Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers are healthy and easy even weeknight dinner. No pre-cooking rice and it is one pot and a freezer meal. So much easier than on the stove.
I love my Instant Pot! Other easy one pot meals would be Instant Pot cabbage rolls, turkey chili and chicken tacos. Browse all of my healthy Instant Pot recipes and kiss “What’s for dinner?” dilemma good-bye.
Pressure Cooker Stuffed Peppers
I made Instant Pot stuffed peppers twice in a week before I went on work trips. Who am I kidding?! I made a whole batch of healthy freezer meals for my husband. We loved this Instant Pot stuffed bell peppers recipe A LOT – easy, one pot and tasty.
I’m turning into you – those who work full-time not from home and are like “What’s for dinner?” at 5 PM. I have been living off of my healthy Instant Pot recipes because life has been crazy with the move, renovations and work travel.
Ingredients
Instant Pot stuffed peppers are easy-peasy comfort food my mom used to make all the time. 100% nostalgia and I bet for you as well.
- Ground turkey
- Quinoa
- Onion
- Tomato sauce
- Simple seasonings
Can I Use Uncooked Rice?
No. Rice needs longer cooking time.
If you are not a fan of quinoa you can substitute it with couscous or buckwheat. And if you are not a fan of buckwheat you can use any 12-15 minute cooking grain.
And if none fit your “likes list” you can use pre-cooked rice to make traditional Instant Pot stuffed peppers.
How to Make Stuffed Peppers in Instant Pot
If you still don’t have an Instant Pot, check out which one you should buy (maybe?). It is seriously a revolutionary appliance worth every penny. And then I have Instant Pot guide that will help you get started. Are you convinced? Don’t miss out any longer!
- Cut pepper tops, chop them along with onion and saute.
- Make stuffing with ground turkey, uncooked quinoa, spices and sauteed veggies.
- Stuff peppers, layer and top with half of the tomato sauce. Repeat.
- Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes (8 quart) or 20 minutes (6 quart).
- Release pressure right away, top with juices and yogurt. Serve.
Can I Freeze Stuffed Peppers?
Yes. You can freeze cooled cooked stuffed peppers. Place in an airtight container to prevent freezer burns and freeze for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat Stuffed Peppers
To reheat stuffed peppers, first thaw them on a counter for 3-4 hours or in the fridge overnight.
To warm up stuffed peppers, place them in a pot with the juices, cover and cook on low vor 10 minutes. Steam will warm them through. I do not own a microwave, so that is how we reheat food.
What to Serve Stuffed Peppers With?
We serve stuffed peppers with plain yogurt and rye bread. Toasted whole wheat bread mimics freshly baked rye bread as well. I like to break stuffed peppers on my plate, mix with yogurt and dip bread into the sauce.
Stuffed peppers are a meal on its own. We usually do not make any sides to go with the recipe besides green smoothie if we feel like.
More Healthy Instant Pot Dinners
- Instant Pot chicken and rice kids can’t get enough of.
- Instant Pot chicken and potatoes with lots of leftovers.
- Instant Pot bolognese sauce with half less meat.
- Instant Pot spaghetti – 15 minutes and even pasta cooks in same pot.
- Instant Pot stir fry using frozen chicken and veggies.
Looking for more dinner ideas? Check out my most popular collection of 30 healthy Instant Pot recipes.
PrintInstant Pot Stuffed Peppers
Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers are healthy and easy in your pressure cooker. No pre-cooking rice and it is one pot dinner and a freezer meal.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American Ukrainian
Ingredients
- 8–9 large bell peppers
- 2 lbs ground turkey
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp oregano, dried
- 1 tsp thyme, dried
- 1 tsp basil, dried
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
- Ground black pepper
- 15 oz can tomato sauce, low sodium
- 1 cup water
- Avocado oil, for frying
Instructions
- Cut the tops off of peppers and remove + discard the seeds. From the cut off tops remove and discard “the tail” and chop the tops (nothing goes to waste). Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add ground turkey, uncooked quinoa, soy sauce, oregano, thyme, basil, salt, red pepper flakes and ground black pepper.
- On Instant Pot, press Sauté and preheat until it says Hot. Swirl oil to coat, add onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chopped pepper pieces and sauté for another 3-4 minutes. Press Cancel and transfer sautéed veggies to the bowl with other ingredients. Using a spatula, mix all ingredients really well. Stuff the peppers diving the filling between them equally.
- In an Instant Pot, add water and place the rack inside. Arrange 1 layer of peppers and top with half of the tomato sauce. Lay remaining peppers and top with remaining sauce. Close the lid, turn release vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cooking on High for 15 minutes (8 quart Instant Pot) or 20 minutes (6 quart Instant Pot).
- After peppers are cooked, turn the valve to Quick Release and release the pressure. Serve with plain yogurt and juices from the bottom of the pot (turkey baster is the best to suck those up).
Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Make Ahead: Refrigerate stuffed uncooked peppers for up to 2 days and cook when ready.
Notes
I have 8 quart Instant Pot and it’s large enough to cook all peppers at once. If yours is 6 quart, cook in 2 batches.
You can replace quinoa with pre-cooked brown rice or uncooked buckwheat.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.
Loved this! So easy and delicious. Next time I would actually add a bit more salt. I don’t love a ton of salt, but I think a bit more would bring out the flavors. I halved the recipe for my 6 qt and put 4 in the pot and froze one for later 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!!
★★★★★
You are very welcome! Sure. Sometimes I add more salt to a meal, depends on a day and my taste buds that day.:) Glad you enjoyed!
Please understand that I modified this recipe as follows to suit our tastes.
First, I used ground beef (85%) ,instead of turkey. I did not dice and include the pepper tops. I used Uncle Ben’s Ten Minute Brown Rice as well. Further, I used Italian spiced tomato sauce and mixed half of the can in with the stuffing. I also left out the red pepper flakes. As I have a 6 quart pot I made six peppers. Could probably have gotten eight in there tho. I did not change any of the ingredient amounts or proportions.
Cooked the dish for 35 minutes. Came out great, maybe a bit dry, but I will up the amount of tomato sauce and tweak the spices a bit next time.
All in all a good and satisfying dish.
★★★★★
I think because you didn’t use pepper tops the stuffed peppers were a bit dry. But main reason think you cooked them way too long. It’s a pressure cooker so it cooks food faster. Try 15 mins as I did and see. They will be cooked otherwise I wouldn’t be serving raw peppers to my family. Im not crazy. I’m sure they will be less dry.:)
Only reason I cooked them that long was the rice. I wanted to be sure it would be cooked. Will surely cut the time on the next try.
★★★★★
Ooooh, you made them with the rice and not quinoa…My bad, missed that. Maybe 20 mins will be enough since it’s 10 minute rice. Try and see.:)
Deee-licious! My husband and 14 year old daughter had TWO each! This is saying a lot because my husband doesn’t usually like stuffed peppers I had 1.5.
I served this with yogurt that I made in the Instant Pot 🙂
Good tip from your Chicken and Rice recipe to vent the Instant Pot outside. I’m sure the neighbors are wondering why there is steam coming off my deck so frequently recently!
I’m going to try making the Beef Stew next…
That’s awesome! Not to mention your entire neighbourhood smells amazing.:) I always have 2 of those peppers too. Glad it was a hit!!!
Any suggestions for an alternative to the tomato sauce? Can I just use water or broth? Thanks!
Yes, for sure. 1-2 cups would do it and give nice juices to pour over.
OK, I might have just raved to all my friends about these instant pot stuffed peppers for 2 full days LOL. Yum!
★★★★★