Mexican American

Medium · Hot

Turkey Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers

Bell peppers do double duty as both a vessel and a vegetable, holding a filling of seasoned ground turkey, fresh tomato, and sweet corn that bakes until the pepper walls soften and the cheddar on top bubbles. It's the kind of dinner where the presentation does some convincing on your behalf — kids who won't eat a plain pepper will eat one that looks like a taco cup. Built-in portion control is a quiet bonus.

Recipe by

Carmen Reyes

The Family Table

Prep

15 min

Cook

45 min

Rest

5 min

Total

1h 5m

Method

Prep the Peppers

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut the tops off each bell pepper and pull out the seeds and membranes. Rinse briefly and pat dry with a paper towel.

Place peppers cut-side up in a baking dish. Brush lightly with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes to soften slightly while you prepare the filling.

Make the Filling

In a large frying pan over medium heat, add the ground turkey. Break it apart with a spoon and cook until no longer pink, about 6 minutes.

Add the diced onion and garlic to the turkey. Cook for another 4 minutes until the onion softens.

Stir in the tomato sauce, cumin, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Let it simmer for 3 minutes until slightly thickened.

Remove from heat and stir in the cooked white rice and 1 cup of cheddar cheese until well combined.

Stuff and Bake

Remove peppers from the oven. Spoon the turkey-rice mixture evenly into each pepper, pressing gently to fill.

Top each stuffed pepper with the remaining shredded cheese.

Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then uncover and bake another 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and peppers are tender.

Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. The kids can pick their own pepper — easy build-your-own dinner.

Nutri-Score

Fair balance

A–E · lower is better · score 4

Calories

878

per serving

High in protein · 63gLow sugar · 11g

Protein

63g

Carbs

66g

Fat

39g

Sat. fat

21g

Fiber

Sugar

11g

Sodium

1950mg

Gluten FreeDairyDiabetes FriendlyMuscle HealthHeart HealthyHigh ProteinBalanced MealLow Carb Alternative

Nutri-Score is a general nutritional-balance guide, not medical or dietary advice.

Environmental impact

High impact

A–E · lower is better · includes estimates

kg CO₂e

2.4

per serving

DCarbonAEU all-round· carbon sets the grade

Water

1.2m³

Land

51Pt

Runoff

0.2g P

Ground Turkey drives 46% of this recipe’s estimated footprint.

Carbon from Poore & Nemecek 2018; water, land & runoff from Agribalyse — modelled averages for comparing recipes, not a measurement of your groceries.

Flavor Profile

Umami

Sweet

Salty

Sour

Bitter

Spicy

Textures

TenderCreamyChewy

Aromas

SavoryTomatoCheesySpiced

Kitchen Equipment

Primary Tool

Frying Pan

Frying Pan Baking Dish Oven Chef Knife Cutting Board Measuring Cups Measuring SpoonsMixing SpoonTongs Aluminum Foil Paper Towels Olive Oil

Counter FootprintMedium

Techniques

Baking Sauteing Simmering Stuffing

Safety & Storage

Cooking Temperature

Bake stuffed peppers at 375°F for at least 30 minutes total (15 min pre-bake + 20 min covered + 10 min uncovered) to ensure ground turkey reaches safe internal temperature of 165°F.

Cross Contamination

Use separate cutting boards for raw ground turkey and vegetables. Wash hands thoroughly after handling raw poultry before touching other ingredients.

High Risk Population

Young children should not pick their own pepper directly from the baking dish — use tongs or a plate to prevent burns from hot dish or cheese.

Handling

Let stuffed peppers cool for 5 minutes before serving. Cheese can retain extreme heat and cause burns if served too hot to children.

Storage

Refrigerate leftover stuffed peppers within 2 hours of serving. Store in airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat to 165°F before consuming.

Allergen Warning

Recipe contains milk (cheddar cheese). For lactose-free alternatives, use lactose-free cheese or dairy-free cheese substitute while maintaining similar melting properties.

Pro Tips

Technique

When you cut the tops off the peppers, save them — they're perfect little hats that kids love placing back on their stuffed peppers before serving. It makes this feel like their creation, not just dinner.

Substitution

No ground turkey? Ground chicken works beautifully, or if you want something heartier, lean ground beef is a classic swap. The seasoning stays the same and the whole family won't notice the difference.

From the chef

Bell peppers do the smartest thing here: they become the bowl, so the whole taco situation arrives already portioned and a little dramatic on the plate. The filling is seasoned ground turkey with tomato sauce, sweet corn, and rice, kept mild enough for everyone, and the cheddar on top bubbles up gold in the oven. The presentation does convincing work before anyone even takes a bite. Soft pepper walls, savory filling, melted cheese — this one earns its spot on the weeknight rotation.

Carmen ReyesThe Family Table

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TagsWeeknight DinnerFamily FriendlyBakedStuffed PeppersCheese

AllergensMilk

Source: generated · May 30, 2026