Air Fryer Recipe
Stuffed Bell Peppers
A delicious and easy-to-make vegetarian stuffed bell peppers recipe, perfect for air frying.
Ingredients
- 4 large bell peppers
- 1 cup cooked quinoa or rice
- 1 can (400g) of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup sweetcorn
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese or a plant-based alternative
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil spray
- Fresh coriander for garnish
Method
- Preheat the air fryer to 180°C (360°F).
- Slice the tops off the bell peppers and remove the seeds and membranes.
- In a large frying pan, heat a small amount of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic, sauté until softened.
- Add the cooked quinoa or rice, black beans, sweetcorn, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook for a few minutes until well combined and heated through.
- Take the mixture off the heat and add half of the cheese, stirring until it melts and the mixture is creamy.
- Stuff each pepper with the mixture and place them in the air fryer basket. Lightly spray the peppers with olive oil.
- Air fry the stuffed peppers for about 12-15 minutes, or until the peppers are tender, yet retain some firmness.
- Open the air fryer and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of each pepper. Fry for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
- Carefully remove the peppers from the air fryer using tongs. Garnish with fresh coriander before serving.
Why this works in an air fryer
The filling is already cooked, so the air fryer’s job is to soften the pepper walls and brown the cheese. Fast convection drives moisture from the pepper skin while the light oil film helps heat transfer; mixing cheese into the hot grains binds the filling so it stays creamy rather than crumbly.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 5–6 litre basket that holds 4 large peppers upright with a little space between them; in a smaller single-drawer model cook 2 at a time, while dual-zone drawers usually need 1–3 extra minutes because each zone has less vertical airflow and the peppers sit closer to the element.
Common pitfalls
- Peppers slumping or splitting before the cheese browns? They are over-softening; use slightly wider peppers, leave a 5mm rim when cutting the tops, and add the final cheese 3–4 minutes earlier next time.
- Watery filling pooling in the bottom of the pepper? The beans or sweetcorn were too wet; drain well, pat the sweetcorn dry, and cook the filling in the pan until it looks steamy rather than glossy.
- Cheese dark on top but pepper still crunchy at the base? The peppers are too tall or too close to the element; lower to 170°C and extend by 4–6 minutes, or trim a thin slice from the base so they sit lower and upright.
- Peppers tipping over in the basket? The bases are uneven or overfilled; shave a tiny flat spot from the bottom without cutting through, and pack the filling just to the rim rather than mounding it heavily.
Variations & substitutions
- Use brown rice instead of quinoa for a firmer, chewier filling; because it is denser, make sure it is hot before stuffing or the centre will lag behind the pepper.
- Swap black beans for kidney beans or chickpeas; chickpeas stay more distinct and drier, so add a spoonful of salsa or passata to keep the filling cohesive.
- Use mozzarella with cheddar for a stretchier top; it browns more slowly, so finish with 1 extra minute only if the pepper is already tender.
- Add finely diced courgette or mushrooms to the onion pan; cook them until their liquid evaporates first, otherwise the stuffed peppers will steam inside rather than roast.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooled stuffed peppers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, then reheat in the air fryer at 160°C for 8–10 minutes until hot through, adding a loose foil cover if the cheese is already browned.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
