All the great flavours of stuffed peppers, but easier than ever! These Instant Pot unstuffed peppers, AKA stuffed pepper casserole is hearty, comforting and completely and utterly delicious. Perfect for a busy weeknight, or lazy dinner.
This recipe was originally published in February 2019. It has been updated for content and photos.
If you love stuffed peppers, but not so much the stuffing part, this is a winning dish!
Like my Mexican stuffed peppers and Italian stuffed peppers, these really deliver on flavour.
But with less work! Woo hoo!
Perfect for those lazy days!
What’s an unstuffed pepper?
Exactly what it sounds like. All the ingredients you might typically use for stuffed peppers, but not stuffed. The perfect solution for stuffed peppers without an oven!
Stuffed peppers are often filled with a grain, a protein, some kind of sauce and of course, seasoning.
I’m using brown rice, walnuts for a plant based protein, a combo of broth and tomato sauce for flavour and moisture, plus a few spices for the perfect flavour balance.
That makes this dish, not only vegetarian, but vegan, gluten free and oil free, too.
How to make it
(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Gather your ingredients.
Then slice your mushrooms, peppers and onion, and mince your garlic. (photo 1)
Transfer the cut veggies, your walnuts and the seasoning to your pot. (photo 2)
NOTE: Do not slice your veggies too thin or they will get very soft during cooking.
Gently sauté the veggies until lightly softened, without over cooking. (photo 3)
Then add the brown rice, tomato sauce and broth to the pot and mix well. (photos 4-5)
Pressure cook for 22 minutes with a 10 minute natural release before quick releasing the remaining pressure. (photo 6)
Then serve your Instant Pot unstuffed peppers with some fresh parsley, and enjoy.
What if I don’t have an Instant Pot?
You may easily adapt these unstuffed peppers to a stove top version in a couple of different ways.
Option 1: Sauté your veggies, walnuts and seasoning in a deep skillet. Then add the brown rice, tomato sauce, and 2 cups of broth and simmer for 35-40 minutes, until the liquids are mostly absorbed and rice is tender.
Option 2: Alternatively, if you have a rice cooker, you may cook your rice as usual in your rice cooker. (I recommend using broth to cook the rice.)
Meanwhile, sauté your veggies with the seasoning and walnuts in a separate pan. Then simmer with the tomato sauce for 5-10 minutes. Once the rice is cooked, mix everything together and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You may make these unstuffed peppers with brown rice, or white rice. However, keep in mind your pressure time. Brown rice takes much longer to cook, so reduce cook time to 4-5 minutes with a 10 minute natural release.
Yes, for wild rice, add 5 additional minutes to the cook time.
Store leftovers in a sealed container in your refrigerator for up to 3 days. You may reheat on stove top, or in your pressure cooker on sauté mode.
You may freeze this dish in an air tight, freezer safe container. However, the veggies will further soften, so it’s best when freshly made.
Expert Tips
- Do not slice your veggies too thin. They will cook for a while in the pot, so they’ll withstand cooking best, if they are thick cuts.
- Alternatively, if you prefer your veggies crisp, remove from the pot once sautéed, pressure cook your rice in the broth and tomato sauce, then add the veggies back in and mix well.
- Make sure to push down any loose grains of rice on the sides of your pot before pressure cooking. Everything should be covered in the liquid for even cooking.
- If you already released pressure and forgot to do a 10 minute natural release, just hit sauté and stirring often, continue cooking for 3-5 minutes to absorb excess liquid. Or, set aside for about 10 minutes or so. The rice will continue absorbing the liquid as it rests and cools.
More delicious Instant Pot recipes
- Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles
- Vegan Sloppy Joes (Soup or Sandwich!)
- Vegetable Soup with Quinoa
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes No Drain!
- Mushroom Risotto
- Split Pea + Lentil Soup
If you tried this recipe, please let me know about it in the comments below. I always love hearing from you! Don’t forget to Subscribe to This Healthy Kitchen to be among the first to get my new recipes! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter to see more delicious food and get all the latest updates.
Buon appetito,
Rosa
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 bell peppers sliced (any colours)
- 8 ounce (227 grams) cremini or white mushrooms sliced (approx. 6-8 mushrooms)
- 3/4 cup walnut pieces
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 1 1/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup tomato sauce or tomato purée of choice
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1.5 teaspoon chili powder
- 1.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- Turn your Instant Pot to the sauté function and add a couple tablespoons of water or broth to the pot. Place the onion, garlic, peppers, mushrooms, walnuts and all the seasoning inside. Then sauté for 2-3 minutes, until slightly softened.
