Sometimes the simplest recipes are the ones we love the most, and these Keto Stuffed Peppers are a perfect example. They provide all the heartiness and flavor of classic lasagna – without a single noodle in sight! And they’re packed with protein and veggies. It’s a mouthwatering low carb meal that looks as good as it tastes.
Bell peppers make the perfect low carb vessel for fillings like this. They become tender during baking but they still maintain their shape. And they add a pop of fresh flavor that offsets the richness of the meat and cheese. Plus pepper halves make appealing edible containers for an eye-catching presentation.
If you love sweet peppers, you will also enjoy Keto Stuffed Pepper Skillet and Mini Pepper Nachos.
This easy keto dinner recipe has been one of my favorites for a long time, but I recently decided to give it an upgrade. I increased the beefy filling to make it higher in protein. And I topped it with some homemade roasted tomato sauce. So good!
Whether you’re meal prepping for the week ahead or simply craving something cozy and satisfying, these low carb stuffed peppers deserve a spot on your table.
What readers are saying
“Made these today and just finished eating dinner. Delicious! My whole family LOVED them! I made these exactly as written, except I used a combination of ground meat and bulk Italian hot sausage. Heavenly!” — Gina
Why we love this recipe
- Lasagna flavor: These stuffed peppers have all the same meaty, cheesy filling as lasagna, without the carbs.
- One dish meal: No need to prep a separate side dish, you’ve got all your protein and veggies in one dish.
- Customizable: Feel free to replace some or all of the beef with other ground meats.
- Meal prep friendly: You can assemble the peppers a day or two in advance of cooking. And the leftovers heat up well too.
- High protein recipe: This easy dinner now has 33 grams of protein per serving!
Ingredient Notes
- Ground beef: You can also use ground pork, turkey or Italian sausage.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic for the best flavor.
- Frozen spinach: I love the ease of using frozen spinach but you can use fresh spinach as well.
- Whole milk ricotta cheese: Cottage cheese also works.
- Bell peppers: Medium to large sweet bell peppers work best and any color will do. Green peppers have a slightly lower carbohydrate count but it’s really not enough to change the carbs per serving significantly.
- Tomato sauce: I love the flavor of homemade tomato sauce, but any lower carb marinara would work as well.
- Shredded cheese: I recommend shredded mozzarella for a classic lasagna flavor.
- Pantry staples: Red pepper flakes and salt.
How to Make Keto Stuffed Peppers
- Brown the beef: Cook the meat in a large skillet over medium heat with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes once no longer pink.
- Mix up the filling: In a large bowl, combine the drained spinach, ricotta, parmesan, and cooked beef. Mix well.
- Prepare the peppers: Cut each bell pepper in half and remove the seeds and ribs. Set the in a 9×13 glass or ceramic baking dish. Stuff with the beef mixture.
- Top the peppers: Spoon tomato sauce over the filling and sprinkle the tops with the shredded cheese.
- Bake the peppers: Transfer to the oven and bake at 400ºF for 30 minutes. Broil lightly to brown up the tops.
Expert tips
I recommend baking these peppers in a glass or ceramic baking pan for this recipe. Metal heats up too quickly and can brown the bottoms of the peppers before they are cooked through.
You can easily cut this recipe in half to make only 4 servings. Just use three quarters of a pound of ground meat and freeze the rest for another time. There is a nifty feature on my recipe card where you can adjust the servings and it will change the amount of all the ingredients.
If you end up with leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep well for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them. Place cooled peppers in an airtight container and freeze them for up to 6 months. To reheat, microwave or warm in a preheated oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Because the ground meat is cooked first, you can prepare these peppers in advance and bake them later. Simply follow the instructions through step 5, then cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days before baking.
These stuffed peppers work well in crockpots and Instant Pots. The preparation of the peppers will be the same, up to the point of baking. They will take about 4 to 5 hours in a slow cooker, and 10 to 15 minutes in an Instant Pot.
This keto stuffed pepper recipe has 7.3g of carbs and 1.9g of fiber per serving. That comes to 5.4g net carbs for each stuffed pepper half.
