These ground turkey stuffed bell peppers are filled with tender ground turkey, fluffy rice, and veggies. Not only do they come together quickly, they are perfect for meal prepping.
If you love stuffed peppers, you should also try one of our most popular recipes – Mexican stuffed bell peppers!
These ground turkey stuffed bell peppers are so juicy and flavorful. There’s nothing quite like slicing into one straight out of the oven. The combination of melted cheese, fluffy rice, and tender turkey truly never gets old.
This recipe is somewhat Italian-inspired, with a three-cheese pasta sauce used to bind the filling together. As the peppers bake, the juices of all the veggies and turkey are released, making for such a savory dish. I like to think these peppers are reminiscent of turkey bolognese or spaghetti.
Growing up, stuffed peppers were a regular at our dinner table. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve experimented with different flavors and fillings. I’ve grown to appreciate how many servings of veggies can pack into a stuffed bell pepper. More so, they are also perfect for meal prepping. We like to make a big batch and eat them throughout the week for a quick lunch. It helps that they reheat so wonderfully!
How to Make Ground Turkey Stuffed Bell Peppers
Making ground turkey stuffed bell peppers requires minimal prep. Once the filling is prepared, all you have to do is stuff the peppers and bake them. Below, find a quick rundown of the recipe:
- Prepare the Peppers: Cut the peppers at the top and remove the seeds and core.
- Prepare the Filling: In a pan preheated with oil, saute the onions and mushrooms until golden brown. Add the ground turkey and brown, followed by the cooked rice. Pour in half of the sauce and season to taste.
- Stuff the Peppers: Stuff each pepper with the turkey mixture. Mix the rest of the tomato sauce with a couple of cups of water and pour the mixture into the bottom of the baking dish. Sit peppers in the sauce and top each one with a generous handful of cheese.
- Bake and Serve: Bake peppers at 375°F for 40 minutes. Enjoy!
Low-Carb Option
Looking for a low-carb option? Replace cooked rice with cauliflower rice in equal proportion. Of note, it’s best to use previously frozen riced cauliflower for this variation. It has less moisture when thawed and will prevent your peppers from turning out soggy.
Hot Tip: Trader Joe’s has an amazing frozen riced cauliflower that will work great in this recipe!
Tips to Make the Best Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers
- Play around with the veggies you use. This recipe calls for mushrooms, but you can play around with the veggies you love most. Use one or a combination of a couple. Remember, this is such an easy way to up your veggie intake!
- Use different colored bell peppers. If you want to uplevel your presentation, use several different colors of bell peppers. The variety of red, green, yellow, and orange will look wonderful on a serving platter.
- Try to find bell peppers with flatter bottoms. Peppers with flatter bottoms will stand up better in your baking dish.
- Use lean ground turkey. Lean ground turkey will produce the least amount of grease and prevent your peppers from turning out soggy.
- Be generous with the cheese. Top each pepper with a hefty amount of cheese. Don’t be shy!
- Use a Dutch oven to bake the peppers. If you have a Dutch oven, use it! The steaming effect cooks the peppers much more evenly and makes for a richer overall flavor.
FAQ
Can you freeze stuffed bell peppers?
Stuffed bell peppers can be easily frozen. Preferably, freeze them after they’ve cooked. If you freeze them raw, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before you place them in the oven. Whichever method you use, make sure to store them in an airtight container in the freezer.
Do you have to cook meat before stuffing peppers?
You do have to cook the ground meat before stuffing the peppers. The juices from the sauce and veggies will keep it from drying out in the oven.
How do you prevent peppers from turning out watery?
Prevent your peppers from turning out watery by not adding any additional liquid to the filling. The sauce you will pour into the bottom of the pan will be enough to soften the pepper as it bakes.
Why are my stuffed peppers tough?
If you find that your stuffed peppers are too tough, boil them for 5 minutes before stuffing them the next time you make the recipe.
Servings Ground Turkey Stuffed Bell Peppers
You can serve ground turkey stuffed bell peppers for lunch or dinner. Pair them with a homemade caesar salad or some mashed potatoes for a well-rounded meal. You could also bake a baguette and use it to sop up the tomato sauce.
Other Stuffed Peppers to Try
- Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers – Low-carb Philly cheesesteak peppers
- Low-Carb Lasagna Stuffed Peppers – Lasagna without the noodles
- Ground Beef Stuffed Peppers – Veggies, beef and rice covered in a creamy, tomato-based sauce!
- Russian Stuffed Bell Peppers – Classic Russian stuffed peppers
- Stuffed Bell Peppers – Ukrainian-style stuffed peppers
- Italian Stuffed Peppers – Filled with orzo, ground beef, pasta sauce and cheese!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 bell peppers
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 lb mushrooms
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 25 oz Italian pasta sauce
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1 tsp oil for cooking
- 1 tbsp salt adjust to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper adjsut to taste
Instructions
- Trim the bell peppers by removing the seeds and core.
