Ninja Foodi Stuffed Peppers

Getting the perfect texture and flavor in stuffed peppers can be a little challenging, but with this technique and the help of the Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker & Air Crisper, your stuffed peppers will be perfect every time!

If you have tried pressure cooking stuffed peppers, you may have run into issues with the peppers being overcooked, at least that was my experience when trying to create a stuffed pepper recipe that cooked the filling at the same time as the peppers. I've been working on this recipe for over a year and just couldn't get it consistent with using the pressure cooking function, so I switched to steam and it's like magic!

Not only can I get the mixture perfectly cooked in just a few minutes, the peppers turned out perfectly! When you want a quick and delicious dinner, give this one a try! It's a great weeknight meal.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Ingredients & Substitutions

Peppers

I used green peppers in this recipe, but feel free to use yellow, orange or red peppers. You can also use a combination of colored bell peppers. I would suggest using fresh bell peppers that haven't started to soften or wrinkle, for the best outcome.

Ground Beef

I used 80/20 ground beef in this recipe, but you can use a leaner beef if you want. You can also use a combination of sausage and beef, but make sure to adjust your seasonings since the sausage will already be seasoned. I suggest cutting all the dry seasonings in half, and then, once the meat mixture is cooked, add more to taste.

You can also use ground turkey or chicken or any ground meat in this recipe. I find with turkey and chicken you need to add a little more moisture and seasonings. You can add a touch more beef stock or more Worcestershire sauce, maybe 1-2 Tablespoons.

Rice

I used uncooked white rice in this recipe, not instant or parboiled (although, I think parboiled would be fine). You can use basmati or jasmine rice if you prefer and you shouldn't have to make any changes to the recipe.

You can use leftover rice, but you would have to change the recipe. Since the rice is already cooked, it won't absorb the liquid used in the recipe. You would have to do the recipe in two steps. Omit the beef stock and make the mixture by browning the ground beef, onions, garlic, and seasonings until the meat is fully cooked. Then add in the cooked rice and the marinara sauce, stir and remove from the pot. Add 1 cup of liquid to the inner pot, peppers on the rack, and steam for 4-6 minutes or until the peppers are done to your liking. Remove the peppers and stuff them with the mixture and then proceed with the recipe.

You should also be able to use quinoa in this recipe without any changes, but I haven't tried it that way. Let me know if you try it!

If you wanted to use brown rice, you will need to make some changes because brown rice takes longer to cook and your peppers would overcook if you tried to cook them together. What I suggest for brown rice is to cook it as you normally do. Use the sear/sauté to brown the ground beef, add in the seasonings, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, onion, balsamic vinegar and sauté until the meat is fully cooked. Add in the cooked brown rice and marinara and stir. Heat on medium-high heat until warmed through and the mixture is the consistency you like. Remove the mixture and place it in a bowl. Add one cup of water to the inner pot and steam the peppers on the rack for 4-6 minutes. Then proceed with stuffing the peppers and broiling the cheese on top.

Marinara Sauce

I used my homemade marinara sauce, but you can use your favorite marinara or spaghetti sauce. If you wanted to use plain tomato sauce, that is fine, but you might want to adjust your seasonings to taste after adding it. You can also use diced tomatoes or skip the tomato all together. The meat and rice mixture is delicious without it!

Garlic, Onion, & Seasonings

When it comes to seasonings, they are always customizable to what you like. Feel free to omit, add more, or change anything to best suit you. It will not affect the recipe, with the exception of the Worcestershire sauce and the balsamic vinegar. If you omit or change either of those, make sure to adjust your total liquid accordingly. For example, if you use the Worcestershire sauce, but not the vinegar, then add 2 Tbsps of extra beef stock to make up for it. The liquid amounts in the recipe are calculated so you get the right consistency in your filling. It shouldn't be too wet or too dry.

If you like a little spice, try adding some red pepper flakes!

Cheese

The cheese is completely optional and you can skip the broil stage of the recipe if you don't want to use it. If you do want to use it you can use any type of cheese you like. I used a combination of mozzarella cheese and an Italian blend in the video recipe and slices of provolone in one of my test batches and cheddar cheese in another test batch. All were delicious.

