A meaty low carb stuffed peppers recipe that makes a tasty keto friendly meal. It can even be made ahead and frozen for an easy meal any time.
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The Best Low-Carb Venison Recipe
I've been looking for ways to use up our ground venison burger. My husband enjoys hunting and the start of the season is less than a month away.
I'll admit that the thought of eating deer really repulsed me before meeting my husband. I enjoy watching the wildlife and it was tough for me to eat at first.
But, then I started reading about how much more nutritious venison is compared to beef. That's when I starting using ground venison for all my hamburger meat recipes like this one for keto stuffed bell peppers.
I find the venison steaks to be a bit gamey. That's why I always ask to have the deer meat ground into bulk sausage and burger. When it's ground, other animal fats and spices can be added.
Easy Low-Carb Stuffed Bell Peppers
These stuffed peppers could not be any easier. I'll share all my tips with you so you can make the perfect stuffed peppers every single time.
Green bell peppers aren't something I cook often so it was a nice change. Lately, I've been eating a ton of zucchini and cucumbers from the garden.
Frequently Asked Questions About Stuffed Peppers
Here are the most common questions about the keto version of a stuffed bell pepper recipe.
What Is The Best Type Of Meat For Stuffed Peppers
Any kind of ground meat will work for these peppers. But pulled pork stuffed pepper taste great too.
I have grown to love deer meat and I rarely use ground beef or other types of sausage. We always have tons of venison meat in our upright freezer.
Since venison isn't as common as ground beef, I never list it as an ingredient. However, most of the ground meat recipes on this site were made with deer meat.
You'd never know these low carb stuffed peppers were made with venison instead of beef. Adding tomatoes is one way to hide any gamey taste.
What Can You Use Instead of Peppers
If you aren't a fan of bell peppers, or peppers in general, you can easily stuff the ground meat mixture into zucchini or squash. But, bell peppers tend to hold the stuffing much better unless you are using a round squash.
Stuffed vegetables make great low carb meals. Other ideas are taco stuffed yellow squash and zucchini boats. Or, you can stuff pepper rings.
Do you have a favorite filling for stuffed vegetables? I'm thinking of making a lasagna stuffing next time.
How Do You Add Less Meat To The Peppers
If you want to use less meat in the stuffing, you can add in some cauliflower rice or Miracle Rice. Since I wanted to use up our ground venison, I kept the filling for the low carb stuffed bell peppers on the meaty side.
What Type of Cheese Is Best For Stuffed Peppers
You can also change up the cheese topping to suit your preferences. I had some slices of Colby Jack and mozzarella cheese so that's what I used.
Other types of cheese that work just as well are sharp cheddar or even spicy pepper jack.
How Do You Store Low-Carb Stuffed Peppers
These taste the best fresh out of the oven. If you want to make them ahead of time to save yourself time in the kitchen, I recommend filling the raw peppers with all of the ingredients (including the cooked meat).
Then, store the peppers in a sealed container in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake them.
If you have leftover peppers, keep them in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 4 days. They taste best if you heat them back up in the oven, but the microwave will work too (it will just make the peppers feel softer).
How Do You Make Stuffed Peppers In the Slow Cooker
If you don't have time to bake your stuffed peppers, you can still make this recipe in the slow cooker.
They bake faster than other slow cooker recipes. They will probably be ready in just 4-5 hours on low.
To make stuffed bell peppers in the slow cooker, cook your meat like normal and stuff the peppers with all the ingredients.
Then, put the stuffed peppers in the slow cooker for 4-5 hours on low or 1-2 hours on high. Add the cheese during the last 10 minutes of cooking time.
This will also make the peppers softer and it's a lot easier to overcook them this way. I recommend using the oven.
How Do You Make Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
It is possible to make vegan stuffed peppers that are also low-carb. Instead of meat, use vegan crumbles that are made of beans and other keto ingredients.
Stuff the peppers with lots of cauliflower rice. This will give it bulk and lots of flavor at the same time.
Instead of cheese, use a dairy-free cheese alternative like Daiya. Please read all labels before you add the dairy-free alternative since they all have different amounts of carbs in them.
What To Serve With Keto Low Carb Stuffed Peppers
These are an entire meal on their own. They have the meat and veggies all in one satisfying dish.
If you want to eat something on the side, you can prepare a plate of cauliflower Mexican rice and maybe even a slice of coconut flour cornbread.
Other Keto Ground Beef Recipes
I have a great collection of low carb ground meat recipes if you also happen to have a freezer full to use up. You are sure to find a new family favorite.
Here are some more of my favorite low-carb beef recipes.
- Keto meatloaf uses pork rinds instead of bread crumbs and has the signature tomato sauce.
- Ground beef stroganoff has a creamy sauce on top of zucchini noodles.
