Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Turkey Stuffed Peppers are an easy dinner idea or even a side dish… depending on the size of the pepper and your appetite. Use ground turkey, chopped deli meat or even leftover shredded Thanksgiving turkey.

turkey stuffed peppers in a white casserole dish


 

These bell peppers are filled with spinach, onion, garlic, white beans and cheese, everyone in the family will love them. They are make ahead friendly, low carb and also fantastic for meal prep.

single red bell pepper stuffed with ground turkey, beans and spinach

What You’ll Need

The ingredient list is short and super verstile. A little more or a little less of any ingredient will still provide a great, flavorful meal.

  • Virgin Olive Oil– Any neutral oil can be used. Other ideas are vegetable oil, canola oil or avocado seed oil.
  • Sweet Onion– If you are seeking a more robust onion flavor, swap this for a white or yellow onion.
  • Garlic– Measure garlic with your heart! Some say this is too much, I ask if 5 cloves is enough…
  • Flat Parsley- Also known as Italian parsley, flat has a better herbious flavor compared to curly parsley which is better suited for garnish.
  • Ground Turkey– Turkey can be substituted with ground beef, chicken, pork or tofu if desired. If you buy a big package, save the rest to make a Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet.
  • Chopped Frozen Spinach– No need to thaw it- just toss in the brick of greens! Fresh can of course be used and takes about the same amount of time to sweat down. This will be the largest provider of liquid, make sure it simmers off before spooning into the bell pepper shells.
  • Large bell peppers- I use a variety of colors because they look pretty, but they do have slightly different tastes too. Identify ones that are large and cavernous so you can fit a lot of filling in. I cut them lengthwise so they are like boats or bowls.
  • Cumin– Cumin, although a tan dried powder, comes from the parsley family and provides great flavor in a variety of global cuisines.
  • Adobo Seasoning– See below.
  • Cayenne Pepper– Just a dash for color and flavor, but can be omitted.
  • Cannellini beans (canned)– Also known as navy bean (even though they are cream-colored), haricot, pearl haricot bean, Boston bean, white pea bean, or pea bean. The canned variety are already softened, which saves time. Drain and rinse well. Other large tender beans can be swapped out, like Great Northern.
  • White Cheddar Cheese– I strongly suggest freshly shredding your cheese for the best melty outcomes. Many flavors of cheese can be swapped out- use up the bits and scraps from your cheese drawer!
ingredients for making turkey stuffed peppers

What is Adobo Seasoning?

While traditional stuffed peppers are of Italian influence, I use Adobo seasoning for my Turkey Stuffed Peppers, giving them a Latin flare. Adobo seasoning is a mixture of salt, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder. It is fairly mild as far as spice, but provides a nice, sophisticated flavor.

It is easy enough to make at home, but you can also buy it premade and use it anything from anything from chili to tacos. You can find it in the International or spice section of your grocery store. It adds a bit of smoke to the flavor.

three peppers on a white serving plate

How to Make Turkey Stuffed Peppers

  1. Preheat the oven and heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Find a casserole dish that will snuggly fit all of the pepper halves. Spray lightly with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. Saute the onions, garlic and parsley in the hot olive oil until soft and translucent.
  1. Add the ground turkey, breaking it up with your spoon, turning to brown, and then stir in the frozen spinach, cumin, Adobe seasoning and cayenne.
  1. Cook until the meat is fully cooked and brown, then add the cannellini beans and stir again and remove from the heat.
beans in ground turkey stuffing
  1. Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and membranes. Place the bell peppers into a baking dish, fitting them snugly together.
scooping out peppers for stuffed peppers
  1. Spoon the mixture into each bell pepper, filling only halfway. Sprinkle cheese in each pepper and then resume spooning in filling until full.
  1. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes.
casserole dish covered with aluminum foil
  1. Remove the peppers from the oven. Remove aluminum foil and top each with remaining cheese. Return to oven for 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.
  2. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 3-4 minutes before serving. Just like meat, it helps to let them rest so all the juices can redistribute.
cooked stuffed peppers with ground turkey

Storage & Make-Ahead

Make-Ahead: This stuffed pepper recipe is great for making ahead, reheating and meal prep. Assemble up until cooking or fully cook and reheat in the oven or microwave up to 5 days ahead of time!

Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I do not suggest freezing these stuffed peppers. Because peppers are so full of water, as is the spinach and beans, they defrost a little grainy.

college of turkey stuffed pepper recipe for pinterest

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Turkey Stuffed Pepper Recipe

5 from 11 votes
Turkey Stuffed Peppers are filled with spinach, onion, garlic, white beans and cheese. An easy and healthy dinner idea.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic and parsley. Saute until soft and translucent.
  • Add the ground turkey, breaking it up with your spoon, turning to brown. Stir in the frozen spinach, cumin, Adobe seasoning and cayenne.
  • Heat for 5 minutes, then add the cannellini beans and stir again. Remove from the heat.
  • Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and membranes. Place the bell peppers into a baking dish, fitting them snugly together.
  • Spoon the mixture into each bell pepper, filling only halfway. Sprinkle cheese in each pepper and then resume spooning in filling until full. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes.
  • Remove the peppers from the oven. Remove aluminum foil and top each with remaining cheese. Return to oven for 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.
  • Remove from oven and allow to sit for 3-4 minutes before serving.
  • If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.

Nutrition

Calories: 435 kcal, Carbohydrates: 33 g, Protein: 42 g, Fat: 14 g, Saturated Fat: 6 g, Cholesterol: 92 mg, Sodium: 490 mg, Potassium: 810 mg, Fiber: 8 g, Sugar: 9 g, Vitamin A: 5020 IU, Vitamin C: 168.1 mg, Calcium: 321 mg, Iron: 5 mg
Author: Chef Jessica Anne
Calories: 435
Course: Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: stuffed peppers, turkey recipes
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
Jessica Formicola in her ktichen

About the Author

Chef Jessica Anne Formicola

Jessica the mom, wife and chef behind Savory Experiments. You might see her on the Emmy- nominated TV show Plate It! or on bookshelves as a cookbook author. Jessica is a Le Cordon Bleu certified recipe developer and regularly contributed to Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, The Daily Meal, Mashed and more!

Read More About Jessica

5 from 11 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Questions and Reviews

  1. 5 stars
    I love how many veggies are packed into this recipe! Also really appreciate the make-ahead tips and knowing that I can make some substitutions if I need to.

  2. 5 stars
    I never liked stuffed peppers because I’m not a fan of rice. This recipe looks so good that I definitely want to try them again!