Italian Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers
These healthy Italian ground turkey stuffed peppers with lean turkey, marinara, cauliflower rice, and light mozzarella are an easy high-protein, low-carb dinner.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 3 large bell peppers any color
- 1 pound ground turkey breast or lean ground turkey
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion about 1 medium onion
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup riced cauliflower fresh or frozen
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 ½ cups marinara sauce
- 3/4 cup shredded light mozzarella cheese
- chopped fresh basil or parsley optional for topping
Instructions
- Slice each bell pepper in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Then, set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. Add the diced onion, crushed garlic, and riced cauliflower. Sauté until softened, about 4-6 minutes.
- Remove the mixture from the pan and set it aside. Add the ground turkey to the same pan and season it with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Break it up with a spatula until fully cooked.
- Once the ground turkey is fully cooked, stir the cauliflower rice and onion mixture back into the pan along with the marinara sauce. Let everything cook together for a few minutes so the flavors combine.
- Arrange the sliced bell peppers cut-side up in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Spoon the cooked turkey mixture evenly into each bell pepper half.
- Pour a little water into the bottom of the pan, about 3-4 tablespoons, just enough to barely cover the bottom. This helps the peppers cook evenly and keeps everything nice and moist while baking.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with foil. This step is important. It helps the peppers soften and keeps the turkey filling moist while baking. Bake at 375°F for 35-40 minutes, or until the peppers are tender.
- Remove the foil and top each pepper with shredded light mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven just until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Finish with fresh basil or parsley, if desired, and serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Sheet Pan Option: No 9×13-inch baking dish? No problem! You can use a rimmed sheet pan instead. Just arrange the pepper halves cut-side up, add a little water to the pan, and cover tightly with foil so the peppers cook through and the turkey stays moist.
- Choose the Right Peppers: Look for large, evenly sized bell peppers so they cook at the same rate. If your peppers are small, grab an extra one to make sure you have enough room for the filling. You can use any color peppers you like the flavor of, whether they are red, yellow, orange, or green.
- Cauliflower Rice Swap: If preferred, you can swap the cauliflower rice with cooked white rice or brown rice.
- Ground Turkey Substitution: You can substitute the ground turkey with lean ground chicken, ground chicken breast, or lean ground beef, if preferred.
- Italian Seasoning: If you don’t have Italian seasoning, use ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon dried basil, and ¼ teaspoon dried thyme.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 stuffed pepper | Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 11.9g | Protein: 25.4g | Fat: 5.3g | Saturated Fat: 1.7g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 346mg | Fiber: 3.1g | Sugar: 6.5g