- Add the remaining ingredients (broth, tomato sauce and rice), mix well and close the lid. Set the valve to the sealing position pressure cook for 22 minutes. (It will take about 8 minutes to build pressure before the pot begins counting down.) Once the timer is complete, let it naturally release for 10 minutes. Then quick release the remaining pressure and remove the lid when safe to do so. Enjoy.
Rachael
I just made this & everyone loved it! The walnuts were a surprise and all the spices were perfect. So much easier to make than traditional stuffed peppers with all the flavors you expect.
Rosa
Thanks so much for the review Rachael. Thrilled everyone enjoyed. 🙂
Cheryl
Delicious! Perfect balance of spices. I made it on the stove to keep the peppers more firm. Next time I’m going to try it with black beans instead of walnuts.
Rosa
So glad you enjoyed Cheryl. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Nan
Excellent recipe! Will definitely make this again!
Rosa
Thanks Nan, thrilled you enjoyed! 🙂
deanie
We make extra and stuff the leftovers in tortillas for a quick lunch or supper the next day!
Rosa
That’s awesome, thanks so much for sharing!
Brei
This is one of our new fave recipes! It’s so easy to make, and tastes incredible! I’ve always loved stuffed peppers, but never made them very often. Until now! This recipe definitely delivers all the classic stuffed pepper flavors you’d expect, and a fraction of the work. A winner in my book!
Rosa
Thanks so much for the review Brei! Thrilled you’re enjoying this recipe and that it’s on your favourites list! 🙂
Pina
This is such a good recipe! Made it for the third time last night. Thank you!
Rosa
You’re very welcome Pina. So glad you enjoyed. 🙂
Adele
I just made this and used wild rice. Other than that I followed the recipe. I had to add another 5 minutes to the rice. I liked the texture but I think it needs more spice. Next time .i might try a little Chili pepper or jalapeño.
Rosa
Glad you enjoyed, some jalapeno sounds great! 🙂
Ray
Absolutely a fantastic recipe. Making it again today. Thank you Soooo much for posting this!
Rosa
Aw my pleasure Ray. Thanks very much for the feedback, so glad you’re enjoying!
Julie
I’m making this right now! This is my fourth time making it since I found the recipe a month or two ago. The flavors are amazing! I do set my foodi for 23 minutes as I felt my rice wasn’t cooked enough for me. This time I’m leaving out the walnuts (don’t have any.) but I know it so still be great! Thank you for such an amazing dish!
Rosa
Amazing! So glad to hear it Julie. Thanks so much for the review! Thrilled you’re enjoying. 🙂
Dee
Made this tonight Rosa! Delicious! Used a mandoline slicer to make quick work of the peppers and onions. Skipped the oil for an even healthier version. Thank you for a recipe that’s tasty and quick to make after work! Will definitely make again!
rosa
Thrilled you enjoyed it Dee, my pleasure! Thanks for taking the time to leave your feedback. Much appreciated. 🙂
Janet
Made on a stove top. Very good, and my meat-loving husband liked it also. The crunch of the walnuts is a big plus in this recipe. I packed the filling into bell pepper halves that had been boiled just to the point of crisp-tender. I think if I were to make it with bell pepper strips, I would saute the strips separately to make sure that they were still slightly crisp, not limp, and then stir all together at the end.
rosa
Glad you both enjoyed this recipe Janet! Thanks so much for your feedback and for sharing your process with us. 🙂
Michelle Biagi
I’ve made this twice so far and both times it was amazing. I don’t have an Instant Pot but came out on the stovetop as well. So quick and easy to make. The best part is my kids loved it too.
rosa
Thanks for your feedback Michelle, so glad you and your family enjoy this recipe!
Jessica Formicola
I made these for dinner last night and they were a total hit! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
rosa
That’s so great to hear, thanks!
Ironside
Wooow sooo delicious 😋, thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!!
rosa
Thanks so much!
Corina
This recipe is so yummy and tasty!!!
rosa
Thanks for sharing!
Elizabeth O
sounds really delicious. i appreciate your efforts and time for sharing this recipe. i will try to prepare it as per your instructions and i will also share my experience with you. you are really a good cook.
preet
This might be my kids’ new favorite food, it’s easy to make and very delicious as well.
rosa
Great to hear, thanks Preet!
Kalyan Panja
Thanks for sharing this nice recipe. Its one of my favorite comfort food.
rosa
Thanks Kalyan!
Lydia Smith
Very scrumptious and yes the instant made it a lot easier. Great recipe.
rosa
Thank you Lydia!
Sophia Damasceno
Yum! We all loved this one, thank you.
rosa
Thanks Sofia, my pleasure!
Michelle
My hubby, son and I STUFFED ourselves with these UNSTUFFED peppers for dinner last night. Delicious! So tasty! Yum! 😋
rosa
Thanks for the feedback Michelle, so glad your family enjoyed this recipe. 🙂