Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers
These ground turkey stuffed peppers are a cozy, satisfying dinner that’s surprisingly easy to throw together. With sweet and tender bell peppers, a savory turkey and rice filling, and plenty of melted cheese on top, they’re perfect for weeknights or make-ahead meals.
Servings 3
Calories 618kcal
Ingredients
- 6 medium bell peppers any color
- 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more as needed
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced or fire roasted tomatoes, drained
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 cup cooked white or wild rice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or pepper jack cheese divided
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Fill a 9×13-inch baking dish with 1/2 inch of water.
- Trim 1/4 inch off the top of each bell pepper, then scoop out and discard the stem, ribs and seeds. Place the peppers cut-side down in the baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil, set the peppers aside to cool, then drain the water from the pan.
- While the peppers are cooking, heat the olive oil in a saucepan or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, approximately 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey and cook until browned, breaking the meat apart while stirring, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 60 seconds, until fragrant.
- Stir in the drained tomatoes, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, rice, and half the cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Wipe out the baking dish and lightly grease it with olive oil. Place the peppers cut-side up in the pan, then divide the turkey mixture evenly between the peppers, pressing the mixture down to pack in the filling in as much as possible. Top each pepper with the remaining Monterey Jack cheese, then bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until peppers are tender.
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Video
Notes
Note: Before cooking the peppers, test to make sure they’ll stand upright in the pan before stuffing them. If they don’t, slice off a bit of the bottom to create a flatter surface.
Make ahead
You can prep the filling up to a day in advance - just store it in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also pre-bake and prep the bell peppers, so when it’s time to cook, all that’s left is stuffing and baking.
To Store
To freeze:
These ground turkey stuffed peppers freeze surprisingly well! Wrap each cooked pepper individually or place them all in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. To store leftovers:
Let any leftovers cool completely before storing them in an airtight container. They’ll keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, just pop them in the microwave or warm them in the oven at 350°F until heated through.
These ground turkey stuffed peppers freeze surprisingly well! Wrap each cooked pepper individually or place them all in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. To store leftovers:
Let any leftovers cool completely before storing them in an airtight container. They’ll keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, just pop them in the microwave or warm them in the oven at 350°F until heated through.
Nutrition
Calories: 618kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 55g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 630mg | Potassium: 1355mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 8201IU | Vitamin C: 321mg | Calcium: 521mg | Iron: 5mg