Turkey stuffed peppers combine ground turkey, tons of vegetables, and pepper jack cheese into a satisfying and healthy low-carb meal. Jumpstart your healthy eating habits with these oh-so-delicious stuffed peppers!
Even though these stuffed peppers are so healthy and low-carb, they taste like comfort food! If you’re looking for more amazing keto-friendly dinners you can whip up in a snap, try these stuffed avocados or poblano peppers!
Turkey Stuffed Peppers Recipe
I’m always looking for easy meals that are packed with flavor, but finding low-carb options is a huge bonus when I’m really trying to watch what I eat. These stuffed peppers are very similar to my air fryer stuffed peppers, but that recipe uses ground beef and rice along with all the other ingredients. I do find that adding rice or quinoa to a stuffed pepper makes it more filling, but I also know a lot of people are searching for grain-free or low-carb recipes. That’s why I wanted to create a stuffed pepper recipe that was basically meat, cheese, and veggies.
But don’t let the simplicity of these turkey stuffed peppers fool you! These little bites of heaven are filled with so much flavor! They’re cheesy and meaty with savory garlic and caramelized onion in each bite. This makes it one of my favorite things to throw together on busy weeknights! You’re going to love them. Especially if you’re looking for quick, easy, and inexpensive meals that you can work into your diet! Find more low-carb, keto-friendly meal ideas here.
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Ingredients for Turkey Stuffed Peppers
You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make these tasty stuffed peppers. This recipe is great for using up any leftover veggies you might have in the fridge. Feel free to customize your stuffing with all of your favorite mix-ins! See my tips section below for more ideas.
- Whole Bell Peppers: Any color works! You can also use poblano peppers, mushrooms, or halved avocados as a substitute.
- Olive Oil: Used for cooking your ground turkey.
- Ground Turkey: I like using dark meat because it’s more flavorful, but white turkey meat works, too!
- Yellow Onion: Adds a delicious, caramelized savory flavor to the stuffing.
- Garlic: You really can’t go wrong with minced garlic. It packs each bite with so much flavor!
- Zucchini: This recipe is great for using up your summer zucchini. It adds the most delicious flavor and texture to the pepper stuffing!
- Diced Tomatoes: Add sweet flavor and make the filling saucy.
- Salt: Enhances the overall flavor of your turkey stuffed peppers!
- Pepper Jack Cheese: The hint of spice that pepper jack cheese has compliments the other flavors in this dish perfectly! You can also use more mild types like cheddar or mozzarella cheese.
How to Make Turkey Stuffed Peppers
This recipe is so quick and easy! Ground turkey stuffed peppers are perfect for meal planning and great to pack in work lunches throughout the week! Since it’s packed with protein and low in carbs, it’s a lunch that you can feel great about eating.
- Prepare Peppers: To prepare the peppers, slice the tops off and remove any veins or seeds inside. Do not discard tops as you will use any remaining pepper attached to the stem.
- Pre-Bake: Add peppers to a casserole or baking dish, fill with about ½ inch of water, cover with aluminum foil, and bake in a 425 F oven for 20 minutes in order to steam, or parbake, the peppers until they become tender.
- Cook Filling: While the peppers are steaming, cook the ground turkey, onion, garlic, and any remaining pepper from the stem piece (dice in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until the meat is crumbly, about 10-15 minutes. Add the diced zucchini and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes. Add salt to taste. Remove from heat.
- Fill Peppers: Once peppers are done, remove from oven, discard water, and return peppers to casserole dish. Fill each pepper cavity with the ground turkey mixture until all of the peppers have been evenly filled. Top with pepper jack cheese. If making ahead, store in airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to heat and serve.
- Heat and Serve: Return peppers to oven and cook until heated through and cheese has melted. This should only take a few minutes.
Tips and Variations
Dishes like these are great because you can customize them with all of your favorite fillings, seasonings, and spices! I’ve added a few of my favorite tips and variations below to get you started.
- Using Different Meat: I prefer to use ground dark meat turkey because it has more flavor, but you can also use ground white meat. Instead of using ground meat at all, you can also use diced cooked turkey and add it to the mixture after the vegetables have sauteed for a bit. That would be a great option if you’re looking for a post-holiday leftover turkey recipe. Similarly, you can swap in other things you have on hand! Ground beef, sausage, or even shredded chicken work just as well.
- Add More Vegetables: You can also change up the vegetables you add to your stuffed peppers. Instead of tomatoes you could add some baked butternut squash and sage – both of which go fantastic with turkey.
- Extra Seasonings: One of my favorite ways to customize the flavor of my turkey filling is to add in different seasonings! Taco seasoning, Cajun seasoning, blackened seasoning, and chili seasoning are just a few of my many favorites in rotation.
How Long Do Leftover Stuffed Peppers Last?
Make sure you keep your leftovers- turkey stuffed peppers make great lunches for you and the kids!
- In the Refrigerator: Store any leftover turkey stuffed peppers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- In the Freezer: While I don’t recommend freezing the bell peppers themselves, you can freeze the stuffing in a freezer bag for 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Reheating: You can reheat your leftover peppers in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through. You can also pop them in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes at 360 degrees F.
More Healthy and Delicious Stuffed Pepper Recipes
Turkey Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 4 whole bell peppers any color
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey dark meat recommended
- 1/2 yellow onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 small zucchini diced
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes drained
- 1/4 tsp salt more or less to taste
- 4 slices pepper jack cheese.
Instructions
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To prepare the peppers, slice the tops off and remove any veins or seeds inside. Do not discard tops as you will use any remaining pepper attached to the stem.
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Add peppers to a casserole dish, fill with about ½ inch of water, cover with aluminum foil, and bake in a 425 F oven for 20 minutes in order to steam, or parbake, the peppers.
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While the peppers are steaming, cook the ground turkey, onion, garlic, and any remaining pepper from the stem piece (dicein a large saute pan over medium high heat until the meat is crumbly, about 10-15 minutes. Add the diced zucchini and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes. Add salt to taste. Remove from heat.
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Once peppers are done, remove from oven, discard water, and return peppers to casserole dish. Fill each pepper cavity with the ground turkey filling until all of the peppers have been evenly filled. Top with pepper jack cheese. If making ahead, store in airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to heat and serve.
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Return peppers to oven and cook until heated through and cheese has melted. This should only take a few minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
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