Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers (without rice) feature a medley of seasoned ground turkey, quinoa, feta cheese, and vegetables stuffed in a bell pepper boat. It's a nutritious, filling weeknight recipe and a fantastic way to get protein and vegetables you need without sacrificing flavor.
Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers (without rice) will quickly become one of your favorite weeknight meals. It's nutritious, comes together quickly, and is great for meal planning. Each bell pepper is one serving and every bite is packed with flavor!
Serve these delicious bell pepper boats with a vegetable, like 10-Minute Sautéed Broccolini (Broccoletti), Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan, or Healthy Corn and Zucchini Fritters, for a well-rounded meal. We love our peppers with ground turkey and feta, but you can make this recipe your own with your favorite substitutes.
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About Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Taste - The ground turkey, quinoa, herbed feta, vegetables, and spicy seasoning create a rich flavor medley.
- Texture - The ground turkey and vegetables are soft and scrumptious while the bell pepper provides a firm shell.
- Effort - It requires minimal effort to make the quinoa and just a little bit of elbow grease to cut and cook the other ingredients. Then all you need to do is bake the bell peppers.
- Time - It takes about a half hour to cook the quinoa then about 40 minutes to bake the stuffed bell peppers.
Ingredients
- Quinoa - quinoa has a light texture and mild flavor that blends well with the other flavors.
- Red bell peppers - bell pepper acts as a tasty bowl for the stuffing mixture. It has a rich and bright flavor.
- Ground turkey - ground turkey is a lean protein with delicious flavor. Ground turkey is generally lower in saturated fat than beef; therefore, it is a healthier protein for heart health.
- Spinach - spinach adds a sweet and earthy flavor. It also adds nutritional value.
- Roma tomatoes - Roma tomatoes are sweet, rich, and tangy.
- Yellow onion - Yellow onion adds a sharp and slightly sweet taste.
- Olive oil - Olive oil is a healthy fat to cook the ingredients in. It also melds the flavors together.
- Red chili flakes - Red pepper flakes add robust spice to the mixture.
- Garlic powder - Garlic powder adds a hint of spice and the classic aroma.
- Kosher Salt and Pepper - Salt accentuates the other flavors and black pepper adds a little kick.
- Fresh basil - Basil adds a bright garnish.
- Feta cheese - The crumbly texture of the feta blends perfectly for cheese in each bight.
- Greek yogurt - Greek yogurt adds moisture and richness to the quinoa.
Substitutions
- Garlic cloves - Replace garlic powder with minced garlic for a more robust aroma.
- Kale - Use kale instead of spinach for a stronger and slightly more bitter green.
- Farro - Replace quinoa with farro if you want to make the salad heartier. Farro and quinoa have the same amount of protein, but farro is denser and more fibrous.
- Brown rice - Brown rice is another healthy alternative to quinoa and farro.
- Poblano Peppers - Make this recipe with poblano peppers instead of bell peppers if you want an earthier and stronger tasting pepper.
- Onion Powder - If you don't have onion or want a lighter onion flavor, you can use onion powder instead of onion.
- Shallot - Shallot has the flavor of a mild onion without the bite.
- Lean beef or chicken - Use lean ground meat like ground beef or chicken as healthy alternatives to ground turkey.
- Mozzarella or shredded cheddar cheese - Use mozzarella or cheddar cheese if you prefer a thicker and less sharp cheese.
- Tomato sauce - You can use tomato sauce instead of diced tomatoes if you don't have tomatoes or just prefer the tomato sauce flavor.
Variations
- Vegetarian - If you want to make this recipe vegetarian, omit ground turkey and instead increase the amount of quinoa and/or add chopped mushrooms. Mushrooms are a hearty meat replacement.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano or parmesan cheese - Parmigiano-Reggiano or parmesan will add a delicious sharpness to the peppers.
- Mushrooms - Add chopped mushrooms in general for earthy an earthy and slightly woodsy flavor.
- Basil - Fresh torn basil adds brightness.
- Cilantro - Cilantro adds a tangy and citrusy flavor.
- Corn - Add frozen or canned corn for a lightly sweet vegetable.
- Green chiles - Green chiles add a spicy and sweet smokiness.
- Zucchini - Add chopped zucchini for a sweet and slightly bitter veggie.
- Black beans - Black beans are a yummy and healthy addition. The fiber, potassium, folate, vitamin B6, and low cholesterol all support heart health.
- Extra spicy - Add chili powder for an extra kick.
- Tomatoes - Stuff large tomatoes instead of bell peppers.
Instructions
- Heat oven - Preheat the oven to 375° F.
- Cook quinoa - In a boiling pot of water or rice cooker, cook the quinoa. If using a pot, add quinoa and 2 cups filtered water to a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, until water is completely absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff quinoa with a fork. (Photo 1)
- Prepare peppers - Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and white membrane. Place the bell peppers in the baking dish with the opening face up. Set aside. (Photo 2)
- Cook onion and turkey - Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat and add the onions. Once the onions begin to turn translucent, add the turkey meat and break up the chunks until the meat is lightly browned. Stir in chili flakes, garlic powder, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper.
