Description
Bite-sized ground turkey stuffed peppers with marinara and mozzarella. These healthy-ish indulgences are perfect for parties, make-ahead friendly, and ready in under 45 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ground turkey (93% lean)
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup cooked white rice
- 1.5 cups marinara sauce
- 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 large egg
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 6 large bell peppers (red, orange, or yellow)
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- Olive oil for cooking
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Wash bell peppers, slice off tops, and scoop out seeds and membranes. Place cut-side down in a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook diced onion for 3-4 minutes until translucent.
- Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes; cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add ground turkey and cook for 5-6 minutes until no pink remains. Drain excess liquid if necessary.
- Stir in cooked rice, marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- Remove skillet from heat and let mixture cool for 2 minutes.
- Spoon the turkey mixture into the pepper shells, packing gently but firmly. Place upright in the baking dish.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle shredded mozzarella evenly over the top, and return to oven.
- Bake for another 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with fresh chopped basil and serve warm.
Notes
Use leftover rice for better texture. Do not skip the resting time to prevent filling from sliding out. Peppers can be assembled up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated. For extra flavor, brush the outside of peppers with olive oil before baking.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed pepper
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 22
Keywords: ground turkey stuffed peppers, party appetizer, make-ahead recipe, healthy comfort food, bite-sized appetizers, turkey and rice