Craving a juicy, cheesy cheeseburger but want to keep it low-carb? This cheeseburger stuffed peppers recipe packs all the classic flavors—melty cheese, crispy bacon, and savory beef—into a perfectly portioned, bun-free bite. High in protein, keto-friendly, and gluten-free, this easy dinner is a delicious way to indulge without the guilt!
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The Story Behind The Recipe
One evening, I was seriously craving a juicy cheeseburger—you know, the kind loaded with melty cheese, crispy bacon, and all the fixings. But the thought of a carb-heavy bun had me second-guessing my dinner plans. Then, I spotted a few lonely bell peppers in my fridge, and I swear, they practically whispered, "Stuff me!" And just like that, these cheeseburger stuffed peppers were born—same delicious flavors, high protein, no bun required, and a whole lot healthier!
xoxo Kori
Why They're A Must-Make
If you love the flavors of a classic cheeseburger but want a healthier, low-carb option, these stuffed peppers are a must-make! Simply cook up the savory cheeseburger filling, spoon it into pre-cooked bell peppers, and bake until hot and bubbly. It’s an easy, protein-packed dinner that’s in and out of the oven in no time!
A Perfect Make-Ahead Meal
Meal prep just got even easier! I love making a batch of these stuffed peppers over the weekend, letting them sit in the fridge, and popping them in the oven for a stress-free dinner later in the week. Convenience meets deliciousness!
A Tasty Twist on Classic Stuffed Peppers
Switch things up with this cheeseburger-inspired version of stuffed peppers! You can never have too many stuffed pepper recipes, and this one is a game-changer. Love this idea? Try my lasagna stuffed peppers or taco stuffed peppers for even more crave-worthy variations!
Healthy, Hearty & Guilt-Free
These low carb and keto stuffed peppers skip the rice, making them gluten-free. With high-protein ground beef and iron-rich ingredients, they’re as nutritious as they are satisfying.
- To make them low fat: use lean ground beef (chicken or turkey), omit the bacon, and use a little less cheese—still just as delicious!
- To make them plant-based: use plant-based beef crumbles and use a vegan cheese substitute, omit the bacon. If the mixture seems dry stir in some vegan cream cheese.
What You'll Need
- Bell Peppers - I used a variety of colors, but choose any you want.
- Ground Beef
- Dried Minced Onion
- Canned Diced Tomatoes
- Tomato Paste
- Ketchup - use your favorite brand; keto followers should use sugar free.
- Prepared Yellow Mustard
- Cheddar Cheese
- Bacon
- Salt and Pepper
- Optional: top with pickle slices, shredded lettuce, tomato, onion, and Copycat Big Mac Sauce
Make Them Yours!
One of the best things about this recipe? You can customize it to fit your taste, dietary needs, or whatever ingredients you have on hand! Here are some delicious ways to switch it up:
Switch Up the Protein
- Use ground turkey or chicken for a leaner option.
- Try ground sausage for a bolder, more savory flavor.
- Go meatless with crumbled plant-based beef or lentils!
Cheese, Please!
- Classic cheddar is always a winner, but you can mix it up with:
- Pepper Jack for a spicy kick
- Swiss for a melty, nutty flavor
Load Up on Toppings
- Crumbled bacon
- Pickles for that true cheeseburger flavor.
- A drizzle of mustard, ketchup, or burger sauce after baking.
- Caramelized onions for extra sweetness and depth.
Make It Even Lower Carb (or Add More Bulk!)
- Want fewer carbs? Skip the onions or use extra cheese instead.
- Want more volume? Mix in cauliflower rice or finely chopped mushrooms.
Spice It Up!
- Add jalapeños or red pepper flakes for heat.
- Stir in a bit of smoked paprika or garlic powder for extra flavor.
- Mix in a spoonful of hot sauce for a fiery kick.
These stuffed peppers are so versatile—you can make them different every time! What’s your favorite way to customize stuffed peppers?
How To Make Low Carb and Keto Stuffed Peppers
Simply cook up the savory cheeseburger filling, spoon it into pre-cooked bell peppers, and bake until hot and bubbly. It’s an easy, protein-packed dinner that’s in and out of the oven in no time!
Cook The Peppers
Place the sliced pepper halves in a microwave-safe dish with ¼ cup water. Cover and microwave until the peppers are just soft.
Brown the Ground Beef
Brown the ground beef until cooked through. Drain the fat.
