This healthy turkey taco stuffed peppers recipe is the perfect meal for weeknight dinners! It's made with ground turkey taco meat, rice or quinoa, black beans, and corn all stuffed in tender bell peppers. Serve it with melted cheese and fresh cilantro overtop. It's a Mexican-style meal your whole family will love.
Why this Taco Stuffed Peppers Recipe Works
Easy dinner: Stuffed peppers is one of those recipes that can be your go-to easy weeknight dinner.
Healthy: They're made with real food and full of protein, healthy carbs, and veggies. It's a great way to get the kids to eat healthy.
Delicious: The flavor and combination of textures are out of this world. The melty cheese on top is to die for.
Grab These Ingredients
Here are the simple ingredients for this taco stuffed peppers recipe. Most are pantry staples and easy (and affordable) to find in grocery stores. Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Bell peppers: Yellow bell peppers, orange, and red bell peppers are our favorites to use.
- Ground turkey: Use a lean ground turkey for a healthier version.
- Taco seasoning: You can get a store-bought package or make your own at home (preferably without added sugar).
- Rice or quinoa: Brown rice, white rice, or quinoa all taste great with this.
- Salsa: We recommend mild or medium salsa.
- Sweet corn: Have it from a can or fresh off the cob.
- Black beans: They add authentic Mexican flavor and a nice tender texture.
- Cilantro: Grab fresh cilantro from the produce section of the grocery store, the farmers market, or your own garden. Be sure to save some for garnishing!
- Cheddar cheese: Cheddar or taco cheese is optional to top, but we think it's the best part!
- Avocado: Optional to top with.
How to make taco stuffed peppers
The full printable recipe is below, but let’s walk through the steps with some photos and a video so you have a clear idea of what to expect. This taco stuffed peppers recipe is really easy and these step-by-step instructions will make sure they turn out every time.
- The first step in making stuffed peppers is getting the filling ready. Start by cooking the rice or quinoa according to the package instructions and browning the turkey meat over medium-high heat. Once the meat is browned, add the cooked rice/quinoa, black beans, corn, salsa, and taco seasoning to your turkey mixture.
- Next, fill the peppers with the pan of taco ingredients, top with cheese, and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. Top with avocado and cilantro before serving!
Pro tip: Learn how to cut a bell pepper to make this recipe and our favorite air fryer stuffed peppers.
What to serve with taco stuffed peppers
You can make this recipe as a stand-alone (no sides necessary!) because it's got everything you want out of dinner all in one meal. However, if you do want some sides to stand up against this taco stuffed bell peppers I have a few ideas for you.
- Have them next to a crunchy salad with healthy ranch for a complete meal.
- Serve extra black beans or refried beans on the side.
- Make this healthy guacamole with tortilla chips or broken-up taco shells to have as an appetizer.
- If you like extra pepper or extra veggies, one of our favorite simple pepper recipes are these garlic-roasted mini peppers. Just grab a sharp knife and a baking sheet!
Recipe FAQs
Should I blanch peppers before serving?
Blanching veggies is the process in which the veggie is cooked/steamed and then placed in an ice bath to stop the cooking process immediately. Because we aren't cooking these taco turkey stuffed peppers prior to stuffing and baking there's no need to blanch them.
Why are my stuffed peppers soggy?
Soggy stuffed peppers can be caused by several factors like overcooking, undercooking, excess moisture in the filling, peppers that have walls that are too thin.
How do you cook peppers and keep them crispy?
For the purposes of this recipe, you should opt for pepper varieties with thicker walls, such as bell peppers, as they tend to hold their shape and crispiness better during cooking. Wash the peppers thoroughly, remove the tops and seeds, cook them at a high temperature, avoid overcrowding them on the baking sheet, and serve them immediately after cooking to preserve their texture and crispiness.
Recipe Variations
Get creative with your taco filling: You don't have to stick to ground turkey. Ground chicken and lean ground beef are other great alternatives.
Make your seasoning at home: Our carnitas seasoning is great for any meat of your choice and has plenty of authentic Mexican flavor. Quickly mix together some chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper to add to your taco ground meat mixture.
Change up the toppings: Top with sour cream, extra salsa, white or red onion, fresh squeezed lime juice, or red pepper flakes.
Make Ahead, Freeze, and Store
Stuffed peppers are a great recipe to meal prep. You can make them for a friend who's having a baby or prep them for yourself (like me!). Here's how to store and reheat stuffed peppers:
- How to freeze: follow the steps in this recipe up until baking everything. Don't top with cheese and instead of baking, store in a ziplock back or airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Keep frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, top with cheese and follow baking instructions.
- To heat from frozen: put the peppers straight from the freezer into the oven at 350°F until thawed and cooked through, 30-40 minutes.
- To heat from refrigerated: If you just keep them in the fridge to store, you can put them back in the oven for 10-20 minutes or zap them in the microwave for a few minutes.
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More Easy Recipes for Taco Night
Forget Taco Tuesday. We have a whole library of popular recipes for any night of the week you're craving Mexican!
These shredded beef enchiladas are wrapped in a corn tortilla, stuffed with tender beef, and covered in cheese and a gluten-free enchilada sauce. Look for the instant pot variation in the recipe notes if you want a faster cooking time. Or give these instant pot chicken enchiladas a try.
The next time you're looking for a healthy Mexican-inspred meal that can be ready in 30-35 minutes, try this one-pot healthy taco pasta. The whole family will love it!
If you're following a gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, or whole 30 dietthese taco stuffed sweet potatoes are for you.
Learn how to make epic chorizo tacos at home with authentic toppings like cilantro and onion. They're full of smoky, spicy flavor and simple to make, with minimal ingredients.
If soup is more your thing, this healthy slow cooker chicken tortilla soup is a must-try.
Turkey Taco Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 4 bell peppers with the tops cut off and de-seeded through the stem
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 packet store bought taco seasoning (preferably without added sugar)
- ½ cup uncooked rice or quinoa
- 1 cup mild or medium salsa
- 1-15 oz can sweet corn
- 1-15 oz can black beans
- 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro plus more for garnish
- 4 oz shredded cheddar or taco cheese optional
- Avocado and cilantro to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x9 inch baking dish with non-stick spray. Place the de-seeded peppers in the pan with the openings face up. Set aside.
- Cook the rice or quinoa on the stove according to the package directions.
- While the rice or quinoa are cooking, add the ground turkey to a large skillet and brown for 5-6 minutes until fully cooked. Add in the taco seasoning and water based on package directions and stir to combine. Next, add the cooked rice or quinoa, salsa, corn and black beans, stirring well to incorporate.
- Scoop the mixture evenly into the bell peppers in the pan and top with shredded cheese if using it. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until golden and bubbling.
Kate says
Do you drain the canned black beans and corn?