Name: Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 6 large bell peppers (any color); 2 cups wild rice (cooked); 1 pound 93% Lean ground turkey; 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 small onion (diced); 1 jar crushed tomatoes (16 ounces); 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon pepper; 1½ cups sharp cheddar cheese (shredded); 1 tablespoon olive oil

My Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers are truly one of my favorite dinners to make. They’re hearty and packed with flavor, but lighter than the classic beef version, so I feel good adding them to our easy weeknight dinners.

You fill bell peppers with lean ground turkey, wild rice, crushed tomatoes, onion, garlic and sharp cheddar, then bake them until the cheese melts on top. They’re no-fuss and always a hit with my whole family.

Ground turkey stuffed peppers in red, yellow, orange and green bell peppers topped with melted cheddar in a cast iron skillet

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I've gotta admit, I love how they look coming out of the oven in my pretty cast iron skillet!

What You'll Learn

Get my complete recipe for ground turkey stuffed peppers with wild rice and sharp cheddar.
Learn how to keep lean ground turkey moist and flavorful inside tender peppers.
See why these make a balanced, high-protein dinner.
Avoid common mistakes like a watery filling or undercooked peppers, and find answers to frequent questions.

Why You'll Love These Turkey Stuffed Peppers

We started eating a lot of ground turkey to cut back on red meat, and of all the bell pepper and ground turkey recipes we tried, these landed in our regular rotation.

Kid approved: I think my kids actually prefer the taste of ground turkey to ground beef, because these always go down the hatch without any complaints. That's saying a lot when it comes to my kids.
Less fat, plenty of protein: 93% lean ground turkey has less fat than regular ground beef, and each pepper still has about 38 grams of protein.
Gluten-free: Wild rice is naturally gluten-free. If you're cooking for someone with celiac disease, just check the labels on your crushed tomatoes and Italian seasoning.
Mostly hands-off: You brown the turkey in one pan, stuff the peppers, and let the oven do the rest.

Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Close-up of a yellow bell pepper filled with turkey, wild rice and melted cheddar cheese

Here's what goes into them. The full amounts are in the recipe card below.

Bell peppers: Any color works, and a mix of colorful bell peppers looks cheerful on the table. Green bell peppers are the classic, while red, yellow and orange taste sweeter. Choose ones that stand up on their own.
Wild rice: It adds a nutty, chewy bite.
Ground turkey: I use 93% lean, so there's very little grease.
Onion and garlic: A small onion and two cloves of garlic, softened in olive oil, add plenty of flavor.
Crushed tomatoes: Just enough to hold the filling together without making it soupy.
Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper: Everyday pantry seasonings.
Sharp cheddar cheese: Half a cup gets stirred in, and the rest melts on top.

How to Make Stuffed Peppers with Ground Turkey

Step one: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook your rice and set it aside. You'll need 2 cups of cooked rice.

Step two: Cut the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds. Trim the bottoms so they sit flat in the skillet, and rinse them well. Boil the peppers in a large pan for 5 minutes, then turn them upside down on a paper towel to dry.

Step three: Add the olive oil, garlic and onion to a large skillet and sauté until tender. Add the ground turkey and brown it until it's cooked through.

Step four: Stir in the crushed tomatoes, cooked rice, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and ½ cup of the shredded cheddar until blended.

Step five: Fill the peppers evenly with the turkey mixture and set them in a lightly greased 10-inch cast iron skillet or a baking dish. Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes. Then top the peppers with the remaining cheese and bake 5 more minutes, until the cheese melts.

Baked red, yellow and green peppers stuffed with turkey and rice in a black cast iron skillet

Tips and Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don't skip the boil: The quick boil is a great way to give the peppers a head start, so they're tender by the time everything is hot. Draining them upside down gets rid of excess water and keeps the bottoms from getting soggy.
Trim carefully: Shave just a thin slice off the bottom of each pepper. If you cut too deep, you'll make a hole and the stuffing will leak.
Check the turkey: Ground turkey is safe at 165°F, and it can still look a little pink when it's done, so a meat thermometer is the surest way to tell.
Cooking a big batch of rice? Our free printable chart on How Many Cups in a Quart makes measuring easy.