- Cook veggies and stir in ingredients - Cook for 3 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes and spinach and cover with a lid. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and the spinach is wilted, another 5 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from heat and stir in the yogurt, quinoa, and feta until evenly mixed. (Photo 5 and 6)
- Stuff peppers - Once the quinoa mixture is complete, scoop the quinoa and stuff each bell pepper. (Photo 7)
- Cook peppers - Drizzle the peppers with olive oil and add about a quarter cup of water to the baking dish. Cover the baking dish with foil or a lid and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Uncover the dish and bake for an additional 10 minutes to make it crispy. (Photo 8)
What to Serve with Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
These classic stuffed peppers are a healthy and delicious weeknight meal. Pair this gluten free meal with these healthy and tasty sides:
- 10 -Minute Sautéed Broccolini (Broccoletti)
- Spicy Kani Salad
- Elotes Style Corn with Furikake
- Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan
Recipe FAQs
Yes, almost all of the ingredients in these stuffed bell peppers are healthy. This recipe features lean ground turkey, quinoa, and veggies. The only ingredient that isn't super healthy is the feta cheese. If you want to make this recipe healthier, omit the feta.
Stuffed peppers is a dish common in many cuisines, but the main countries of origin are Spain, Mexico, and in several Mediterranean countries.
Red, yellow, orange, and green bell peppers will all make great stuffed bell peppers. Green peppers are slightly less sweet and more bitter since they are less mature. Yellow and orange peppers are the most mature and taste very similar to red bell peppers.
No. But, you can precook them if you want your peppers to be softer and more tender.
Yes, the peppers should be covered to make sure they retain their moisture and don't dry out. If you want them to be a little crispier, you can bake them uncovered for the last 10 minutes.
Storage
Store leftover stuffed peppers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, heat the oven to 350°F. Then place stuffed bell peppers in a baking dish or on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until hot. You can also freeze stuffed bell peppers for up to 3 months (since they retain their flavor and texture well in the freezer). Just be sure to wrap each bell pepper individually. Once you are ready to eat the stuffed peppers, heat them in the oven at 350°F for 25 minutes or until heated through.
Top Tips
- Rice cooker is easiest for quinoa - For a low maintenance approach, cook the quinoa in a rice cooker. Unlike cooking it on the stove, you don’t have to babysit the quinoa while it cooks and don’t have to worry about it burning in the rice cooker.
- Make sure the peppers are the same size - Use bell peppers that are roughly the same size so they take the same amount of time to cook.
- Red peppers are the most nutritious - Red peppers are the most nutritious bell peppers because they've been on the vine longest. Compared to green bell peppers, red peppers have almost 11 times more beta-carotene and 1.5 times more vitamin C. Note that red bell peppers are also the most expensive.
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Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers (Without Rice)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups filtered water
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 4 red bell peppers
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tbsp fresh basil
- freshly ground black pepper
- sea salt
- 4 roma tomatoes chopped
- 2 cups spinach chopped
- ½ cup whole milk plain Greek yogurt
- ⅔ cup feta
Instructions
- Heat oven - Preheat the oven to 375° F.
- Cook quinoa - In a boiling pot of water or rice cooker, cook the quinoa. If using a pot, add quinoa and 2 cups filtered water to a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, until water is completely absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff quinoa with a fork.1 cup quinoa, 2 cups filtered water
- Prepare peppers - Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and white membrane. Place the bell peppers in the baking dish with the opening facing up. Set aside.4 red bell peppers
- Cook ingredients - While the quinoa cooks, cook the turkey mixture. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and add the onions. Once the onions begin to turn translucent, add the turkey meat and break up the chunks until the meat is lightly browned. Stir in chili flakes, garlic powder, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes and spinach and cover with a lid. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and the spinach is wilted, another 5 minutes, and stir halfway through. Remove from heat and stir in the yogurt, quinoa, and feta until evenly mixed.1 small yellow onion, 1 lb ground turkey, 4 roma tomatoes, 2 cups spinach, ½ cup whole milk plain Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon red chili flakes, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 2 tablespoon fresh basil, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, ⅔ cup feta
- Stuff peppers - Once the quinoa mixture is complete, scoop the quinoa and fill each bell pepper.
- Cook peppers - Drizzle the peppers with olive oil and add about a quarter cup of water to the baking dish. Cover the baking dish with foil or a lid and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Uncover the dish and bake for an additional 10 minutes.2 tablespoon olive oil
Notes
- Cook quinoa in rice cooker - For a low maintenance approach, cook the quinoa in a rice cooker. Unlike cooking it on the stove, you don't have to babysit it.
- Use peppers that are the same size - Use bell peppers that are about the same size so they take the same amount of time to cook.
- Red peppers are the most nutritious - Red peppers are the most nutritious bell peppers because they've been on the vine longest.
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