Can You Freeze Stuffed Peppers? Learn How to Keep Them for Longer
Updated on March 2, 2023
Stuffed peppers are some of our favorites, especially since they’re so versatile. Thankfully, when you’re meal prepping for the incoming week, you can cook up a batch and have it stored in the freezer. In this way, not only will get out of cooking every evening, but you’ll also get to take a portion out for lunch when you’re out of time to prep something in the morning.
You can make the food however you feel like, add in anything you like, and you’ll have a tasty and healthy meal ready.
Can You Freeze Stuffed Peppers?
We’re not the only ones who wanted to know whether stuffed peppers can be frozen, but some of our readers, as well. Here’s what one message we received says:
Q. I’ve been batch cooking meals to serve on busy weeknights, and stuffed peppers are one of my favourites. I love the way they can be filled with a variety of ingredients and how they’re so easy to make and taste so great. I want to make a large batch of stuffed peppers to freeze for the winter, but I’ve never tried freezing them before and don’t want to ruin a whole batch. Can you freeze stuffed peppers?
Luckily for everyone who loves this dish, yes, stuffed peppers can be frozen. In fact, they make a great freezer meal. Stuffed peppers hold their shape after freezing, and also maintain their texture and flavor. They are perfect for people who live on their own and only want to eat one at a time, or for a whole family.
How to Freeze Stuffed Peppers?
To freeze stuffed peppers, prepare the peppers according to your recipe. Ensure that any meat you use is cooked completely before freezing unless you plan to cook the peppers fully after thawing. Allow the peppers to cool completely before freezing so that they don’t become soggy. Peppers can be frozen individually or in batches, so choose the method that works best for you.
To freeze an entire batch of stuffed peppers, they can be frozen in the casserole dish or aluminum baking dish used to bake them in. Cover the stuffed peppers with a layer of aluminum foil. If the dish has a freezer-safe lid, place the lid on top. Otherwise secure the foil with an elastic, or wrap the entire dish in a double layer or plastic wrap.
To freeze peppers individually, they must each be wrapped separately. Wrap each stuffed pepper in a double layer of plastic wrap. Ensure that no part of the pepper is left uncovered, in order to avoid freezer burn. Place the wrapped peppers in freezer bags. Squeeze out the excess air and seal the bags. Label and date the bags. Frozen stuffed peppers can be kept for up to a year, but are best if eaten within six months.
How to Keep Frozen Stuffed Peppers for Longer?
A really cool thing you can do to keep your stuffed peppers in better shape for longer is to use a food preserver. We love the FoodSaver V4840 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealer Machine because it allows us to seal up individual steaks, for instance, but also prepped meals like the stuffed peppers we love so much. Whether you can put them up in individual bags or place them in a small container so you have them ready for a meal whenever you feel like it, that’s up to you.
The FoodSaver works with bags between 8 and 11 inches, so you can definitely fit a freezer-safe container in there so you can save up some of the food for longer. Now, whenever you feel like having a stuffed pepper, you can just defrost it. The added benefit of using the FoodSaver is that it will keep everything for longer, full of flavor, and perfectly sealed.
How to Defrost Stuffed Peppers?
Frozen peppers can be moved directly from the freezer to the oven without being thawed first. Remove any plastic wrap and place the peppers in an oven-safe container. Cook in a 350F oven until thawed completely and warmed through. For faster reheating, thaw stuffed peppers in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in a 350F oven until warm.
Previously frozen stuffed peppers should be consumed within 2-3 days. Never refreeze thawed stuffed peppers.