Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers

These ground turkey stuffed peppers feature tender baked bell peppers jam packed with ground turkey, brown rice, fire roasted tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, marinara sauce and cheese. They’re easy to prep ahead of time and can be on your table in under an hour, making them the perfect candidate for a weeknight or meal prep dinner.

After making these stuffed peppers last weekend for our family I have determined that this recipe will be in my back pocket anytime we need a minimalist weeknight dinner. Or a potluck crowd pleaser. Or a freezer friendly meal prep dish. This recipe is seriously a life saver.

With a 9 month old literally running around (well crawling), we don’t have a ton of time to get dinner together. Can I get an amen, busy parents, working stiffs, or literally anyone with a life to live??

What I absolutely love about this recipe is that you can prep everything ahead of time and have it ready to pop in the oven at the drop of a hat. It also only requires a handful of ingredients, most of which you probably already have on hand. This dish is loaded with healthy carbs (brown rice and veggies) and protein (turkey) with a sprinkle of fat (cheese), making it a complete meal. So, no need to prep additional sides. Plus it’s super easy to store and reheat, whether you need it for the week or want a meal prep dish waiting in the freezer for you.

Are you with me yet??!

Ingredients

• Bell peppers – we love using a variety of colored peppers, like red, orange, yellow, and green. We also dice the tops up and add it to the filling rather than throwing the tops out. Pick peppers that are a little larger and have flatter bottoms so that you can jam in tons of filling and be able to have the peppers stand up easily on their own.
• Ground turkey – 93/7 lean ground turkey works best in this recipe to keep things leaner, but still juicy.
• Brown rice – to round out this recipe with healthy carbs. This recipe is the perfect opportunity to use leftover rice. You can also make it ahead of time over the stove or in an Instant pot.
• Yellow onion and garlic – form the base of the filling and add a little crunch and sharpness.
• Fire roasted tomatoes – adds a slightly smoky depth to the filling.
• Marinara sauce – keeps the filling from drying out and adds so much flavor to the filling.
• Extra virgin olive oil – for roasting the peppers and sauteing the filling.
• Seasonings – Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper are simple ingredients with a ton of flavor.
• Shredded cheese – cheddar, pepper jack, mozzarella, you name it. We actually love using a blend of Vermont, sharp, and mild cheddar cheeses.

How to Make Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Preheat the oven to 425℉.

Cut the top off of the bell peppers. Remove the stem and set tops aside. Clean out the seeds and membranes of the bell pepper. If the bell pepper cannot stand up on its own, cut a small sliver off of the bottom until it is flat enough to stand upright. Finely dice the reserved pepper tops and set aside.

Drizzle the inside of the bell peppers with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the bell peppers in the baking dish and roast for 15 minutes, uncovered.

While the peppers roast, make the filling. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the garlic, onion, and diced pepper for 3 to 4 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the ground turkey. Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook until browned and almost cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain any excess liquid.

Add the cooked rice, fire roasted tomatoes, and marinara sauce. Cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in ¾ cups of cheese, warming until melted. Remove from heat.

Remove the peppers from the oven. Spoon the filling into the peppers. Bake uncovered for another 15 minutes. Top the peppers with the remaining ½ cup of cheese and bake another 5 minutes, or until the filling is hot and the cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve and enjoy!

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How to Store

• Refrigerate – allow the peppers to cool completely. Store peppers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days.
• Freeze – allow the peppers to cool completely. Wrap the peppers tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and then store them in a freezer Ziploc bag. You can also store them together in a freezer safe container. Keep up to 3 months. We do not recommend freezing the stuffed peppers uncooked.
• Reheat – preheat the oven to 350℉. Place the peppers in an oven safe dish and cover with foil to prevent burning. If reheating from the refrigerator, warm for 10 to 15 minutes, or until heated through. If reheating from frozen, warm for 25 to 30 minutes, or until heated through.

What to Pair with This Dish

Typically, we treat stuffed peppers as a complete meal, since it includes a nice balance of carbs (rice and veggies), protein (ground turkey), and fat (cheese). However, you might find yourself wanting something else with this dish. So here are a few ideas.

• Side salad – garden, Caesar, Greek salad, etc.
• Breadsticks, dinner rolls, or homemade bread – to soak up the delicious juices. Or you can make a batch of garlic bread with a fresh loaf of French bread.
• More veggies – sauteed or grilled squash, green beans, zucchini, or mushrooms, oven roasted asparagus or broccoli, air fryer Brussels sprouts, or glazed carrots. Pretty much any veggie side you’ve ever had would pair well with this dish.

Stuffed Pepper Variations

• Meat – sub out ground turkey with ground beef, shredded chicken, or chicken sausage (our favorite!)
• Grains – instead of brown rice, try out Israeli couscous, orzo, quinoa, or farro.
• Vegetables – add in extra veggies, like zucchini, mushrooms, spinach, or summer squash.
• Sauce – our go to is marinara sauce, but you can also try out romesco, sundried tomato pesto, vodka sauce, or even alfredo (we love this roasted red pepper alfredo).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Should I boil peppers before stuffing them – pre-cooking the peppers is necessary to have the peppers cook through, which can be done either by boiling or baking. Some recipes call for boiling the peppers, but we find it makes the peppers too soft. We prefer to pre-bake ours in the oven for 15 minutes before stuffing to keep them crispy.
2. How do you core peppers for stuffed peppers – cut the top off of the peppers. Using your hands or a paring knife, remove the central core, seeds, and ribs (I just pull it all out with my fingers). Now the peppers are ready for stuffing.
3. How many days are stuffed peppers good for – stuffed peppers are good for 4 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer.
4. How long to cook stuffed peppers – at 425℉, these peppers will cook for a total of 35-40 minutes (15 minutes pre-baking, 20-25 minutes once stuffed).
5. How do you keep stuffed peppers from getting watery – don’t overcook the peppers. 35-40 minutes is all that’s needed to get the peppers fork tender. Also, pre-cooking the peppers will release some of the water from the peppers.

Check out our other turkey dishes

• Turkey chili
• Healthier turkey Swedish meatballs
• Greek turkey meatball bowls
• Lemon rosemary turkey meatballs
• Easy turkey burgers

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