More recipes you’ll love
Keto Stuffed Peppers Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb (680.39 g) ground beef
- 3/4 tsp salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 cloves (2 cloves) garlic, minced
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 1 cup (248 g) ricotta cheese
- 1/3 cup (33.33 g) grated parmesan cheese
- 4 large bell peppers
- 1 cup (245 g) roasted tomato sauce, (or marina sauce)
- 1 cup (112 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
- (6 g) Basil or parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the beef and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until no longer pink, about 10 minutes, breaking up any clumps with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook another minute.
- Squeeze the spinach to remove the excess moisture. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, spinach, and parmesan. Add the cooked beef and mix well.
- Cut each bell pepper in half and remove the seeds and ribs. Set the pepper halves in a 9×13 glass or ceramic baking dish. Spoon the beef/ricotta mixture into each half, mounding the tops.
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce over the tops of the peppers. Sprinkle with the mozzarella.
- Bake 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the peppers have softened. Turn the oven to broil and broil the peppers 6 inches from the heat, until the cheese is lightly browned, 1 to 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle the tops of the peppers with chopped basil or parsley before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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The best recipe!! Made these for family, big hit with granddaughters (ages 9 and [picky eater] 5); they loved them.
Definitely worth repeating!!
Seriously, yum!! Easy to make too.
I never thought to make lasagna stuffed peppers instead of the typical cauliflower rice mixture… genius. I just prepped these today for a dinner party tomorrow, trippled to make 12 servings. I seasoned and browned the ground beef, drained off the fat and added marinara sauce directly to the ground beef. I left the peppers whole and filled each, alternating ground beef and Ricotta (like a traditional lasagna). I used red and green peppers. I love that your recipes are easy to figure out how to make them your own and still retain all your deliciousness.
Love this dish,I use Italian sausage and 1/2 cup each of ricotta and cottage cheese! It is very easy to make on short notice.
Yum!
We really enjoyed these, although we didn’t have any spinach. We didn’t miss the rice we were used to adding to stuffed peppers. I used red and yellow peppers which looked so colorful.
Made these last week exactly as written and they were ah-ma-zing! These stuffed peppers will be on the menu next week too, with one small difference… I’m out of spinach so will be replacing it with Swiss chard from my garden last year (frozen and thawed). Thanks Carolyn, for your excellent recipes!
my diabetic husband LOVED this. I made it with ground turkey(I did not tell him), and tweaked the spices a bit.
I’m always looking for new recipes to make my keto journey more enjoyable. These were delicious and I will make them again, made exactly as the recipe suggested.
These were delicious. I will making them often.
This is a recipe that my non-keto hubby actually asks me to make! I make enough meat mixture for 2 nights and refrigerate half so I can make it “fresh” in the peppers the second night. I actually air fry mine in my Ninja Foodi 6 in 1. Put the filled peppers with tomato mixture in at 350 for 10 minutes, then add the mozzarella cheese on top and cook for another 5 minutes. Perfect! I will have to try it with cottage cheese because I usually have it on hand but not ricotta. Plus I made and canned my own sugar free pasta sauce and I never thought to use it instead of the tomato paste mixture. Have to try that the next time.
Amazing recipe! We loved this and will definitely make it again!
Delicious..the only change I made was adding Italian seasoning to the meat and a small sprinkle on top before putting it in the oven. This will now be a regular in my recipe box. Thank you for such a yummy and easy meal.
I absolutely loved this recipe, although my husband would prefer no red pepper flakes. Not a lot of prep, I had all the ingredients on hand, and didn’t take long to cook. Just the kind of meal I like!
These were even yummier than I thought they’d be! The ricotta, peppers, and seasonings were spot on! Love it and have leftovers for tomorrow!!
This was heavenly. I made it recently. Big time lasagna flavor , without the guilt. Hearty, easy to make too. Thanks again. I’ll definitely make again.
Oh and I’m so excited to own three of your cookbooks now. Looking forward to trying your recipes!
Thanks so much, Sharon!
I just showed my husband the post. He said ” Sweet!” I can’t wait to try this. You grabbed my attention with those yellow peppers.