Easy Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers (Mediterranean Style)

Air fry these Mediterranean style stuffed peppers in around half the time compared to your oven! This is an easy all-in-one dinner with ground beef, rice and vegetables, so no fancy side dishes needed. There are hidden veggies for the kids, and even picky eaters tend to like these since the stuffing tastes a bit like pasta sauce. Makes enough filling for two meals, or freeze for another time.

📝 Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus extra for drizzling (optional))
• 1 large onion (grated or chopped finely)
• 1 large carrot (grated)
• 1 small zucchini (or half a larger one, grated)
• 4 cloves garlic (large, crushed)
• 1 pound ground beef (minced beef)
• 2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs (e.g Italian herbs, basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, rosemary, marjoram)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon paprika (regular or smoked)
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup rice (uncooked arborio, risotto (or any kind))
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste (concentrate/puree)
• 14 ounces canned chopped tomatoes (1 can)
• 4 medium peppers (any color or a mixture)
• 1 tablespoon honey (or sugar (optional))
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
• 1 cup fresh herbs (e.g. parsley, basil, mint, dill, coriander (any combination of these - more than 1 cup if you have them))
• 3/4 cup cheese (I like a mixture of crumbled feta, cheddar cheese and parmesan)
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
• extra fresh herbs
• toasted bread with olive oil and salt
• fresh green salad ((I usually use pre-washed bag salad))

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Sauté the vegetables for a couple of minutes, then stir in the garlic.: Heat up the olive oil in a large pan with a lid on a medium high heat. Add the onion, carrot and zucchini and sauté for a couple of minutes. Then stir in the garlic.
2. 2Add ground beef and cook until white.: Add the ground beef (minced beef), break up with a wooden spoon and stir until it's turned white.
3. 3Stir in dry herbs and spices and seasoning.: Stir in the dried herbs and spices, and the salt and pepper. Then stir in the rice, tomato paste (concentrate), and canned tomatoes. Fill the empty tomato can with water and add that to the pan too, plus another half a can of water (1½ cans altogether).
4. 4Put the lid and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the rice is cooked, adding more water if necessary.: Stir well again, bring to the boil, then put the lid on the pan and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked. Check one to two times during cooking that the mixture isn't drying out. If necessary, add a drizzle more water. At the end of cooking, stir in the honey (or sugar), balsamic vinegar (if using) and fresh herbs well.
5. 5Slice the top off the peppers, clean inside, then air fry for 6 minutes at 390F/200C.: Meanwhile, prepare the peppers. With a sharp knife, slice the very top off the peppers. Clean out the inside including any seeds. Pre-heat the air fryer for 3 minutes at 390F/200C. Then air fry the empty peppers for 6 minutes.
6. 6Stuff the peppers and pile cheese on top.: Using a metal spoon, fill each of the peppers with the stuffing, pressing it right down into the bottom. Then pile the cheese on top of each.
7. 7Air fry for another 8 minutes then serve with Greek yogurt, salad and bread.: Air fry for another 8 minutes, or until the cheese is nicely golden brown. Serve the stuffed peppers with a big spoonful of Greek yogurt, a drizzle of olive oil and extra fresh herbs on top, and with green salad and toasted bread on the side, if you like.