This Clean Eating Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Pepper Recipe Is Healthy Meal Prep Magic

Listen, I’m about to save your Sunday meal prep with a recipe that basically cooks itself while you handle the seventeen other things on your to-do list. These slow cooker stuffed bell peppers are the answer to that eternal question: “How do I eat healthy when I have exactly zero minutes to stand over a stove?”

Why This Recipe Actually Works for Real Life

Here’s the thing about stuffed peppers – they usually require you to pre-cook everything, stuff them, bake them, and basically chain yourself to the kitchen. Not this version. Your slow cooker does all the heavy lifting while you live your actual life. Plus, you get five ready-made meals that reheat beautifully (and won’t make you sad at your desk on Wednesday).

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How to Core a Bell Pepper (Without Losing Your Mind)

Let’s tackle the thing nobody talks about – how to actually hollow out a bell pepper without destroying it:

1. Cut the top off – About ½ inch from the top, slice straight across. Save these tops if you’re feeling fancy (they make cute “lids”).
2. Pull out the core – The white membrane and seeds usually come out in one satisfying chunk when you grab and twist. It’s oddly therapeutic.
3. Clean the inside – Run your finger around the inside to remove any stubborn seeds or white ribs. A quick rinse helps catch stragglers.
4. Check the bottom – Make sure your pepper can stand upright. If it’s wobbly, carefully slice a tiny bit off the bottom to level it (but don’t cut through to create a hole, or your filling becomes floor filling).
5. Pat dry – A quick pat with a paper towel prevents extra water from making your filling soggy.

Ingredients (The No-Nonsense List)

• 5 large bell peppers (green, red or yellow – mix them up for Instagram-worthy meal prep containers)
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 15 ounce can black beans
• 1.5 cups cooked rice
• 3.5 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ – 1 cup water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup three cheese blend shredded cheese

Equipment: 5 Quart Slow Cooker (or bigger if you’re blessed with counter space)

The Stupidly Simple Instructions

1. Core those bell peppers using the method above. Stand them up in your slow cooker with ½ cup water in the bottom. They should fit snugly, supporting each other like good friends.
2. In a bowl (use the biggest one you have because mixing is easier when stuff isn’t flying everywhere), combine:
   • Rinsed black beans
   • Cooked rice
   • Diced tomatoes (juice and all)
   • Diced onion
   • All your spices
   • ½ cup water
3. Mix it up. Taste it. Add more spice if you’re brave.
4. Distribute the filling evenly between your five pepper shells. Pack it down gently – you want them full but not exploding.
5. Top each pepper with cheese because we’re not monsters.
6. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or LOW for 6 hours. You’ll know they’re done when the peppers are tender but not complete mush.

The Keto Version (Because Options Are Good)

Swap these ingredients:

• Replace 1.5 cups cooked rice with 2 cups cauliflower rice (fresh or frozen, just drain it well)
• Replace black beans with 1 pound ground beef (85/15) OR 8 ounces diced mushrooms for vegetarian keto

Extra step for keto: Brown your ground beef first and drain it, or sauté those mushrooms to remove excess moisture. Then mix with everything else as usual.

This brings each serving to around 8-10g net carbs, keeping you firmly in keto territory while still getting that satisfying stuffed pepper experience.

Mix It Up (Because Boredom Is Real)

Not vegetarian? Add 1 pound ground beef to the regular version too. Brown it first, then mix it in with everything else.

Spice wimp? Start with half the chili powder and build from there.

Cheese obsessed? Mix ½ cup of cheese INTO the filling and save the other half for the top. You’re welcome.

Real Talk Storage

These beauties keep for 5 days in the fridge in airtight containers. They also freeze like champions – up to 3 months. Just wrap each pepper individually in foil, then pop them all in a freezer bag. Reheat from frozen in the microwave (remove foil first, obviously) or let them thaw overnight and reheat normally.

The Bottom Line

This recipe doesn’t require perfection. Your peppers might lean a little. Your filling might vary pepper to pepper. Who cares? You just made five healthy meals with about 10 minutes of actual work. That’s the kind of kitchen victory worth celebrating.

Now go set that slow cooker and reclaim your Sunday. You’ve got better things to do than babysit dinner.

Serves 5 | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 2-3 hours high / 6 hours low

Clean Eating Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers

Yield: 5

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes

Set-it-and-forget-it stuffed peppers that meal prep themselves! 15 minutes of work for 5 healthy dinners. Clean eating or keto - your choice

Print

Ingredients

• 5 large bell peppers (any color), tops cut and cored
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1½ cups cooked rice
• 3½ teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½-1 cup water (divided)
• 1 cup three cheese blend, shredded
• For Keto Version:
• Replace rice with 2 cups cauliflower rice
• Replace black beans with 1 lb ground beef (cooked) OR 8 oz mushrooms (sautéed)

Instructions

Core bell peppers (see post for detailed coring tutorial). Stand upright in 5-quart slow cooker with ½ cup water in bottom. In large bowl, combine black beans, rice, diced tomatoes with juice, onion, all spices, and ½ cup water. Mix well. Divide filling evenly among pepper shells. Pack down gently. Top each pepper with cheese. Cover and cook on HIGH 2-3 hours or LOW 6 hours until peppers are tender.

Notes

Make it meaty: Add 1 lb browned ground beef to regular version Storage: Refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze individually wrapped up to 3 months Keto: If using ground beef for keto version, brown and drain first Nutrition (per serving, regular version): Calories: 285 Carbs: 42g Protein: 14g Fat: 7g Fiber: 9g

Nutrition (per serving, keto version): Calories: 320 Net Carbs: 9g Protein: 28g Fat: 18g Fiber: 4g

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1 stuffed bell pepper
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 285Total Fat: 7gCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 9gProtein: 14g

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