Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers (My Favorite Version)

These Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers are a simple weeknight recipe that I think you’re going to love. The bell peppers are stuffed with a Mediterranean mix of ground turkey, couscous, olives, herbsand tomatoes. It’s an easy oven dinner and great for meal prep.

Baked ground turkey stuffed peppers in cast iron pan.

Stuffed peppers baked in the oven are some of the simplest and most delicious midweek meals you can cook. This mediterranean inspired recipe is a go-to of mine.

If you’re looking for more stuffed recipes, check out my stuffed salmon in air fryer or my stuffed chicken breast with stuffing dishes!

About Emily’s Recipe

Texture: The pepper is al dente, so slightly soft on the outside and lightly crunchy on the inside. You’ve then got the filling which is light but full of ingredients that have a variety of textures from the olives to the couscous, juicy tomato to the leafy herbs.

Taste: we’re using mediterranean flavours so expect fresh, zingy, and herbaceous flavours.

Ease: The most difficult part of this recipe is slicing the peppers and removing the seeds and placenta (the white bit of the pepper). So once you’re past that, this stuffed peppers recipe is a breeze.

Top Tips: 1. Opt for large bell peppers so you can easily stuff them and so that they can easily stand on their side. 2. You can either go for red, yellow or green bell peppers. The green ones are the most savory/bitter, so feel free to pick whichever colour you prefer. 3. Let the ground turkey stuffed peppers rest once out of the oven, this allows the filling to settle and makes them easier to move.

Would I make this again? Absolutely, it’s a great dish to make midweek but also a good one for meal prep. You can also customise it with any leftover veggies you have lying around in your fridge too!

Close up of ground turkey stuffed peppers.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Ground turkey: turkey mince is lean and really healthy.

Red onion: we’re using finely chopped red onion for this stuffed pepper recipe, but you could also use white onion or shallots.

Garlic cloves: fresh garlic cloves is best for freshness, but if the only thing you have are garlic granules, use them!

Olives: you can either use Kalamata olives or green olives. Make sure they’re pitted!

Couscous: originating from North African cuisine, couscous is a great ingredient to add to our ground turkey stuffed peppers for texture. If you don’t have couscous, you could use cooked rice, orzo, or bulgar wheat.

Parsley: for freshness, parsley is a must! I wouldn’t recommend using dried, but go for it, if it’s the only thing you have!

Mint: fresh or dried mint adds a lovely flavour element to this dish.

Paprika: smoked or sweet paprika would be great for this recipe. Don’t have paprika? Use mild chili powder or cumin powder.

Tomatoes: fresh tomatoes just to add a bit of moisture to our stuffed peppers filling.

Tomato paste: to keep the peppers moist, we’re creating a tomato broth at the base of the pan. If you don’t have tomato paste, you could use passata or chopped tomatoes.

Step by step instructions with photos

Frying ground turkey with red onion and garlic in a pan.

Step 1: Place a non-stick pan on medium heat and add in a drizzle of oil. Add in the ground turkey, red onion, and garlic. Fry for 5 minutes until the turkey turns a light brown. Break apart the turkey mince, we don’t want any big chunks.

Step 2: Place the couscous in a bowl and cover with 150ml boiling water and a big pinch of salt. Cover with a plate and leave to cook for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 190c fan or 210c / 375F.

Combining ground turkey with couscous, parsley, mint, and olives in a pan.

Step 3: To your ground turkey pan, add in chopped olives, parsley, mint, paprika, your cooked couscous, and chopped tomatoes.

The final filling mixture for ground turkey stuffed peppers.

Step 4: Give everything a mix and then season with salt and pepper.

Step 5: In the base of your oven-proof dish, add the tomato paste and 200ml of water. Give it a mix so it’s well combined.

Ground turkey stuffed peppers before going in oven.

Step 6: Slice the bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and placenta. Then, stuff the pepper halves with the filling. Delicately arrange the peppers into the oven-proof dish and top each pepper with cheese. Place into the oven, covered in kitchen foil for 30 minutes, then uncovered for another 15 minutes.

Step 6: Take the stuffed peppers with ground turkey out of the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving up!

What to do with leftovers

Storage: Leave the stuffed turkey peppers to cool, then place in airtight containers and into the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezing: You can totally freeze these peppers, but the texture may differ when reheated. Store in airtight containers (don’t forget to label with the date and contents) for up to 3 months. Leave to defrost/thaw in the fridge overnight.

Reheating: Either leave the lid ajar and reheat in microwave until piping hot. Or heat up in the oven at 200C/ 390F for 20 minutes.

FAQs

What other ingredients could I use in the stuffed pepper filling?

You could use spinach, finely chopped cauliflower, aubergine/eggplant, cannellini beans, or feta.

Can I make a sauce to go on top?

For sure, making a tzatziki inspired sauce would be delicious. Simply combine Greek yogurt with grated and drained cucumber, 1 garlic cloves (finely chopped), a bit of mint, salt, and pepper. And a squeeze of lemon!

What can I serve these ground turkey stuffed peppers with?

I love eating them on their own, but some great things as a side would be a leafy green salad, tzatziki, or fresh bread.

More recipes you might enjoy!

If you tried this Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thank you!