These turkey stuffed peppers with rice make a fantastic meal or party food idea, perfect for any occasion. This is a super simple, minimalist recipe using a handful of ingredients and involving a few easy steps.
These easy stuffed peppers with turkey require very little effort but produce really great results! This recipe involves very few steps and hardly any chopping. Apart from cutting the peppers in half the only other time you will have to use a knife is to chop the parsley.
Turkey stuffed peppers ingredients
In addition to the ground turkey this recipe also consists of cooked rice, onion and garlic granules for more flavour and parsley for added moisture and freshness. I also added a little cheddar cheese into the filling mixture and sprinkled some on top of each pepper half before popping them in the oven.
Top tip
To save time you can cook the rice as well as pre-roast the peppers ahead and once cooled refrigerate (overnight).
Do I have to cook the meat beforehand
No, you don't!
This easy turkey stuffed peppers recipe does NOT require cooking the meat before making the filling. There are several reasons for that.
- It means shorter preparation time.
- The juices from the meat stay inside the peppers making them fabulously moist.
- The filling will keep its shape quite well (won’t be crumbly).
- The filling will taste absolutely delicious with all the ingredients cooking together!
Simply combine the raw turkey with the rest of the filling ingredients and stuff the peppers.
Although the filling keeps its shape well it is still moist and soft, with an almost melt-in-your-mouth consistency.
How to prepare the peppers
While the rice is cooking cut the peppers in half through the top, remove the seeds and place on a large oven tray lined with parchment paper. Season, drizzle with oil and roast the peppers in a preheated oven at 180 C for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the juices from the peppers into the rice.
Good to know
Because the peppers are briefly pre-roasted (to give them enough time to release lots of flavour), they will be tender, though not mushy.
Step-by-step recipe instructions
1.Start by preheating the oven to 350 F/ 180 C/ gas mark 4. Meanwhile cook the rice according to packet instructions. Once cooked, remove the lid and leave to cool completely. While the rice is cooking prepare the peppers (as above).
2. Once the rice has cooled combine it with the rest of the filling ingredients, including the raw turkey and three quarters of the cheese.
3. Then simply fill the peppers with the mixture, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and drizzle with a little oil. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve hot!
Top tips and FAQs
- Ensure your ground meat has approx. 7% fat content (anything less might make the filling mixture a little dry).
- To save time you can cook the rice as well as pre-roast the peppers ahead and once cooled refrigerate (overnight).
- I used a mixture of peppers (to add more colour to my recipe) but you can use just one colour if you prefer. Just ensure the peppers are roughly similar size.
- Best served immediately.
- Refrigerate leftovers, covered, for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave.
- Freeze the peppers arranged in a single layer for up to 3 months.
Substitutions
- Turkey: You can substitute ground chicken, pork or beef. Just try to use meat with similar fat content (approx. 7%).
- Herbs and spices: You can use cilantro instead of the parsley. If you would like to spice this recipe up a bit more you can add 1 teaspoon of poultry seasoning, oregano or thyme into the filling. Smoked paprika, in addition to the garlic and onion granules, would work well too.
- You can swap white rice for either brown or red rice, though bear in mind the filling mixture may not be as sticky. (White rice is naturally quite sticky). Remember also that non-white rice varieties need to cook longer.
Serving suggestions
These turkey stuffed peppers can be paired with lots of side dishes including steamed, boiled or braised vegetables (such as carrots or broccoli), all manner of roasted vegetables, celery root puree and spinach mashed potatoes.
You might also like
- Cauliflower Rice Stuffed Peppers with Feta
- Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers with Brown Rice
- Meat Stuffed Eggplant Recipe (Turkey)
Check out also this collection of healthy, easy chicken recipes!
Keep in touch!
How have your healthy turkey stuffed peppers turned out for you? Let me know in the comments below, thanks!
Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for regular recipe updates! Or you could subscribe to this blog and receive all my latest recipes right into your mailbox!
Easy Turkey Stuffed Peppers with Rice
Ingredients
- 6 medium mixed bell peppers
- 450 g ground turkey approx. 7% fat content
- 100 g rice such as basmati, uncooked
- 100 g mature cheddar or another strong cheese coarsely grated
- 4 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
- ⅓ tsp onion granules
- ¼ tsp garlic granules
- ½ tsp fine sea salt, plus a bit more for seasoning the peppers and plenty of pepper
- olive oil for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 180 C/ gas mark 4. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Cook the rice according to packet instructions. Remove the lid and set aside to cool, stirring occasionally.
- Whilst the rice is cooking prepare the peppers. Cut each pepper in half from the top, remove the seeds and place on the baking sheet open end up. Season lightly and drizzle with a little oil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour the juices from the peppers into the rice. Leave the oven on.
- To make the filling combine the rice (it will have cooled by now) with the meat, onion and garlic granules, seasoning, parsley and 3 quarters of the cheese. Stir thoroughly and fill the pepper halves with the mixture pressing in well. Sprinkle each pepper with the remaining cheese, drizzle over a little oil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Notes
- Turkey: you can substitute ground chicken, pork or beef. Just try to use meat with similar fat content (approx. 7%).
- To save time you can cook the rice as well as pre-roast the peppers ahead and once cooled refrigerate (overnight).
- Herbs and spices: You can use cilantro instead of the parsley. If you would like to spice this recipe up a bit more you can add 1 tsp of poultry seasoning, dried oregano or thyme. Smoked paprika, in addition to the garlic and onion granules, would work well too.
- I used a mixture of peppers (to add more colour to my recipe) but you can use just one colour if you prefer. Just ensure the peppers are roughly similar size.
- You can use either brown or red rice instead of the white rice, though bear in mind the filling mixture may not be as sticky. (White rice is naturally quite sticky). Remember also that non-white rice varieties need to cook longer.
- Best served immediately.
- Refrigerate leftovers, covered, for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave.
- Freeze the peppers arranged in a single layer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
Amazing recipe. Can't wait to prepare.
Thank you! Let me know how it turns out!
Yum! These look delicious. I love stuffed peppers, but I've never tried them with turkey. I bet this would be a great way of using up leftover turkey after Christmas too! Thanks for sharing them with #CookBlogShare. Eb x
Thank you! If you wanted to use leftover turkey in this recipe you'd have to make it a bit differently, but it would work too.
Super-yummy 😍
Ciao
Sid
Thank you!
Nice! Looks tasty! 🙂
Thank you! It was quite tasty:)