Some other ideas for cheeses would be pepper jack cheese for a little kick or a smoked gouda would be great!

Can I make this recipe in my Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker?

If you have a model of Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker that has a true steam function, then yes. You would follow the recipe as written. A true steam function will be when you use the steam function and the pressure release valve is set to VENT. Most IP's require you to seal the valve during the steaming process. This essentially means you are pressure cooking.

In my experiences with trying to use the pressure cooking function on the Ninja Foodi, I could never get the rice cooked perfectly without undercooking or overcooking the peppers.

I'm not saying it can't be done, but I never figured out the perfect timing.

What I would suggest trying is following the recipe as written and steaming for only 2 minutes with quick release of the pressure. If the peppers are done to your liking, but the rice isn't done, use the sear/sauté to finish cooking the rice. If the rice is done, but the peppers aren't, remove the mixture and add 1 cup of water and steam the peppers for another minute or so.

Please let me know if you try it and how it worked best for you and I can update the post with your timings.

Can I Make this Recipe Stovetop?

I have not tested the recipe that way, but it should be fairly easy to convert. If you have a large pot with a steaming rack, then start your rice/beef mixture off the same way. Add in an extra ¼ cup of beef stock (to allow for extra evaporation) for a total of 1½ cups and then turn the heat to a simmer. Place the peppers on the steaming rack and cover with a lid. Simmer until the rice is cooked through and the peppers are done to your liking. If the rice mixture is done before your peppers are as soft as you like, you can remove the mixture and add some water and continue to steam the peppers or stuff the peppers and bake on a low setting in the oven (covered) until the peppers are your desired doneness.

You can also use your favorite method of cooking stuffed peppers and use the same ingredients as I do for the filling.

Adjustments for Different Sizes of the Ninja Foodi

There are three sizes of the Ninja Foodi, the 5qt, 6.5qt, and the 8qt. You can make this recipe in all three sizes, but there are some modifications that should be made, based on size.

If you have the 6.5qt Ninja Foodi, follow the instructions as written. The one thing I have noticed about the older model (two-tone grey/black exterior) versus the newer stainless steel exterior models is the pin pops up and stays up in the newer models more often than it does in the older models when using the steam function.

I tested the recipe in the newer model and based my steam times on that model. If you have an older model and your pin doesn't pop up during the steam time, I would wait 1-2 minutes AFTER the countdown stops to remove the lid. This will allow the peppers to finish cooking and account for the time it takes for the pin to drop on the newer models.

For the 8qt model, I would add 1-2 additional Tablespoons of beef stock to account for the increased volume of steam that needs to build in the larger Foodi. I would also cut the steam time back to 4 minutes the first time you make the recipe. Because there is more volume in the 8qt, the time it takes to build the steam and start the countdown may be longer and you don't want to overcook the peppers.

The 5 qt model is a little tricker because it doesn't come with a rack or a way to raise the peppers above the mixture. This doesn't mean you can't make the recipe, but the easiest way will be to do it in two steps.

First, make the filling as instructed in the recipe and I don't think you need to make any changes to the recipe or liquid amounts. Remove the filling and set aside.

Add 1 cup of warm or hot (not boiling) water to the inner pot and put your prepared peppers in the basket and steam for 5-6 minutes. Then stuff the peppers and proceed with the recipe using the basket for broiling.

If you have a rack that fits in the 5qt, you can try to do it all at once IF you have enough clearance for the peppers. Please let me know if you try it using the 5qt and how it works for you!

Tips for Making Ninja Foodi Stuffed Peppers

No matter how many times a recipe is tested, things can still happen when you go to make it at home. I don't want you to panic and I definitely don't want you to waste food, so here are a few tips so you have a great outcome!