- Keto Korean ground beef bowl sits on a bed of cauliflower rice and has a really nice spicy kick to it.
- Ground beef and green beans stir fry is a different look and texture than other stir-fries but with the same amazing taste.
- Low-Carb taco casserole bake is a fun way to enjoy Taco Tuesday and feed your entire family.
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Recipe
Low Carb Stuffed Peppers
Video
Ingredients
- 6 medium green bell peppers washed and seeded
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ cup marinara sauce divided
- 3 slices Colby Jack cheese chopped
- 3 slices mozzarella cheese chopped
Instructions
- Cut tops off peppers. Hollow out inside and discard seeds. Chop half the tops and set aside.
- In skillet, saute garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Add in chopped green peppers from tops. Cook for about five minutes.
- Add in ground beef and cook until browned.
- Mix in diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, sea salt, and onion powder. Cook another five minutes.
- Stuff beef mixture into each hollowed out green pepper. Top each with 1 tablespoon marinara sauce then sprinkle with the chopped cheese.
- Combine the remaining marinara sauce with any liquid remaining in the pan used to cook beef mixture. Pour into an 11x7 baking dish. Place stuffed peppers on top.
- Bake at 375°F degrees for about 20 minutes.
Notes
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
Notes on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Copyright
© LowCarbYum.com - Unauthorized use of this material without written permission is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes. Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.
Originally Published: August 21, 2017... Last Updated: September 17 with clearer photos and additional information about the recipe.
Lynda Knott
I love your recipes and I was very excited to see you say most of your recipes are made (by you) with venison. I am still fairly new to using venison and am pleased it is as vesatile as beef and frankly just as tasty!
Lisa MarcAurele
Now that beef prices have skyrocketed, I'm very happy to have plenty of inexpensive game meat in my freezer. It tastes just as good or better and wild meat has been shown to be better for you too.
Dena Moody
First time I have even eaten a stuffed bell pepper. This recipe was great.
Kk94
Delicious flavor- i used Italian spiced ground turkey. However, i found that as is these are extremely runny, have too much liquid and are hard to eat. Next time would make it as a skillet dish and definitely try to reduce the liquid. Ie Drain tomatoes.
blavesta2@gmail.com
I've made this and it's very easy with lots of flavor. I cut them in half and have 12 pcs instead of 6 which makes them haf of the calories and carb.
Rebecca McVeigh
Quick and easy to make. Delicious!
Jody Cunningham
How many calories if you use ground turkey?
Lisa MarcAurele
There's not a big difference in calories.
Jerry Go
Great recipe!! Eat it all of the time!! My go to for stuffed peppers!!!
Maribel
What do you serve with these?
Lisa MarcAurele
I usually serve them by themselves or with a salad. You could add in some cauliflower rice or serve it on the side.
Tracy
Made these with ground beef and it was DELICIOUS! Sharing this recipe with others!
Sandy
Haven't tried this yet, but I will. Just want to comment on the use of venison.
My husband is no longer able to hunt, so we don't have venison any more. We always had it processed into ground meat, mixed with a bit of fatty meat, such as pork so that it wouldn't be so dry.
If you'are out of venison, try bison. Granted, it is a bit expensive, but it tastes great & would be a good substitute for the venison. It isn't gamey tasting & I've used it other types of recipes as well. Do give it a try.
Gwen Larson
Any suggestions for adapting cooking time once stuffed for an Instant Pot?
Lisa MarcAurele
I'd say about 10 minutes, but you'll want to add the cheese after and melt with a quick cook.
Stucker
Oh my!! I used 1/2 lean ground beef and 1/2 mild Italian sausage. And stuffed red, orange and yellow peppers I had. Oh my!! This is so good and will be a staple in my new low carb lifestyle.
Anjanette Holladay
Love them!! Had used a recipe with American cheese and green peppers in the past. This time I used green, yellow, orange, and red and cut them in half to compare tastes of the different colors. Is now one of my favorite meals.
Carrie McCallister
Ingredients were wonderful; however, I recommend boiling your peppers or blanching them first if you do not want them crunchy. I prefer mine to be softer. Other than that it was delicious.
Lisa MarcAurele
Thanks so much for the tip! I can add that to the notes.
Bonnie Jean M Durning
Looks great! Can’t wait to ty it! My Mother’s recipe for Stuffed Peppers filled with a raw meat mixture calls for baking at 350 degrees for an hour.
Lindsay
I'm not the greatest cook but I followed the directions exactly and they turned out amazing. They were so good my boyfriend claimed leftovers which he NEVER eats.
Peggy
These are really good. So glad I tried this stuffed peppers recipe.
Bobbie
If you want to freeze them do you cook them before freezing?
Lisa MarcAurele
I find it best not to cook them first as they tend to get mushy after cooking. But, you should blanch the peppers first before filling if you're going to freeze them.
