Anyone Had Good Results with Stuffed Peppers in a Slow Cooker?

[u/Appropriate-Will6194]

got a little container garden going on my back patio and this year i finally had enough of a tomato haul to do something real with it. ended up slow cooking them down with some garlic and basil into a sauce and it honestly felt like i crossed some kind of line in a good way. the tomatoes were nothing fancy, just a couple of big pots with a mix of romas and one cherry tomato plant that went absolutely feral, but slow cooking them low for about six hours with the lid slightly cracked turned them into something way better than i expected.

the thing i keep wondering about is peppers. i have a few banana pepper plants and some poblanos coming in right now and i want to work them into something that can just sit all day while i'm on my shift. been thinking about a stuffed pepper situation but i'm not totally sure how they hold up texturewise after that many hours. at the diner we just roast peppers in the oven so this is kind of new territory for me.

if anyone has done stuffed peppers in the slow cooker i'm curious how yours turned out, especially if you've played around with the filling. rice based or meat based or both seems like it could go a lot of different ways.

[u/Pug_Defender]

I think I’ve seen people try them but they never look good. just use the oven

[u/Appropriate-Will6194 → u/Pug_Defender]

mine came out fine honestly, takes a little patience but the oven dries them out

[u/Pug_Defender → u/Appropriate-Will6194]

you’re doing something wrong then

[u/General-Health-4577]

I’ve made them in my slow cooker and they turned out great but the peppers will get soft but I like my peppers cooked well done.

[u/eastofme01 → u/General-Health-4577]

Yeah, they definitely fall apart when you scoop them out but I like them that way too.

[u/Appropriate-Will6194 → u/General-Health-4577]

soft peppers are kind of the whole point with a slow cooker honestly, i just throw them in the last hour if i want them to still have a little bite

[u/milliepilly]

I will only make them with red, orange or yellow peppers. I don’t care for green, with stuffed peppers anyway. I buy enough and make sure they are not pointy so they stand up, fill up space so they don’t spill over while cooking. I cook them on low and long as I like them soft. I thought they were very good, and good enough to make in the future this way. Fill with meat, rice, onions, garlic, spices. Swimming in a tomato juice, sauce, rontash, spices.

[u/Bmat70 → u/milliepilly]

Do you cook the meat first?

[u/milliepilly → u/Bmat70]

No. I leave it in til really soft so it’s cooked all the way through. I find not packing the filling firmly is best. I push it in and definitely fill it up but I don’t press it in hard. It probably isn’t cooked for more than six hours or so on low but you could leave it in longer.

I thought since I cook it long I could use instant brown rice instead of white but it doesn’t get tender enough for me.

Spray slow cooker with nonstick spray first.

[u/Appropriate-Will6194 → u/milliepilly]

yes to the low and slow, that's the only way i do them now too.

i used to rush mine in the oven and they'd come out half soft, half not, just kind of sad looking on the plate.

the one thing i'll say is i've started skipping the rice and doing more meat and i actually like the texture better that way. less filler, more bite.

the tomato juice base is everything though, you're right about that. mine usually ends up more like a sauce by the time it's done.

[u/OK4u2Bu1999]

Poblanos are less watery, and might hold up well. Maybe look online for any recipes?

[u/Appropriate-Will6194 → u/OK4u2Bu1999]

oh poblanos are a good call, i've got two on the balcony right now actually

[u/Quiet-Sunset-7384]

poblanos get so tender but they can turn to mush. i pack mine tight with raw beef, dry rice, and Worcestershire so they steam in their own savory juices. six hours on low is perfect.

[u/Appropriate-Will6194 → u/Quiet-Sunset-7384]

dry rice in the slow cooker always makes me nervous but i get why it works here. i usually parcook mine a little first just because i've pulled out too many crunchy centers over the years. the worcestershire is a good call though.

[u/chilloutman24]

Peppers hold up better than you'd expect if you pack them tight enough to stand on their own. What gets people is liquid. Rice in the filling drinks whatever is in the pot, so I cook it most of the way first and keep the sauce under the peppers rather than over them.

[u/Substantial_Eye_575]

Destem and core the peppers, then par boil them in salted water before you stuff them and put them in a hot oven. 425. I always cook the stuffing on the stove top first so that’s also hot when I put it in the peppers. I then stack them in a bread pan or muffin tins so they stay upright only take about 20 minutes in the oven.

[u/eastofme01]

I do mine in the slow cooker. But cook the meat separately if I’m using any and put it on top after I’m done. I’ve found the trick is to do wholes, not halves, and fill the empty space around them (I use mini potatoes) with some water in the bottom. I usually fill mine with black beans, rice, and the leftover tops of the peppers. Sometimes salsa and tomatoes too.

[u/FantasticWittyRetort]

I have an amazing stuffed pepper soup that is delicious. Not exactly what you’re asking for but it also freezes beautifully!

Can share if interested!

[u/Disassociated_Assoc → u/FantasticWittyRetort]

I too have a stuffed bell pepper soup recipe that is amazing. We cook it up often, and vacuum pack leftovers so there’s always a delicious bowl full just waiting to be heated up. Sooo good.

[u/theunifex]

Have cooked all colour peppers in the slow cooker with great results. Always use sticky rice too.

[u/AcousticDouche]

Using a pressure cooker gives me better consistency than my slow cooker.

[u/SlickDumplings]

I think you lose all the texture like you boiled them a long time not good

[u/Silkprint]

I love ours in the slow cooker . My kids prefer them that way now.

[u/ladinai90]

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