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    Home » Europe » Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers from Croatia

    Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers from Croatia

    Published on Apr 28, 2020 Modified: Aug 7, 2020 by Alexandria Drzazgowski.

    Jump to Recipe

    This recipe for Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers are a quick take on a classic! The peppers are stuffed with ground meat and rice and topped with tomato sauce.

    3 Instant Pot stuffed peppers with one cut in half

    Hello Reader! I try my hardest to research recipes as best as I can before posting to ensure I am representing each culture correctly. If this recipe is from your country and I have made a mistake or you have suggestions for how to make it more authentic, I would love to hear! Please leave a comment below letting me know what should be different, and I will rework the recipe. It is always my intention to pay homage and respect to each cultural dish that I cook. Thanks for reading!

    During my time in Croatia, I had plenty of delicious meals. One of my very favorite meals that I had was the stuffed peppers that I ate on a restaurant patio on the coast, overlooking the ocean. 

    The peppers were served alongside mashed potatoes, and they were delicious!!

    As you know, I’ve been obsessed with my Instant Pot lately, so I decided to make this recipe a recipe for Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers! A well-rounded and delicious dinner has never been so easy. Make sure to also check out this recipe for Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers!

    close up of orange bell pepper
    Jump to:
    • What Ingredients are in this Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers Recipe? 
    • How to Make this recipe for Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Recipe
    • Do You Have to Cook the Meat Before Stuffing Peppers?
    • What Kind of Peppers Should I Use for these Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers? 
    • Is this Considered a Full Meal?
    • How Should I Reheat Stuffed Peppers? 
    • How Long Are Stuffed Peppers Good for In the Fridge? 
    • Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers

    What Ingredients are in this Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers Recipe? 

    Long Grain White Rice 
    Chicken broth 
    Ground pork 
    Ground beef
    Egg
    Onion
    Garlic
    Canned tomato juice
    Dried mint 
    Oregano 
    Salt
    Paprika 
    Bell peppers

    How to Make this recipe for Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Recipe

    Add the rice and chicken broth into the pot at the same time. Put the lid on and turn the pressure to MANUAL or HIGH. Cook for 6 minutes. When the cooking cycle is complete, perform a quick release. The rice should be mostly cooked, but not completely. Set aside. 

    In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, ground beef, egg, onion, garlic, ¼ cup tomato juice, mint, oregano, salt, and paprika. Use a wooden spoon or your hands to combine everything. 

    Use a knife to cut the tops off of each bell pepper. Cut a circle around the top rim of each pepper. Discard the top/stem. Scoop out any remaining seeds. 

    Divide the meat mixture into 4 parts. Stuff each pepper with the filling. 

    Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of your Instant Pot. Insert the trivet. Place each stuffed pepper onto the trivet. Spoon about 1 tbsp extra tomato sauce onto the top of each pepper. 

    Add the lid onto the Instant pot and hit MANUAL or HIGH. Cook for 9 minutes. When the cooking cycle is complete, perform a quick release. The peppers should be easily pierced by a fork. If not ready, pour a bit more water into the bottom of the pot and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. 

    Enjoy! Leave a comment on this post letting me know what you thought 🙂 

    bell peppers in instant pot

    Do You Have to Cook the Meat Before Stuffing Peppers?

    No! When you make the stuffed peppers, you will mix the raw meat with the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl. You then stuff this raw meat into the uncooked pepper shell, and the entire dish cooks together at once! 

    The meat in this dish is cooked by pressure and steam! The cup of water in the bottom of the Instant Pot will pressurize in the Instant Pot and cook the meat all the way through. 

    What Kind of Peppers Should I Use for these Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers? 

    In this recipe for Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers, I am using bell peppers. You can use any color of bell peppers, though I would refrain from green peppers. 

    This is mostly because I think that green peppers taste differently than red, yellow, or orange stuffed peppers. However, if you are partial to green peppers, of course use them! You can always modify this recipe however you’d like. 

    In Croatia, it is actually traditional to use green peppers for this dish as opposed to red, yellow, or orange bell peppers. 

    Is this Considered a Full Meal?

    Absolutely! Each bell pepper contains a quarter pound of meat, a starch, and a serving of vegetables! Serving this dish as is counts as a wonderful all-encompassing meal. 

    However, when I ordered Stuffed Peppers in Croatia, they were served with a side of mashed potatoes! The mashed potatoes are absolutely delicious and add another layer of depth to this already diverse meal. 

    inside of stuffed bell peppers

    How Should I Reheat Stuffed Peppers? 

    In many cases, my recommendation is to reheat dishes by putting them in the oven. In the case of these Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers, however, I would recommend simply using the microwave to heat up the dish. 

