake them) and freeze them. Store them in a ziplock bag or some other kind of airtight container. Then, when you’re ready to eat them, thaw the peppers in the refrigerator. They may take up to 24 hours to thaw in the refrigerator. Once thawed, bake as directed. Again, frozen bell peppers tend to get soft when they thaw. Please note they won't be firm or crunchy.
Yes! Follow Steps 1-3 of the recipe card. Add ½ teaspoon olive oil to the bottom of the slow cooker. Place stuffed peppers in the slow cooker. Cover and cook 4 hours on low (5 hours for a much softer pepper). Add the cheese, cover, and cook for another 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Meat Substitutions
As stated in the recipe card, you can use ground sausage instead of ground beef. You can also use ground pork or ground chicken. Low carb stuffed peppers with ground turkey is another outstanding option!
Tomato Sauce Substitution
If you don't like tomato sauce, you can substitute 8 ounces of cream cheese. Eight ounces of cream cheese has 1 net carb per serving, according to the brand you use.
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Keto Stuffed Bell Peppers
Equipment
- Large Saute Pan
- Large knife
- Cutting board
- large bowl
- Mesh strainer
- measuring spoons
- Baking pan or muffin pan
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground beef, cooked and drained
- 12 ounces Cauliflower rice, steamed and drained
- 2 8-oz cans Tomato Sauce
- ½ cup Sour cream
- 1 tablespoon Parsley
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 5-7 Large green bell peppers
- ½ cup Shredded cheese, mozzarella or Italian blend
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef until done and drain the grease. While the ground beef is cooking, steam the cauliflower rice in the microwave. VERY IMPORTANT: After the cauliflower has cooked, you must press out as much liquid as possible. Place the cooked cauliflower rice in a mesh strainer, then place several paper towels on top of the cauliflower and use your fist to press very firmly on the cauliflower rice. Repeat this process, switching out the wet paper towels with dry paper towels until there is no more liquid draining/dripping out of the strainer.
- Combine the ground beef and cauliflower rice. Add the tomato sauce (use the tomato sauce with basil, garlic, and oregano for added flavor but check carb content), sour cream, and seasonings. Mix well. Check the flavor and add additional seasonings if desired.
- Wash and dry bell peppers. Cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove the seeds and white membrane.
- Fill the peppers with the ground beef mixture and place in a baking dish or muffin pan. SEE RECIPE NOTES BELOW FOR SOFTER BELL PEPPERS.
- Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 20-25 minutes. For softer bell peppers, cover with foil before baking (see note below). Remove from oven, and top with cheese. Return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes to melt the cheese. Use the broiler to brown the cheese to your liking.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in 2018 and was updated in 2023.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy to my readers. I'm not a nutritionist and I don't guarantee the accuracy of this data. The data may differ according to the brands I used versus the brands you use. To calculate the data yourself using your brands, try using an online nutrition calculator or app.
Beth
These stuffed peppers are just delicious. What a treat. I’m alone so I froze all the extras and if they are ok that way, I will have several meals.
MyKitchenSerenity
Hi Beth! Thank you so much for your nice comment. I'm glad you liked the peppers. For your frozen peppers, when you are ready to eat them, let them thaw in the refrigerator then heat them in a preheated 350F oven for about 10-15 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Keep in mind that frozen bell peppers tend to get soft when they thaw. I actually like them this way, lol. Have a great day!