Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers

a red bell pepper cut in half and filled with ground turkey, topped with melted provolone cheese and fresh parsley on a rustic baking sheet

5 from 1 vote

Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers

These Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers are such a great delicious dinner! Full of delicious flavor, your family will request these all the time. Plus, with how easy these are to freeze, you can have leftovers for lunch all the time.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Servings: people

Calories: 228kcal

Author: Lisa Longley

Ingredients

4 bell peppers cut in half with seeds removed (see photos above)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 pound ground turkey
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup spaghetti sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded (8 ounces) (see note 3)
1 1/2 cups cooked rice (see note 2)
fresh parsley chopped, optional

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Put the peppers in a large microwave-safe bowl. Spray liberally with cooking spray. Cover the bowl with a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 7 minutes (see note).
4 bell peppers
While the peppers are cooking in the microwave, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and then add the onions. Cook the onions for approximately 7 minutes or until very soft.
1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 large onion
Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.
2 cloves garlic
Add the ground turkey, breaking it up as you cook it. Add in the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and cumin.
1 pound ground turkey, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon cumin
Once the turkey is completely cooked through, stir in the spaghetti sauce, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, and cooked rice.
1 cup spaghetti sauce, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
Put the peppers on a parchment-lined baking tray, discarding any liquid that might have accumulated during microwaving. Divide the filling mixture among the eight pepper halves and then top with the remaining cheese.
Bake the peppers for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese completely melts and begins to bubble. Top with fresh parsley if desired.

Video

Notes

If you don't want to microwave your peppers, you could try steaming them in a large steaming basket while you cook the meat and other ingredients. Alternatively, you could skip this step and bake the peppers for 40 minutes instead of 15 once stuffed.
I like using instant rice in this recipe for its convenience. If you'd rather cook regular rice, that is totally fine, just plan for it time-wise accordingly.
You may like to use 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese and then 8 slices of deli mozzarella or provolone. The slices of cheese are much easier to top the peppers with than the shredded cheese.
If you want to replace the ground turkey with ground beef, eliminate the oil from the this recipe. Instead of first cooking the onions and garlic and then the meat, cook the meat first, breaking it up and then add the onions and garlic, cooking until the onion is translucent. Drain off any excess grease.

Nutrition