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Four Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers topped with melted cheese and fresh herbs on a baking sheet.
Layla

Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers

Classic stuffed peppers with a perfectly charred exterior and tender filling, made faster and better in the air fryer.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 425
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Peppers
  • 4 large bell peppers any color, halved lengthwise and seeded
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
For the Filling
  • 1 lb ground beef 85% lean
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1.5 cups cooked rice white or brown, leftover works great
  • 14.5 oz diced tomatoes can, drained
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp salt divided
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper freshly ground
For Topping
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped, for garnish

Equipment

  • Air Fryer
  • Large skillet
  • Small Bowl

Method
 

Prep the Peppers
  1. Rub pepper halves inside and out with olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Arrange in the air fryer basket cut-side up. Cook at 375°F for 6 minutes until slightly softened but still holding shape. Remove and set aside.
Make the Filling
  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
  2. Add tomato paste, oregano, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in diced tomatoes, cooked rice, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer 2 minutes until thickened slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Assemble and Cook
  1. Mound the filling generously into each pepper half, pressing gently to pack. Do not overfill or cheese will slide off. Arrange stuffed peppers back in the air fryer basket, working in batches if needed.
  2. Cook at 360°F for 10 minutes. Top each pepper with mozzarella, then continue cooking 4-6 minutes until cheese is melted and lightly browned in spots. Let rest 3 minutes before serving.
Serve
  1. Transfer peppers to plates, sprinkle with fresh parsley, and serve hot.

Notes

Pre-cooking the peppers is essential - it prevents the filling from overcooking while the peppers stay crunchy. Leftover rice works better than freshly cooked because it's drier and absorbs the sauce without getting mushy. For a lower-carb version, substitute cauliflower rice and reduce initial cook time by 2 minutes.