Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Turkey Stuffed Peppers combine ground turkey, tons of vegetables, and pepper jack cheese into a satisfying meal. Jump start your smart eating habits with these oh-so-delicious stuffed peppers!

Why this recipe works:

I’m always looking for meals that not only taste amazing and are packed with flavor, but finding better recipes that make me feel good – especially this time of year – is always a huge bonus when I’m really trying to watch what I eat.

I do find that adding rice or quinoa to a stuffed pepper makes it more filling and it feels more like a complete meal, but I also know a lot of people are searching for grain free or low carb recipes.

That’s why I wanted to create a stuffed pepper recipe that was basically meat, cheese, and veggies.

Ingredients used to make this recipe:

• whole bell peppers
• ground turkey (I prefer dark meat)
• onion
• garlic
• zucchini
• tomato
• pepper jack cheese
• salt

How to make them:

First step is to par bake your peppers. The reason you want the peppers partially cooked is because you will fill them with cooked hot filling. By pre-cooking the peppers, everything will be perfectly cooked by the time you’re ready to serve.

To make the stuffed pepper filling, simply start by browning the ground turkey. After a few minutes you’ll add some onion, garlic, and any remaining pieces of bell pepper. Let those turn golden brown and completely fragrant.

To that mixture, I add diced zucchini, diced tomatoes, and season it with salt and pepper.

To assemble the turkey stuffed peppers, simply pack the hot peppers with your filling, top with cheese, and finish them off in the hot oven to melt the cheese. You can choose any kind of cheese that you like, or completely omit if you need a dairy free stuffed pepper, but my preference is to use pepper jack.

Some variations:

• I prefer to use ground dark meat because it has more flavor, but you can also use ground white meat. Instead of using ground meat at all, you can also use diced cooked turkey and add it to the mixture after the vegetables have sauteed for a bit. That would be a great option if you’re looking for a post-holiday leftover turkey recipe.
• You can also change up the vegetables you add to your stuffed peppers. Instead of tomatoes you could add some baked butternut squash and sage – both of which go fantastic with turkey.
• Turkey stuffed peppers are also a great recipe to make on the weekends if you are looking for healthy meal planning options. They are great to pack in work lunches throughout the week!

Love turkey recipes?

You’ll have to try these:

• Slow Cooker Turkey Breast Recipe
• Southwestern Turkey Meatloaf
• Warm Turkey Sliders
• Spicy Southwestern Turkey Burgers
• Damn Good Roast Turkey
• Savory Herb Turkey Gravy
• Leftover Turkey Risotto
• Leftover Turkey Salad

While I typically use bell peppers in our family’s favorite dinner recipes like beef stir fry and American goulash, they are the star in this recipe!

This post was originally created for The Recipe Critic where I’m a contributor and has been updated with more fun facts and tidbits for your reading pleasure.