Ground Turkey
Stuffed Peppers
Sweet red bell pepper halves filled with seasoned ground turkey, fresh cilantro, garlic, and cumin — steamed from below with chicken broth as they bake covered, then uncovered and finished under the broiler with melted cheese. Simple, satisfying, and a completely different approach from the other stuffed peppers in this collection.
- 1 lb lean ground turkey (or 90% lean ground beef)
- 3 large sweet red bell peppers, halved & seeded
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ onion, finely minced
- 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup tomato sauce
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- — 2% reduced-fat shredded cheese (cheddar or Monterey Jack)
- — olive oil cooking spray
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1
Preheat & prep the peppers
Preheat oven to 400°F. Halve the red bell peppers lengthwise and remove all seeds and membranes. Place cut-side up in a baking dish and set aside.
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2
Build the filling
Spray a skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high. Add the garlic, onion, and cilantro and sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the ground turkey, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking the meat apart, until fully browned — about 6 minutes. Drain any excess liquid. Stir in the tomato sauce and cook for 1 more minute.
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3
Stuff & add the broth
Spoon the meat mixture generously into each pepper half, pressing it in firmly. Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the baking dish around the peppers — this creates steam during baking that cooks the peppers from below and keeps everything moist. Cover the dish tightly with foil.
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4
Bake covered then uncover
Bake covered at 400°F for 25 minutes until the peppers are tender. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 5 minutes to allow any excess moisture to cook off and the peppers to develop a little color.
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5
Add cheese & broil
Sprinkle shredded cheese over each stuffed pepper. Switch to the broiler on high and return for 2–3 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and starting to brown. Watch closely and serve immediately.
- The chicken broth technique: Pouring broth into the bottom of the baking dish before covering with foil creates a steam environment that cooks the peppers from below — they come out tender all the way through without drying out. It also creates a flavorful pan juice worth spooning over everything at the table.
- Red peppers over green: Sweet red bell peppers are significantly milder and sweeter than green — they caramelize beautifully in the oven and complement the savory cumin-seasoned filling in a way that green peppers can't match. This recipe is specifically built around reds.
- Uncover before broiling: The 5-minute uncovered bake before adding the cheese allows excess moisture to evaporate — it's the difference between properly roasted peppers and steamed, watery ones.
- Serve with cauliflower rice: The pan juices and any remaining broth in the bottom of the baking dish are deeply flavored — spoon them over cauliflower rice for a complete meal that uses every drop.
- Ground beef works too: 90% lean ground beef produces a richer, more savory filling than turkey — both are great options and work identically in this recipe.