Make the Filling
Mix in minced onion, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, ketchup, yellow mustard, cheddar cheese, and bacon.
Stuff and Bake
Generously stuff the peppers with the cheeseburger mixture. Top with remaining cheddar cheese.
How To Serve Them
Top with sliced dill pickles, shredded lettuce, tomato, onions, and my Copycat Big Mac Sauce recipe (this is really good and super easy - I highly recommend you make this!)
Kori's Tips
- To meal prep these: you can make the filling in advance and even stuff the pre-cooked peppers ahead of time.
- An even more hands off method is to not pre-cook the peppers, stuff them, the cook in your slow cooker over low heat until the peppers are tender about 3 to 5 hours.
- You technically can make this without pre-softening the peppers in the microwave but it will take much longer to bake them. If you choose this method, cover the peppers with foil for the first 45 minutes or so then remove the foil in the last 15 mintues.
Be sure to save this pin to Pinterest for later! 🙂
FAQs
Cheeseburger Stuffed Peppers are really a meal in one. We like to top with dill pickle slices, shredded lettuce, tomato, onion, and our special sauce.
You can reheat stuffed peppers in the oven, by covering them with foil and baking at 350° F until warm inside. An alternative is warming in the microwave oven.
To reduce the baking time, you can boil peppers before stuffing them or you can steam in the microwave for 5 to 10 minutes. Make sure to slice your peppers in half and take the seeds out prior to cooking, per the recipe instructions.
I like steaming in the microwave because it is quicker and hands-off which makes my life easier.
You can freeze stuffed peppers. My preferred method is to make the recipe first - stuffing and baking the peppers, then freezing in airtight containers. Thaw and bake until heated through at 350° F
Freeze them individually for the perfect make-ahead lunch or single-serving dinner!
Stuffed peppers will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Peppers can be frozen up to 8 months, but I prefer to use stuffed peppers within 3 to 6 months.
This recipe takes anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes to bake, the bell peppers are steamed in advance so you can get dinner on the table in a hurry!
Can I ask you a favor?
If you tried this recipe, let me know! I'd love for you to come back and give the recipe a 5 star rating and leave a review in the comments! 🙂 Let's stay connected, so please follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest! Subscribe to my newsletter to get healthy fresh recipe ideas every week!
📖 The recipe.
Cheeseburger Stuffed Peppers Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 bell peppers (any color)
- 2 pounds ground beef (80/20) (lower fat ground beef may be used)
- 3 tablespoons dried minced onion
- 1 cup canned, drained diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ⅓ cup ketchup (keto use sugar-free ketchup)
- 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
- 2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded)
- ⅓ cup bacon (cooked and diced)
- optional: keto big mac sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Assemble ingredients. Wash peppers. Slice peppers lengthwise in half through the middle and remove the seeds.
- Place the sliced peppers in a microwave-safe dish with 1/4 cup water. Cover and microwave 7-10 minutes or until peppers are soft.
- In the meantime, brown the ground beef until cooked through. Drain fat and return ground beef to pan.
- In the same pan with the ground beef, mix in minced onion, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, ketchup, yellow mustard, cheddar cheese, and bacon. Do a taste test and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Spray a 13 x 9 baking dish with nonstick spray. Place cooked peppers inside the dish and generously stuff with meat mixture. Top with remaining cheddar cheese.
- Bake 350 ° F for 20-30 minutes until peppers are heated through and cheese is melted.
Video
Kori's Tips
- Top with sliced dill pickles, shredded lettuce, tomato, onions, and our Copycat Big Mac Sauce recipe (this is really good and super easy - I highly recommend you make this!)
- Start checking the doneness of the peppers after 5 or 6 minutes. With varying sizes of peppers and microwave wattage, cooking times could vary. Peppers will be slightly "shriveled". It's okay because you are going to stuff them with cooked ingredients and this will reduce oven cooking time.
Nutrition
© 2025 Seeking Good Eats™
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- Best Corned Beef Recipe
Cheeseburger stuffed bell peppers are so tasty! Stuffed peppers with ground beef are filled gooey melted cheese, diced tomato, ketchup, mustard, and BACON. yum. 🙂 These keto stuffed peppers make an easy weeknight dinner and perfect make-ahead recipe. A family favorite as everyone loves ground beef recipes! The perfect easy keto recipe that makes great lunch leftovers!
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