Cozy Crockpot Stuffed Pepper Soup (One-Pot Comfort Food!)

The beauty of this stuffed pepper soup is its simplicity. Everything goes into your slow cooker at once, and the result is a hearty, satisfying meal that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen. Plus, the liquid smoke adds a subtle depth that makes this soup absolutely crave-worthy.

Craving more slow cooker comfort food? Try this Slow Cooker Beef Broccoli for an easy weeknight dinner, or warm up with a bowl of Classic Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup. For another twist on stuffed peppers, check out this Easy Mexican Casserole made with ground beef.

Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe

• Hands-off cooking: Just brown your ground beef, toss everything in the crockpot, and let it do all the work. This slow cooker soup practically makes itself while you go about your day.
• All the flavor, none of the fuss: You get every bit of that classic stuffed pepper taste without the hassle of preparing individual peppers. The bell peppers, tomatoes, and seasonings create the same delicious profile you know and love.
• Ready in 4 hours: Set it on high and you’ll have a complete meal ready for dinner. This makes it perfect for busy days when you want something homemade but don’t have time to babysit the stove.
• Budget-friendly family meal: With simple, affordable ingredients like ground beef, rice, and bell peppers, this soup feeds a crowd without breaking the bank. One pot makes about 2.5 quarts, which is plenty for dinner with leftovers.

What is Stuffed Pepper Soup?

Stuffed Pepper Soup takes all the components you’d find inside a traditional stuffed bell pepper and transforms them into a hearty, spoonable soup. Instead of hollowing out peppers and carefully stuffing them with a mixture of meat and rice, you simply dice the peppers and combine them with ground beef, tomatoes, broth, and seasonings in one pot.

The result is a much easier dish that still delivers that signature sweet-and-savory flavor combination that makes stuffed peppers so beloved.

Crockpot Stuffed Pepper Soup Ingredients

See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.

• Beef broth – Use a good-quality beef broth as the base of this soup. It provides rich, savory depth that complements the ground beef perfectly. You could substitute with chicken broth or vegetable broth if that’s what you have on hand.
• Cooked white rice – The rice is added at the very end to keep it from getting mushy. Use any cooked white rice you prefer, whether it’s long grain, jasmine, or basmati. You could also use brown rice for added nutrition.
• Ground beef – A pound of ground beef gives this soup its hearty, satisfying quality. Make sure to brown and drain it before adding to the crockpot. You could substitute with ground turkey or ground chicken for a lighter option.
• Yellow onion – One small diced onion adds aromatic flavor and a touch of sweetness. Yellow onions work best here, but white or sweet onions would also be fine.
• Bell peppers – Both red and green bell peppers are essential for that authentic stuffed pepper flavor. The red adds sweetness while the green brings a slightly more robust taste. Feel free to add orange or yellow peppers too for extra color.
• Tomato sauce – A 14-ounce can of tomato sauce creates the soup’s rich, tomatoey base. This adds body and helps bind all the flavors together.
• Diced tomatoes – One drained 14-ounce can adds texture and bright tomato flavor. Make sure to drain them well so the soup doesn’t become too watery.
• Liquid smoke – This is the secret ingredient that takes this soup from good to amazing. Just one tablespoon adds a subtle smoky depth that makes it taste like it’s been simmering for hours.
• Brown sugar – A small amount of brown sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes and adds a hint of sweetness. This mimics the natural sweetness you’d get from roasted peppers in traditional stuffed peppers.
• Minced garlic – Garlic is essential for building flavor. Use fresh minced garlic or jarred minced garlic for convenience.
• Dried oregano – This herb adds a classic Italian-inspired note to stuffed pepper recipes. It brings warmth and earthiness to the soup.

Substitutions and Additions

• Use ground turkey or chicken – Swap the ground beef for leaner ground poultry to reduce fat and calories while maintaining the soup’s hearty texture.
• Try cauliflower rice – For a low-carb version, use cauliflower rice instead of white rice. Add it in the last 30 minutes of cooking so it doesn’t get too soft.
• Add more vegetables – Diced zucchini, celery, or mushrooms would all be great additions to bulk up the nutrition and add more texture.
• Make it spicy – Stir in diced jalapeños, crushed red pepper flakes, or a dash of cayenne pepper for some heat.
• Top with cheese – Shredded cheddar, mozzarella, or pepper jack cheese melted on top makes this soup even more indulgent.
• Use fire-roasted tomatoes – Swap regular diced tomatoes for fire-roasted ones to add an extra layer of smoky flavor.

How to Make Stuffed Pepper Soup (Step-by-Step)

STEP 1. Start by browning your ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. Break it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks until no pink remains, then drain off any excess fat. This step ensures your soup won’t be greasy.

STEP 2. Add all ingredients except the rice to your 6-quart crockpot. Pour in the beef broth, tomato sauce, and drained diced tomatoes, then add the browned ground beef, diced onion, both bell peppers, liquid smoke, brown sugar, minced garlic, oregano, and salt. Give everything a gentle stir to combine.

STEP 3. Cover the crockpot with the lid and set it to cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. The soup is done when the peppers are tender and all the flavors have melded together beautifully.

STEP 4. When ready to serve, stir in the cooked white rice. Add it directly to individual bowls if you’re planning to store leftovers, or stir it into the entire pot if you’re serving it all at once. This prevents the rice from absorbing too much liquid and becoming gummy.

Recipe Tips

• Brown the beef well – Don’t skip browning and draining the ground beef. This removes excess fat and develops better flavor through the caramelization process.
• Don’t add rice too early – Always wait until the very end to add the rice. If you cook it in the soup for the full time, it will absorb too much liquid and turn mushy.
• Adjust seasoning at the end – Taste your soup before serving and add more salt, pepper, or even a splash of hot sauce if desired. The flavors develop as it cooks, so final adjustments make a big difference.
• Dice peppers evenly – Cut your bell peppers into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly. About ½-inch dice works perfectly.
• Use a large enough crockpot – A 6-quart or larger slow cooker ensures you have enough room for all the ingredients without overflow.

Storing Tips

• Storage: Let the soup cool completely before transferring to storage containers. Proper cooling prevents condensation and helps maintain the best texture.
• Refrigerator: Store your leftover stuffed pepper soup in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If possible, keep the rice separate and add it to individual portions when reheating to maintain the best texture.
• Freezing: This soup freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. For best results, freeze it without the rice, as cooked rice can become mushy when frozen and thawed. Add freshly cooked rice when you reheat it.
• Reheating: Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through. You can also warm it on the stovetop over medium heat until heated through. Add a splash of broth if the soup has thickened too much.

Serving Suggestions

This hearty soup pairs wonderfully with Homemade Sweet Cornbread or Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread Rolls for dipping. A refreshing Elote Corn Salad or some Cheddar Biscuits with Chilies would round out the meal nicely. For a more substantial spread, serve it alongside Crockpot Spanish Rice and some Baked Tortilla Chips with guacamole.

If you’re looking for more comforting soup recipes to add to your rotation, try this Tuscan Sausage Potato Soup or this Easy Spicy Sausage Corn Chowder. Both are just as cozy and satisfying as this stuffed pepper soup.

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