• Make sure you don't let the filling boil in the pot for too long before adding the peppers and getting the lid on to steam. If the beef stock is too hot when you go under steam, you will build the steam too fast and your peppers will not be cooked properly.
• Take your peppers out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before making the recipe. Cold peppers will take longer to cook, so having them room temp will allow them to cook in the 5-minute steam time.
• Don't panic if your rice isn't cooked all the way, but your peppers are. I haven't had this happen, but it could happen. Simply remove the peppers and look at the rice/meat mixture. If there is a good amount of liquid left, then use the sear/sauté to simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked. If there isn't any liquid left, but the rice is hard, add about ¼ cup of beef stock and simmer until the rice is done. Add more liquid, in small increments if needed.
• Don't panic if your peppers aren't cooked like you like them, but the rice/beef mixture is. Simply remove the mixture from the pot and add 1 cup of HOT water and go back under steam for 1 minute. You can go back under the steam function for 1 minute at a time using the same water until the peppers are done to your liking.

How to Make Stuffed Peppers in the Ninja Foodi

This is one of my favorite recipes. Not only is it bursting with flavor, it's ready in a matter of minutes! Because it's ready in just minutes, I really recommend to have all your prep done ahead of time (which is hardly any to begin with) AND have all your ingredients measured out before you start.

The first thing I do is make sure my peppers will fit on the rack and in the Foodi. You can use up to 6 small peppers or 4 large peppers and they will usually fit just fine on the reversible rack. If you have a different rack, definitely test them out to make sure they fit.

I also like to make sure the peppers sit flat on the rack. If yours aren't sitting flat, you can shave off a tiny bit of the bottom like shown in the picture below. Make sure you don't remove too much or you will end up with a hole in the bottom of your pepper and the mixture might leak out.

I finish the pepper prep by cutting the top off of the pepper just about ¼" below where the indent of the side of the pepper starts. Then I clean the seeds and white ribs from the inside of the pepper.

I remove the center stem with a large decorating tip or a small biscuit cutter. It makes it super easy to just remove the stem and leave most of the pepper top. You can also use a paring knife. I also clean out the top of the pepper.

Once the peppers are prepped, place them upside down on the rack (so they don't fill with liquid during the steaming process), place the cut off tops on top of the bottom of the pepper that is facing up and set aside. Do this now, don't wait until the mixture is ready to go under steam because everything moves quite fast from here on.

Mince the garlic and chop the onion into about ¼" dice and set aside.

Turn the sear/sauté on high and when the inner pot is hot, add the ground beef. If you are using a leaner meat, you may want to add a little oil. Once the ground beef starts to brown, break it up into small pieces and add the onion, garlic, and seasonings. I like to use my Mix 'n Chop for this, but a wooden spoon works great as well.

Continue to sauté the beef, onions, garlic until the beef is cooked about 50-75% of the way. This takes about 5 minutes or so.

Add in the rice, Worcheshire sauce, balsamic vinegar and stir. Deglaze the pot with the beef stock and scrape the bottom to make sure nothing is stuck on the bottom.

Immediately place the rack with the peppers in the Ninja Foodi above the beef/rice mixture and put on the pressure lid. Turn the pressure valve to "VENT" and select the steam function for 5 minutes. This timing has worked perfectly every time and results in a tender pepper that can be cut with a fork. If you like your peppers firmer, then decrease the steam time to 3-4 minutes.

When the time is up, wait for the pin in the back to go down if it is up. If it isn't up, I would wait 1-2 minutes before opening the lid so the peppers are fully cooked. If you like your pepper firmer, remove the lid immediately once the pin goes down.

Remove the rack with the peppers and set aside to cool enough for handling. If you aren't going to stuff and bake your peppers right away, place them in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.

Check the filling to make sure the rice is cooked all the way and there isn't too much liquid left. If for some reason the rice isn't as tender as you like and there is more than 1-2 Tablespoons of liquid left, use the sear/sauté on low and constantly stir while the rice absorbs the remaining liquid or cover the pot and let the filling sit for another 5 minutes.

Add in the marinara sauce and stir. Taste the filling and adjust the seasonings if needed. If you don't want to use the pepper tops, dice them up and add them to the filling.

Scoop the filling into the peppers and top with shredded or sliced cheese of choice. Place the pepper top on top, if using. Set the rack back into the Ninja Foodi (no need to clean the pot first) and add some extra marinara on top if desired. Use the crisping lid on broil (grill in the UK) and set the time for 10 minutes. Check the peppers after about 4 minutes and broil until the cheese is melted and starting to brown. This usually takes about 7-8 minutes total.

Remove the rack from the Foodi and serve the peppers! Enjoy!