Healthy Turkey Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed bell peppers with ground turkey, turkey sausage, corn, black beans, salsa, spices, and fresh cilantro. Healthy and flavorful dinner for the whole family to enjoy!
Stuffed peppers are what dinner dreams are made of. They can be filled with any combination of starches, meat, beans, and sauces. Every time I make them I’m reminded of how they make the best dinner.
They are easy to customize, incredibly tasty, and a total crowd-pleaser. It’s also one of those dishes that can be prepped ahead of time, so all you have to do is pop them into the oven when it’s close to dinnertime.
Today, I’m sharing these Mexican-themed healthy turkey stuffed peppers with lean ground turkey, turkey sausage, corn, beans, and spices. The bell peppers require no special prep. You simply take the core out and add the filling and then steam-bake until tender.
Try serving them with a side salad such as Mexican Corn Salad for a hearty weeknight dinner. Or create a toppings bar with crema, salsa, guacamole and let everyone add what they like.
Tips for Stuffed Bell Peppers
Even though stuffed peppers are a piece of cake to make there are a few tips & tricks that will ensure they are a success every single time.
- Look for bell peppers that are about the same size to make sure that each of the peppers takes the same amount of time to cook.
- You can assemble these stuffed peppers entirely in advance or prep the filling only.
- Change up the protein. Use all ground turkey or all sausage instead. Not a fan of turkey? Ground chicken works great!
- Season the inside of bell peppers. It’s a simple yet important tip to remember! Make sure to thoroughly season the inside of the peppers with salt and pepper before adding the filling.
How to Make Healthy Turkey Stuffed Peppers
NO NEED TO BOIL PEPPERS FIRST.
Do you have to boil peppers before stuffing them? No. They will steam-bake in the oven. Simply halve your peppers from top to bottom, cutting right down through the stems. Remove the seeds and membranes. I love using pepper halves instead of the entire pepper. It cooks faster and the serving size is perfect.
COOK THE MEAT BEFORE FILLING.
Do you cook the meat before stuffing the peppers? Yes. Browned meat is much more flavorful when it’s been seasoned and cooked first. Sauté the onions and garlic. Brown the ground turkey and sausage. Add salsa, spices, beans, and corn. It’s that easy!
STUFF THE PEPPERS.
Before stuffing the peppers with the filling make sure to generously season the inside of the peppers with salt and pepper. Fill each pepper half with the turkey mixture and top with cheese. This recipe makes 6 pepper halves.
STEAM-BAKE STUFFED PEPPERS.
To make sure the peppers steam and cook all the way through, put a little bit of water in the baking dish, then cover everything up tightly with foil. How do you keep peppers from falling over? Use a baking dish that snugly fits the pepper halves. They will shrink as they cook.
Serving Suggestions
Do you eat the bell pepper in stuffed peppers? You absolutely do! It’s soft, tender, and full of flavor. So you’ll want to get every last bit of it. Serve these turkey stuffed bell peppers on their own or add a roasted vegetable side dish or a simple green salad.
Leftovers/Reheating
Leftover peppers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat either in the oven or in the microwave. To reheat in the oven, bake the peppers in a covered dish at 350 F for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
Cooked stuffed peppers can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw out in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the oven at 350 F for 15-20 minutes.
More Stuffed Vegetable Recipes
- Zucchini Lasagna Roll-Ups
- Tex-Mex Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
- Sausage and Rice Stuffed Peppers
- Chicken Stuffed Zucchini
Healthy Turkey Stuffed Peppers
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 mins
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Description
Stuffed bell peppers with ground turkey, turkey sausage, corn, black beans, salsa, spices, and fresh cilantro. Healthy and flavorful dinner for the whole family to enjoy!
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 oz. ground turkey
- 4 oz. sweet Italian turkey sausage, removed from casing
- 16 oz. jar mild or medium salsa (depending on how spicy you want it)
- 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 tsp. Kosher salt
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
- 3 large bell peppers (any color), cut in half lengthwise, seed + stem removed
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 3-4 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add turkey and sausage, and cook until no longer pink, about 5-6 minutes, while breaking up with a spoon.
- Stir in salsa, tomato paste, salt, cumin, and oregano. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and let simmer partially covered for 20-23 minutes, while stirring occasionally. The liquid will cook down to almost none. Stir in corn, beans, and cilantro. Remove pan from heat.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Season the inside of bell peppers with salt and pepper. Spoon generous amount of meat mixture into each pepper half and place in a 10 X 10-inch baking dish. You want the peppers sitting snuggly in the baking dish.
- Pour water on the bottom of the pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45-60 minutes or until peppers are tender.
- Remove from the oven. Sprinkle each pepper evenly with cheese, cover tightly with foil and let sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. The heat from the peppers will melt the cheese. Or broil the peppers for few minutes until cheese is melted.
Notes
- Leftovers: Leftover peppers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat either in the oven or in the microwave. To reheat in the oven, bake the peppers in a covered dish at 350 F for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
- To Freeze: Cooked peppers can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw out in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the oven at 350 F for 15-20 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 303
- Sugar: 9.6 g
- Sodium: 1409.1 mg
- Fat: 16.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 21.3 g
- Protein: 19.5 g
- Cholesterol: 50.7 mg
Keywords: easy, Mexican, healthy,
Hi! I'm Katya -- a former corporate paralegal turned full-time recipe developer and blogger behind Little Broken. Here you'll find family-friendly and seasonal recipes made from real ingredients.
By far the best stuffed peppers we have had. Did not use the cilantro as my husband does not like it. The flavor was great without it and easy to make.
Definitely at the tope of my list.
★★★★★
Thank you so much Noreen! I’m so glad you love the stuffed peppers.
This meal was so delicious. A perfect blend of flavors and filling without leaving you feeling ‘heavy’. I have to admit I wasn’t expecting it to be as good as it was. definitely a house favorite now. Thank you!!
★★★★★
Thank you Nichole! Glad you enjoyed it.
My husband and I I both agreed these are the yummiest stuffed peppers we’ve tried!! Thank you for the super yummy and easy recipe.
Thank you Tania! So happy to hear you enjoyed the stuffed peppers.
This is an amazing recipe!
First of all it’s an easy recipe. I like that it doesn’t require a lot of different steps for preparation Second, all this ingredients are easy to find at my hom because we are big on Mexican food. Should definitely try it!!!
★★★★★
Thank you! So happy to hear you love them.
No kids of my own yet, but I like to bake with my younger cousin. I talk about food with my students in school and encourage them to get involved in making smart choices at home!