Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers

These light and healthy Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers always make for an easy, protein-packed dinner! They’re stuffed with an aromatic turkey filling, topped with marinara and cheese, and are naturally keto, low carb and gluten free.

I can’t get enough of stuffed peppers. They’re an easy-to-prepare and ultra-flavorful dinner that always hits the spot! I love making my Vegan Stuffed Peppers and Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers, but these Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers, in particular, have the best Italian-inspired flavors that are so comforting.

For these simple stuffed peppers, I swapped standard ground beef for ground turkey, resulting in a leaner dish that’s just as flavorful and satisfying as the classic. The turkey filling is enhanced with Italian seasonings, tomato sauce, and melted mozzarella to ensure every bite is more comforting than the last. 

Enjoy this naturally gluten free, keto, and low carb recipe for weeknight dinners or feel free to prepare the batch well in advance. It’s perfect for meal prep and freezer meals!

Recipe features

• It’s a protein-packed dinner that’s also lean, clean, low carb, and keto-friendly.
• Keep the recipe as-is or look at it as a blank canvas! Customize the stuffing with different veggies, sauces, toppings, and so on. 
• You can make and bake a batch to enjoy now or prep a bunch to bake later, all in under 40 minutes. 

Ingredients 

Ground turkey - You can use 100% lean white meat turkey, although an 80/20 or 93/7 white/dark meat blend tends to be more juicy and flavorful. Use this Guide to Ground Turkey by Slender Kitchen to get to know the differences between the different types. If you don’t have turkey at home, feel free to use ground beef or chicken instead.

Bell peppers - Use any color of bell pepper you like, such as red, orange, yellow, or green.

Diced tomatoes - This can be a plain can of diced tomatoes or, for even more flavor, use Italian seasoned diced tomatoes or fire-roasted diced tomatoes.

Marinara sauce - Your favorite jarred marinara sauce will work perfectly.

Mozzarella cheese - The cheese is shredded and topped on the stuffed peppers for extra cheesy bites. Feel free to use another type of mild-flavored melting cheese instead, like provolone, gouda, gruyere, parmesan, or fontina.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Sauté the vegetables. Heat the oil in a large skillet, then add the onion and mushroom. Cook until softened, then add the garlic.

Step 2: Cook the turkey filling. Add the turkey, herbs, seasonings, and a generous pinch of salt to the pan. Sauté until the meat is no longer pink. Next, pour in the diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Take the pan off of the heat.

Step 3: Assemble the stuffed peppers. Cut each bell pepper in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and spine, and place them cut-side up in a casserole dish. Add a scoop of the cooked turkey mixture to each one, then top with marinara sauce and shredded cheese. 

Step 4: Bake. Cover the dish with foil and bake until the peppers are soft and begin to shrivel.  Uncover the dish and continue baking until the tops are nicely browned and the cheese is bubbly. Garnish each pepper with fresh basil, then enjoy! 

Tips and FAQs

• Stuff each pepper as full as you can but not so much that the turkey is spilling out.
• Are the peppers tipping over as you’re stuffing them? Try trimming just enough of the bottom to prevent them from tipping or wobbling.
• For larger portions, slice off the tops of the peppers instead of cutting them in half. Scoop out the seeds and veins, stuff, and bake!
• This recipe makes enough for 6 stuffed peppers, but it can easily be doubled or tripled if you’re feeding a crowd, making freezer meals, etc.
• You can easily make vegetarian stuffed peppers by swapping the ground turkey for my vegan walnut meat (omit the taco seasonings).

Does the ground turkey have to be cooked first?

Some classic stuffed pepper recipes are often filled with raw meat and cooked rice before they’re baked. But here, it’s best to brown the turkey before it’s stuffed into the peppers. It seals in the flavor and helps every bite taste richer.

What else can I add to the stuffed pepper filling?

Try adding other veggies to the mushroom, garlic, and onion mix, like finely chopped carrots, celery, zucchini, green peas, corn kernels, or diced olives.

If carbs aren’t a concern, add cooked rice, quinoa, or couscous to the cooked turkey filling. Cauliflower rice works, too!

What sides go well with turkey stuffed peppers?

The stuffed peppers are a fiber and protein-packed dinner on their own but you can make them a part of a well-rounded meal with the right sides. Serve them with a basket of garlic bread and simple sides, like cannellini bean salad, roasted broccoli, and sauteed asparagus.

Storing

Make ahead: Get a head start by assembling the stuffed peppers in the casserole dish up to 24 hours in advance. Keep them covered in the fridge, then set the dish on the counter 30 minutes before baking so the peppers have a chance to come down to room temperature.

Refrigerator: After baking, let the peppers cool before transferring them to an airtight container and storing in the fridge. They’ll stay fresh for 3 to 5 days.

Freezer: The (unbaked) stuffed peppers also freeze well for up to 3 months. Keep them in the casserole dish covered with foil to prevent freezer burn. Let them thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.

Reheating: Reheat the pre-baked peppers in a 350ºF oven for about 10 minutes or until heated through. 

More healthy turkey dinners

• Butternut Squash Chili 
• No Bean Low Carb Chili 
• Paleo Turkey Meatballs

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

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