- In a pan, preheated with oil over medium-heat, saute the onion with mushrooms until they turn golden brown. Add the ground turkey, breaking up the meat with your spatula as you brown it.
- Add in cooked rice and half of the sauce. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Stuff each pepper with the filling. Combine the rest of the sauce with two cups of water and pour it on the bottom of the baking dish. Place peppers into the baking dish and top each one with cheese. Bake at 375°F for 40 minutes.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Hi!
I’m going to make this tonight! Can I substitute anything for the mushrooms?
Hi Samantha, You can just omit the mushrooms if you prefer. However, I wouldn't because they add great flavor!
Thank you Natalya!
I just made this for dinner, for a very picky, family of seven. I try to incorporate other types of protein, aside from red meat, and this was a hit with everyone. I didn’t tell them it was ground turkey until after everyone was finished eating. They had no idea because it was so flavorful. I will be using your recipe for years to come. Thank you!
Hi Megan, Thank you for sharing this awesome feedback! Enjoy the recipe for years to come!
What is the best way to reheat leftovers? BTW, this recipe was great!
Hi Tamara, thank you! Microwaving would be the fastest option, but you could also reheat them in the oven at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until heated through (depends how big the stuffed peppers are). Enjoy!
Do I need to par boil the peppers first?
Hi Rina - Thanks for the note. This is completely up to preference. Some people like their peppers softer, while we prefer to bake them straight from raw. Hope this helps!
Do I need to cover the bell peppers when I am baking them or leave them open? Thanks!
You can cover them and then uncover the last 10 minutes or so, so that the cheese gets golden. Enjoy!
I second what Sam said about the cheese. After 40 minutes, the cheese was burnt. That didn't deter my husband from gobbling them down, but I would definitely recommend adding the cheese at the end.
Thank you for the feedback, Jackie. Adding the cheese at the end is a good tip. Alternatively, you can cover the stuffed peppers and then uncover towards the end, I think that would help prevent the cheese from burning as well.
Made this for dinner,was good,will definitely be making it again
Thank you for the feedback, Dorothy, glad you enjoyed the recipe!
That's a lot of sodium?????
Hi John - Feel free to adjust the salt to taste as you wish. Happy New Year!
Awesomene recipe! I didn’t buy enough mushrooms, so I added spinach to supplement. I also added some smokiness with some ancho and guajillo chilies.
Hi Barry - That sounds awesome! You can truly get so creative with these and mix and match a ton of different kinds of fillings. Glad you enjoyed them!
I’m going to make this tonight! Can I add anything to make it spicy?
Hi Daniel - Yay! We LOVE stuffed bell peppers in this household and typically have them once a week. You can add crushed red pepper flakes or a couple dashes of your favorite hot sauce to bring some heat.
Hi can you share the link to the individual Dutch ovens used? Thanks
Hey Ronita, they are old from Target but I do love Staub Dutch oven. Here is the link: https://amzn.to/3vO2cgZ
Can I cut the peppers in half instead??
Hey Carolyn, for sure. Just keep them facing with the filling to the top when cooking. Enjoy
Turned out well except cheese burned when added at beginning of oven time. Suggest waiting until end to add cheese and bake another 3-5 minutes. Feel like it needs more salt or some garlic for added flavor. Overall, a good, easy recipe.
Thank you for your feedback, Sam! I am glad you enjoyed the recipe.
This is so good and so easy to make! I didn’t have mushrooms, so I just sautéed the tops of the peppers and also added two small chopped potatoes to all the other ingredients (Rao’s Marinara is our go to). My husband said these were the best stuffed peppers he has ever had. Thanks again for another amazing recipe.
Thank you for the sweet compliment, I'm so glad you and your husband enjoyed the peppers. Thank you for sharing your feedback and taking the time to comment!
Can l use Cauliflower rice, in the stuff peppers?
Can l Put Cauliflower in with the turkey meat and sauce and stuff pepper?
Hey Susan, cauliflower can get a bit watery but it can definitely work. Just keep that in mind. 🙂
We love stuffed bell peppers, especially anything with lean ground meat, such as turkey. I've never tried it with rice though...I always go for lean meat and veggies. Next time though, I'm so adding rice.
I need to try using ground turkey in my stuffed bell peppers. I usually go for beef and pork combo but turkey seems like such a healthy alternative!
Yes, peppers have so much flavor that milk lean turkey meat is just a great compliment to it.
We used to make stuffed peppers with ground chicken, but ground turkey seems leaner and healthier! Such a great meal prep recipe since they reheat so well.
Yes, we do love how they reheat. Today was one of those days when frozen stuffed bell peppers came to rescue!