Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers are a savory, filling weeknight meal. They feature richly seasoned ground turkey, quinoa, and hearty veggies in a scrumptious bell pepper shell. These stuffed bell peppers are the perfect way to get the protein and vegetables you need without sacrificing flavor.
Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers are perfect for meal planning since each stuffed pepper is one meal. We love our peppers with ground turkey and parmesan, but if you're vegetarian or vegan, swap the turkey and cheese for sautéed mushrooms and nutritional yeast!
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About Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Taste - The ground turkey, quinoa, 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...
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.
- Parmigiano - Reggiano or parmesan cheese - cheese adds flavor and salt! Parmigiano-Reggiano is a deliciously funky cheese that gives the bell peppers sharpness.
- 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 - salt accentuates the other flavors.
- Freshly ground black pepper - black pepper adds a light kick.
Instructions
- Heat oven - Preheat the oven to 350° 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.
- Prepare peppers - Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and white membrane. Place the peppers in a baking dish with the opening facing up.
- Cook ingredients - 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 the tomatoes, spinach, chili flakes, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and the spinach is wilted.
- Stuff peppers - Add the cooked quinoa and parmesan to the meat and vegetable mixture, and stir until evenly mixed. Scoop the quinoa mixture into the bell peppers.
- Cook peppers - 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. Shave parmesan on top and serve.
What to Serve with Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
These classic stuffed peppers are a healthy and delicious weeknight meal. Serve this gluten free meal with these tasty sides:
- 10 -Minute Sautéed Broccolini (Broccoletti)
- Spicy Kani Salad
- Elotes Style Corn with Furikake
- Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan
Substitutions
- Poblano Peppers - Make this recipe with poblano peppers instead of bell peppers if you want an earthier and stronger tasting pepper.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
FAQ
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 healthy is the parmesan cheese. If you want to make this recipe healthier, omit the parmesan.
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 more mature and taste very similar to red bell peppers.
Equipment
This easy quinoa stuffed pepper recipe requires kitchen essentials. For this stuffed peppers recipe you need a knife, cutting board, measuring cup, pot with a thick bottom or rice cooker, wooden spoon, cheese grater, tongs, and 9 inch x 6 inch or 12.75 inch x 8 inch baking dish.
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.
Did You Like This Recipe?
If you love stuffed peppers, check out these similar and tasty recipes:
- BBQ Baked Chicken Thighs (Baked in Oven)
- Roast Chicken Thighs and Vegetables
- Thick & Healthy Turkey Chili (with Kidney Beans)
- BBQ Chicken Salad with Greek Yogurt Ranch
Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers (Without Rice)
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups filtered water
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 3 roma tomatoes chopped
- 4 red bell peppers
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 2 cups spinach chopped
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
- garlic powder
- ½ cup grated parmesan plus more for serving
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat oven - Preheat the oven to 350° 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 peppers in a baking dish with the opening facing up.4 red bell peppers
- Cook ingredients - 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 the tomatoes, spinach, chili flakes, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and the spinach is wilted.1 lb ground turkey, 2 cups spinach, 3 roma tomatoes, 1 small yellow onion, 1 teaspoon red chili flakes, garlic powder, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper
- Stuff peppers - Add the cooked quinoa and parmesan to the meat and vegetable mixture, and stir until evenly mixed. Scoop the quinoa mixture into the bell peppers.2 tablespoon olive oil
- Cook peppers - 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. Shave parmesan on top and serve.½ cup grated parmesan
Nutrition
Food safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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