Substitutions and Variations

Feel free to make this recipe your own.

Ground beef: If you prefer ground beef, it's an easy swap. For my all-beef version, see my Best Stuffed Peppers Recipe.
Other rice: Brown rice or white rice work in place of wild rice. Use the same 2 cups cooked.
Extra veggies: Stir chopped zucchini, mushrooms or spinach into the turkey mixture.
Cheese: Swap the cheddar for any shredded cheese you like, such as Monterey Jack or pepper jack. To lighten things up, use a reduced fat cheese or cut back on the amount. Love it cheesy? Add extra cheese on top.
Taco night: Trade the Italian seasoning for taco seasoning and serve with salsa and sour cream.
Bite-size version: For parties, try my Sausage Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers.

How to Store, Freeze and Reheat

Refrigerator: Let leftovers cool, then refrigerate them in an airtight container within 2 hours. They'll keep for 3-4 days and make a great lunch the next day.
Freezer: Wrap baked peppers one at a time and store them in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. They're best within 3 months, which makes them handy for meal prep. The peppers get softer after freezing, so for the best texture, let them cool completely before wrapping and reheat them in the oven instead of the microwave.
Reheating: Warm them covered in the microwave or in a 350 degree oven until the center reaches 165°F. You can thaw frozen peppers in the fridge overnight or reheat them straight from the freezer, which just takes longer.

FAQs

Can you use ground turkey for stuffed peppers?

Yes. Lean ground turkey works great here, and since it has less fat than beef, the crushed tomatoes and cheese do the work of keeping each pepper moist.

Are stuffed peppers healthy?

These are a balanced meal in one pepper, with lean protein, vegetables and whole grain wild rice. Each one has about 544 calories and 38 grams of protein, according to the recipe card. A good share of the fat comes from the cheese, so using less is the easiest way to cut calories.

Should you cover stuffed peppers when baking them?

Not for this recipe. Because the peppers are already boiled and the turkey is fully cooked, baking them uncovered lets the tops brown slightly and keeps them from getting watery.

Can I make stuffed peppers without rice?

Yes. Swap the wild rice for the same amount of riced cauliflower for a low carb version. The filling will be looser, so it helps to sauté the cauliflower rice first to cook off some of its water.

I hope you and your family enjoy this turkey stuffed peppers recipe as much as we do. You can print the recipe below!

More Ground Turkey Recipes

Looking for more ground turkey dinner ideas? Here are a few more we love.

More Family Dinner Recipes

These ground beef recipes work great with turkey, too, and the pot roast is perfect for a cozy Sunday.

Ingredients

6 large bell peppers any color
2 cups wild rice cooked
1 pound 93% Lean ground turkey
2 cloves garlic minced
1 small onion diced
1 jar crushed tomatoes 16 ounces
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1½ cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your rice and set aside. You will need two cups of cooked rice.
Cut off the tops of the peppers remove the seeds, trim the bottoms to help them sit flat in the skillet and rinse thoroughly. In a large pan boil the peppers for 5 minutes, remove from water and turn upside down onto a paper towel to dry.
In a large skillet add the olive oil, garlic and onion, saute until tender. Add the turkey and brown until thoroughly cooked.
Add the crushed tomatoes, rice, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese and stir until blended.
Fill the peppers evenly with the mixture, place in a lightly greased 10 inch cast iron skillet, or baking dish of your choice. Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove and add the remaining cheese to the top of peppers and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Notes

Rice: Brown rice, white rice or riced cauliflower can replace the wild rice. Use 2 cups cooked.

Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat to 165°F.

Nutrition

Nutrition values are estimates, sourced from an online nutrition calculator. This information should never be considered a substitute for medical advice. Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: ground turkey stuffed peppers, healthy stuffed peppers recipe, turkey stuffed peppers

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