Turkey Stuffed Peppers

4.34 23 Published Mar 11, 2020, Updated Nov 21, 2023

Ingredients in Stuffed Peppers

Bell peppers – The star of the show slash what gives this recipe its name! Any color bell pepper works great. Ground turkey – I used ground turkey in this recipe but any ground meat would work! You could do ground chicken or ground beef. And if you’re vegetarian or vegan, you could use lentils, crumbled tempeh or tofu. Yellow onion and garlic – I’m convinced that most (if not all!) meals should include onion and garlic. They just add amazing natural flavor to the meat! Brown rice – We’re adding texture, flavor and fiber to this meal by mixing in brown rice with the ground turkey. Tomato sauce – The tomato sauce is what holds all of the filling together and gives it lots of flavor. Aim for an organic tomato sauce with no sugar added. I love the Muir Glen brand! Shredded mozzarella cheese – I sprinkled shredded cheese on top because I knew it would excite the cheese lovers, but if you’re dairy-free, feel free to skip or sub in dairy-free cheese. Spices – This recipe is loaded with great spices – Italian seasoning, sea salt, ground pepper and ground cinnamon are all added to the turkey mixture.

How to Make Healthy Stuffed Peppers

Start by prepping your peppers. Cut them in half, remove the seeds and set aside. In a large skillet, brown the ground turkey with the onion and garlic. Once brown, remove from the heat and add in the rice, tomato sauce and spices. Add the prepped peppers to a 9 x 13 baking pan. If your peppers are wobbly or not sitting properly, you can cut a strip off the base so they sit evenly. Add about 1/2 cup of the turkey mixture into each pepper, top with an additional tablespoon of tomato sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Pour 1 cup of water in the bottom of the baking pan to help steam the peppers (and keep them from getting too crispy!), cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. I decided to serve the peppers with a side salad to really up the veggie count of this meal! Feel free to keep your salad super simple with a base of greens, sliced fresh veggies and a delicious dressing. Here are two of my favorite homemade dressings: lemon vinaigrette and zesty tahini, as well as, my top 5 healthy store bought dressings.