Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers with Rice
Indulge in a flavorful and wholesome meal with this Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers with Rice recipe. Colorful bell peppers packed with lean ground turkey, herbs, tomato paste and rice. This simple yet satisfying creation comes together effortlessly in just 45 minutes!
Stuffed peppers are a popular comfort food meal where hollowed-out bell peppers become edible vessels for a medley of fillings. From hearty meats like ground turkey or beef to a variety of veggies, grains, and cheeses, stuffed peppers are truly versatile. This makes them a fantastic choice for a weeknight meal, as you can customize them to suit your cravings and whatever ingredients you have on hand. This recipe uses ground turkey along with Mexican-inspired herbs, tomato, and rice to round it out.
One of the best things about stuffed peppers is how easy they are to make. As an experienced home chef, I can tell you that anyone can whip up a batch for dinner in no time. Simply cook up the ground turkey mixture in the pan along with onions, tomato paste, and seasonings to form the filling. Add them to hollowed-out peppers, top with cheese, and bake until fully cooked through.
You’ll love making this easy dinner on a hectic weeknight, or you can make a batch and reheat all week for meal prep. No matter how you enjoy them, you just can’t go wrong with stuffed peppers!
If you enjoyed this easy dinner, you’ll also love making my Spicy Stuffed Peppers, Cheesy Quinoa Stuffed Peppers or my 30 Minute Turkey Taco Rice Skillet!
Some Ingredient Notes
- Ground Turkey – My favorite ground meat to cook with.
- Seasonings (salt, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, chili powder) – The usual suspects.
- Tomato Paste – Really adds so much flavor.
- Chicken Stock – Use low sodium.
How To Make Stuffed Peppers With Ground Turkey
Recipe Tips
- Sauté the diced yellow onion with a pinch of salt in the preheated skillet before adding the ground turkey. This allows the onion to release its sweet flavors and build a fragrant base.
- To prevent the stuffed peppers from tipping over during baking, choose a baking dish that snugly holds them together. This ensures they stay upright while they cook.
- When baking, keep an eye on the cheese topping. If it’s browning too quickly, cover the dish with foil for a portion of the baking time. This allows the cheese to melt evenly without burning.
Variations
- Swap ground turkey for ground beef and replace the tomato paste with a blend of enchilada sauce and diced tomatoes. Top with Monterey Jack cheese and a dollop of sour cream.
- Replace white rice with cooked quinoa.
- Create a vegetarian version with a spicy kick by mixing in black beans, corn, and diced jalapeños. Sprinkle with pepper jack cheese for a flavorful, melty topping.
Storing & Freezing
Storing: Store any leftover ground turkey stuffed peppers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Properly stored, they can stay fresh for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing: It’s best to freeze stuffed peppers before baking. Assemble the stuffed peppers with the filling, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and freeze until they’re solid. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or resealable freezer bags. They can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. When ready to enjoy, bake them directly from the freezer, adding a little extra baking time until heated through.
Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers with Rice
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Main Course
- Method: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
Indulge in a flavorful and wholesome meal with this Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers with Rice recipe. Colorful bell peppers packed with lean ground turkey, herbs, tomato paste and rice. This simple yet satisfying creation comes together effortlessly in just 45 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 cup chicken stock, divided
- 1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies (optional)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 ½ cups cooked white rice
- 1 lime
- 3 bell peppers (red, yellow or orange)
- ½ cup shredded Colby jack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Preheat a large oven safe skillet over medium high heat.
- Add the oil, onion and a pinch of salt. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the onion begins to soften.
- Add the ground turkey, salt, garlic powder, paprika, cumin and chili powder and cook for another 5-7 minutes, breaking up the meat as you cook.
- Add the tomato paste and ½ cup chicken stock and simmer for a few minutes.
- If using the green chilis, add them now along with the cilantro and stir to combine.
- Stir in the rice and the juice of one lime.
- Prepare the bell peppers. Cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
- Spoon the turkey mixture evenly into the bell peppers and lay them in a 9×13 baking dish.
- Top each pepper with some shredded cheese.
- Pour the remaining chicken stock around the peppers, cover with foil and bake for about 40-45 minutes.
- Remove foil and serve.
This recipe is in our regular rotation. I love it, my husband loves it, and the kids (9 & 11) love it! My kids do not like the Pepper, so what I’ve begun doing is sauteing a good amount of diced peppers with the onion. The kids get the filling directly on their plate with plenty of veggies in the mix and my husband and I enjoy the attractive stuffed pepper as written. Also, if I have it on hand, I will also sautee some riced cauliflower with the veggies and cut back on the rice just a little to increase the veggie content for all of us. Thanks again for another excellent recipe!
I love that idea! So glad you are able to make it work for your family!
Delicious and were consumed in minutes! I used quinoa instead of rice for some added protein.
Love that swap!
We had some fresh bell peppers from the garden and some fall weather has arrived here in Michigan. This recipe was calling my name. It certainly isn’t your mom’s stuffed pepper recipe. It’s comfy, flavorful, with a little spice – because we all need some spice in our lives! 10/10 recommend!!
Jealous of your fall weather! Thanks for the review, Heather!
This was delicious!! I didn’t have fresh cilantro, so used coriander. Especially liked the zip from the lime juice. Will make this again. Thank you.
Love the swap! Glad you liked it!
Delicious! I didn’t add anything and the recipe was easy to follow. Thank you!
You are so welcome! Thank you for the review!
can’t wait to try….tonight obvi. and also a little trick for keeping the peppers upright. make a small cut at the bottom that doesnt make a hole but just a smidge of flat surface. voila.