These Turkey Stuffed Peppers are an easy, healthy dinner recipe that the family will love! Full of ground turkey, brown rice, salsa, cheese and extra veggies!
Love stuffed peppers? Try this one pan Stuffed Pepper Casserole or this Stuffed Pepper Soup next!
I don’t know about you, but any meal I can make ahead about mix and match with whatever leftovers I have going on in the fridge is a total win.
And if it’s healthy, cheesy goodness that the kids will eat, too?
It makes it onto the menu of Regulars.
These Turkey Stuffed Peppers are all of that and more.
They’re made with cooked ground turkey (you can substitute leftover cooked turkey of any kind!), cooked brown rice, finely chopped spinach (the kids won’t even know it’s in there 😉 ), salsa and seasonings for incredible flavor and covered in a crown of melty cheese.
Often when we’re talking stuffed peppers people use ground beef, but it’s time to think turkey! I love swapping beef with ground turkey as it is such a versatile protein and easily takes on a wide variety of different flavours.
Mixing up your meal plan to include more turkey is a great way to support Canadian turkey farmers, and these Turkey Stuffed Peppers are an easy, nutritious meal that the family will be begging you to make again!
How to make Stuffed Peppers:
- Mix up your filling: ground turkey, rice, salsa, seasoning, and some chopped spinach for good measure.
- Slice the sides off of your bell peppers — I know some people lop off the top and have these super tall stuffed peppers, but I like laying them sidewise as they’re easier to eat and there’s less of a chance they’ll fall over.
- Stuff ’em.
- Top with cheese, add a splash of water (this helps the peppers to steam and soften slightly) cover and bake!
- Watch the family devour them with satisfaction.
Variations on these Turkey Stuffed Peppers:
There are so many ways to mix up this stuffed peppers recipe!
- Use leftover roasted turkey instead of ground turkey.
- Add in a variety of other vegetables, finely chopped or shredded, that your family loves.
- Use leftover cooked quinoa or barley instead of rice if that’s what you have (or you can skip it altogether).
- Use a new variety of salsa for a fun and flavorful twist.
- Spice it up and top with Jalapeno Monterey Jack instead of mozzarella.
How to prep these Stuffed Peppers ahead:
One thing I absolutely love about this recipe is that I can prep it ahead and stash it in the fridge for a day or two until I need it. This makes it a great recipe for busy families who don’t always have hours to spend cooking every night.
Simply assemble completely, cover with foil, and refrigerate up to 48 hours, provided all of your ingredients were fresh when you started.
When needed, just pop right in the oven with the foil and bake!
Another option is to prepare the filling in advance, then refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months before using.
*This post is generously sponsored by Canadian Turkey and I was compensated for my time in creating this recipe. All opinions are my own. Visit thinkturkey.ca for delicious recipes
Turkey Stuffed Peppers
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 1/2 cups mild tomato salsa
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup spinach frozen, thawed, drained and squeeze (or ½ cup fresh chopped)
- 5 bell peppers halved, core in but seeds removed
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- In a medium pan over medium-high heat, cook and stir ground turkey, salt, chili powder and pepper until browned.
- Place turkey in a medium bowl and stir in rice, salsa, 1 cup cheese and spinach. (The filling can easily be made ahead — see post for notes)
- Place pepper halves in a 9×13″ baking dish.
- Fill pepper halves with filling and divide remaining 1 cup cheese between peppers. Pour water in the bottom of the pan. Lightly spray a piece of foil with non stick spray and cover peppers.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 30-40 minutes until tender. Remove foil and bake for 5-10 minutes, broiling if desired, to brown cheese slightly.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Lora says
Can you freeze theses peppers
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Lora! I haven’t tried it myself, but I do believe stuffed peppers can be frozen and then reheated. Hope you enjoy them!
Ross says
Pretty bland. I even double the spices per others’ suggestions, and I found it to definitely be lacking flavor. Sorry, not a fan.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for your feedback!
Jeanne says
What can you substitute for spinach. would chopped broccoli work?
Thanks
Ashley Fehr says
Yes definitely! I would just chop very finely.
Michelle says
Was a big hit with the family! Only changes I made were I added sautéed onions and chicken broth instead of water. Would definitely make this again.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Michelle!
Denise Duquette says
Try with Campbell’s soup or your favorite tomato soup or sauce.
Rick Blasic says
This turned out to be a fantastic meal! It turned out just as you posted and the whole family loved it!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so happy to hear that!
Talia Gordon says
Omg so good! I doubled the spice, added a touch of cumin, black beans and corn.. and omgggg.. made a double batch and used the rest for burritos the next day with jalapeños and guacamole.. will def make this again!!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Paul says
Won’t the turkey meat overcook in the oven since you already pre-cook it? Is it better to mix it raw with the cooked rice and the seasonings?
Ashley Fehr says
It does not overcook, no 🙂
Meredith says
Our five year old thinks all salsa is spicy so I subbed pasta sauce for the salsa. Added a little truffle salt just for fun! And it was delish! It is a wonderful recipe for hiding all kinds of veggies inside. I love how easy it is to make modifications. Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Meredith!
John says
Great recipe. I doubled the fresh spinach, doubled the seasoning, and added 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp granulated garlic, 1/2 tsp black pepper.
Quite excellent!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks John!
Megan says
Do you have suggestions for an alternative recipe for using any extra filling? I have plenty left over and want to use it but mix it up since my family isn’t keen on leftovers
Ashley Fehr says
I think it would be great stirred into soup or chili! I would probably stir it into my Stuffed Pepper Soup — it’s one of my favorites!
Mindy says
This is a really good recipe. I’ve had some really bland bell peppers but your ratios are right on. Thanks for the help!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Mindy!
Shar says
I made these last night, and they were delicious! This was my 1st RecipeRebel dish and I am looking forward to trying more. Thank you, Ashley!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Shar! I’m glad you liked them!
Shellie says
Hello,
I have not made this recipe. I was wondering what suggestions you have to sub-out the rice with something low carb.
Thanks!
Shellie
Ashley Fehr says
I would probably use cauliflower rice in its place
Rochelle says
I made these with cauliflower and feta. Very tasty. Will make again. I have lots of peppers in the garden. Great recipe. Thanks 😊
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Rochelle!
Penny mae cossette says
First time trying this recipe would like to know the process to make this a head of time thank you and have a blessed day
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Penny! You can make up to the point of baking, cover and refrigerate for several days before baking. It’s a great make ahead meal!
Stephanie says
So good! My two littles (4 yrs; 20 months) and husband ate them right up. It’s the quickest I’ve seen my littlest one eat! Will become a regular meal in our home. Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Stephanie!
Anna says
Really delicious! I made them with half rice and half barley and loved the chewiness of the barley. Kids both came back for seconds.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Anna! I love the addition of barley!
Tammy Pope says
Do you cook the rice first?
Ashley Fehr says
The recipe calls for cooked brown rice
Bernadette says
I made these tonight and they turned out amazing! Thank you for the inspiration!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Bernadette!
Daylene says
Hi Ashley,
I have made these and they were fantastic! I like to use them as the main entree or as a side dish, depending on the kind of gathering or meal I’m making.
Love your recipes! Keep up the good work!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Daylene! I appreciate it!
Jenny says
Love these! Making them for the second time tonight. Noticed there was no reviews and though I’d leave one. The salsa brings a nice, zesty punch to the dish and the turkey is light and flavourful. Easily a new favourite and staple in our house.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Jenny! And I appreciate you leaving a review and comment!