    The oven won’t offer any benefits when heating up the dish (nothing needs to stay crispy or crunchy) and the oven just takes a large amount of time. 

    I would recommend simply putting the Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers on a plate, covering them, and reheating in the microwave. 

    How Long Are Stuffed Peppers Good for In the Fridge? 

    The stuffed peppers will last for about 5 days in the fridge. Because there is meat in them, I wouldn’t try to keep them for much longer than that. 

    Make sure to store your peppers in an airtight container and keep cool in the fridge until it is time to reheat them. 

    Did you like this recipe for Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers? Make sure to check out some of these other posts on my page and let me know what you think about them as well. I’ve picked them out just for you! 

    • Instant Pot Basil Pesto Chicken 
    • Instant Pot Chicken Marsala
    • Split Pea Soup in the Instant Pot
    • Instant Pot Palomino Sauce
    • Ema Datschi (Peppers and Cheese) from Bhutan
    • Tomatoes, Feta, and Peppers from Albania
    Stuffed Peppers Pinterest Image
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    Instant Pot stuffed peppers on a gray plate.

    Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers

    This recipe for Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers takes a classic and decreases the cooking time drastically! The peppers are stuffed with ground pork, ground beef, rice, and a mixture of delicious seasonings.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine: croatia
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 9 minutes minutes
    Pressure building: 8 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 27 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 peppers
    Calories: 448kcal
    Author: Alexandria Drzazgowski

    Equipment

    • Pressure Cooker
    • Wooden Spoon
    • Mixing Bowl(s)
    • Trivet

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup long grain white rice
    • ½ cup chicken broth
    • ½ lb ground pork
    • ½ lb ground beef
    • 1 egg
    • ½ onion, chopped
    • 1 tsp garlic, minced
    • ½ cup canned tomato sauce, separated in ¼ cup measurements
    • 2 tsp dried mint
    • ½ tsp oregano
    • ½ tsp salt
    • 2 tsp paprika
    • 4 bell peppers

    Instructions

    • Add the rice and chicken broth into the pot at the same time. Put the lid on and turn the pressure to MANUAL or HIGH. Cook for 6 minutes. When the cooking cycle is complete, perform a quick release. The rice should be mostly cooked, but not completely. Set aside.
    • In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, ground beef, rice, egg, onion, garlic, ¼ cup tomato sauce, mint, oregano, salt, and paprika. Use a wooden spoon or your hands to combine everything.
    • Use a knife to cut the tops off of each bell pepper. Cut a circle around the top rim of each pepper. Discard the top/stem. Scoop out any remaining seeds.
    • Divide the meat mixture into 4 parts. Stuff each pepper with the filling.
    • Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of your Instant Pot. Insert the trivet. Place each stuffed pepper onto the trivet. Spoon about 1 tbsp extra tomato sauce onto the top of each pepper.
    • Add the lid onto the Instant pot and hit MANUAL or HIGH. Cook for 9 minutes. When the cooking cycle is complete, perform a quick release. The peppers should be easily pierced by a fork. If not ready, pour a bit more water into the bottom of the pot and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
    • Enjoy! Leave a comment on this post letting me know what you thought 🙂

    Notes

    Recipe copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational and personal use only. 
    Recipe was made using an 8 qt pot.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 448kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 652mg | Potassium: 770mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4031IU | Vitamin C: 161mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @TheForeignFork or tag #TheForeignFork!

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    Europe, Main Course Croatia

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    Comments

    1. jon kirby says

      February 26, 2025 at 1:56 am

      Grandma never had an instapot.

      Reply
      • Alexandria Drzazgowski says

        February 26, 2025 at 2:07 pm

        There is no mention of grandma in this blog post?

        Reply
    2. Janet Stanley says

      September 18, 2022 at 2:40 am

      5 stars
      I have 4 beautiful green peppers and needed to know how long to cook them in The Pot, for the first time. Also, I’ve never thought of using another color pepper!
      Thank you so much!

      Reply
      • The Foreign Fork says

        September 22, 2022 at 12:24 pm

        So glad you liked it Janet! Thanks for the comment 🙂

        Reply
    3. Bre says

      June 04, 2022 at 12:58 pm

      I suppose making the rice was just for fun, set aside and never mention again.

      Reply
      • The Foreign Fork says

        June 08, 2022 at 10:32 am

        Hi Bre, the rice is mentioned again right in step number 2.

        “In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, ground beef, rice, egg, onion, garlic, ¼ cup tomato sauce, mint, oregano, salt, and paprika. Use a wooden spoon or your hands to combine everything.”

        Let me know if you have any other questions.

        Reply
    5 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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