Melissa
It was really good I only had issues with the prep time taking a really long time and I’m wondering if the garlic needed to be cut up since I almost left it whole. Other wise over all a great recepie. Thank you
Lisa MarcAurele
I always mince the garlic. I'll check the recipe times.
Vikas B
Hi Lisa, Thank you for the recipe.
Is there any off the counter sauce (low carb) available which I can use in this recipe instead of preparing Marinara sauce.
Lisa MarcAurele
Just look at the labels on jarred sauces and find one without any added sugar. My grocery store sells several brands.
Brittany
I'm wondering if these were maqde and frozen for meals later. How long would they have to be reheated for? Or thawed and then cooked. I am making these today but would like to freeze leftovers for future meals. Also just started keto qnd very happy to come across this site and all its delicious looking recipes! Definetly bookmarked and added to favorites!!
Lisa
They can be made ahead and frozen for later. The peppers just won't be as crisp. I usually just warm them in the oven as I like it better than microwaving.
Abbey
I personally wouldn't freeze the peppers but I don't see why you couldn't freeze the filling in freezer bags to be used later with fresh peppers.
Lisa
The peppers can get a little mushy when freezing, but I prefer them softer like that.
marguerite lindemann
I use a similar filling to stuff zucchini. ask your farmers market vendor to let a few zucchinis grow to 14" to 16" long or let them grow to this size in your garden. split the zucchini down the length. Scoop out seeds and Place on a sheet pan. Fill with meat mixture. Minus the cheese, bake at 356 degrees for 1hr. 15 min. put cheese on top, bake for additional10 min., until cheese is melted.
Lisa
Great idea!
AnonymousMan1234
This looks very good. I will have to make it sometime.
I've notice that almost all the stuffed pepper recipes I've found say to cook the ground meat BEFORE stuffing them into the pepper. Unfortunately, I am looking at all these recipes because I'm just trying to figure out how long to bake some stuffed peppers that I got at the grocery deli counter that had no instructions, and are stuffed with raw ground meat. And I'm not about to take all the meat out and cook it in a pan and stuff the peppers again! Anybody have any ideas??
Lisa
I'd just cook them until it looks done.
Desiree
I cook my peppers hollowed out in the oven with no stuffing for 15 to 20 min then I check them till they look desired consistency. I also cook filling first (meat) then stuff it and heat like 10 more min all together.
Lisa
Thanks for the tip!
Ruth Inman
I know it is 7 months too late but in the future you could try using a meat thermometer in the middle of the ground beef so that you know when it's done. I use the type that has a probe you can leave in the meat and it's on a long metal string where the temperature display unit sits outside the oven so you can keep an eye on it. Target $15
stephanie ball
I just found your site. My daughter and I just started doing the keto diet, so I have been doing a lot of reading. Your information has been very helpful and your recipes look wonderful and easy to make. So glad I found this site. Thank you so much. Can`t wait to try this recipe.
Lisa
You're welcome. Enjoy the recipes!
brandy grimes
This is the first comment I saw of yours you mentioned a gamey taste, soak the meat in milk for about an hour. I rinse it, I dont think you have to though hope that helps!!
LB
Hello, my husband and I are in the home stretch of a 45 day therapeutic keto and trying to find a low carb way to use all the peppers in our garden. After looking at the nutrition info, however, I doubt 243 calories is enough for anyone for dinner, and if you have 2 peppers then it's 20 carbs 🙁 any ideas on how to make this even lower carb? Thanks in advance. Just sick of eating the same stuff on keto.
Lisa MarcAurele
You'd have to use smaller green peppers with more stuffing. Or, fill it up with more fat to increase the calories and make them more filling.
Stacy Connor
Hi!!! I love your page so much! Is there a way to substitute diced tomatoes for maybe a tomato paste? I just don’t like tomatoes texture and I’m wondering if it would bring the carb count any lower? Thank you for all you give us!
Lisa
You can sub in a plain tomato sauce. I think the paste might be too thick.
Larisa
Loved this recipe the first time I made it. Back to make it again. Using ground sausage instead of beef this time. Love all of your recipes. My weight loss has been much greater since I've started cooking more and great recipes like yours make it so much easier. Thank you.
Lisa
You're welcome! I think sausage is a nice change.
Gwen
have you tried this with red, orange or yellow bell peppers? that;s what I have on hand, not sure if they will be too sweet.
Lisa
There are usually a bit more carbs in the colored peppers, but it should still work out okay.
Chris
Can I make these ahead of time??
Lisa
Yes! They are great to make ahead and freeze.
Brenda
Can't wait to try this . stuffed peppers are one of my faves, thank you so much for your amazing recipes. God Bless,
Lisa
Hope you love it!