These Southwestern Turkey Quinoa Stuffed Peppers are filled with loads of protein and bold flavors that’ll leave you feeling satisfied and hungry for more at the same time! Plus, they’re only 262 calories per serving!
In need of more easy recipes? My Thai Steak Salad with Spicy Peanut Sauce is perfect for you!
Southwestern Turkey Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Do you have any recipes that will always stick with you? You know the ones that were “staples” growing up in your house ?
I can definitely remember a few, although for me it is more based around seasons or holidays.
Are you ready for this? I’m gonna go through a few different dates and tell you what our staple was and I want you to tell me what yours was!
Christmas – We always had Prime Rib or Honey Glazed Ham.
Summer – BBQ Ribs made on a charcoal grill and Beer Brats.
Thanksgiving – Ok, this is an easy one.. we had Turkey but we also always had Sweet Potato Pie. One year we even made 17 sweet potato pies to take to the homeless shelter!
Fall – Stuffed Peppers and Chicken Goulash!
My moms Chicken Goulash was my favorite growing up. She made it with loads of caramelized onions, and by loads I mean like 4-5, sauteed chicken chunks, lots of paprika, then added sour cream and chicken broth to make it creamy and saucey. We ate it on top of egg noodles. I use to love when she made that dish, hands down one of my favorites! The stuffed peppers however I was not a fan of, sorry mom! It was like a big chunk of meatloaf stuffed inside a green bell pepper. GREEN! Yuck!
Over the years I have been on a mission to update that Stuffed Pepper recipe and I think I nailed it with these Southwestern Turkey Quinoa Stuffed Peppers.
One of my biggest pet peaves about stuffed peppers is I think people tend to overcook them and they end up turning into a big pepper mush. I like my peppers with a little texture, softened but still with a nice bite to it. I hate cutting into a stuffed pepper and the skin is falling off, gross!!
Tips for Making Perfect Stuffed Peppers
SO… heads up, if you like mushy peppers (or more of roasted pepper feel) then you might want to bake these for a little longer, maybe 10-15 more. But I beg you to try it my way first, I think you’ll like it!
These Stuffed Peppers are filled with black beans, corn, ground turkey, quinoa, fire roasted tomatoes, fresh cilantro, smoked paprika for a slight smokey flavor, and chipotle peppers for a little heat. Top them with melted Colby Jack Cheese and avocado, cuz lets be honest … everything is better with cheese and avocado!
One of my favorite parts of cooking these is when the onions are just tender and you need to add the garlic and chipotle peppers to the pan. {sniff} AHHH!! I could probably stand over the stove and smell that all day! LOVE IT!
These Southwestern Turkey Quinoa Stuffed Peppers are packed with a punch of tex-mex flavors and are super easy to make. If you wanted to, you could even make the filling over the weekend to make your prep time go even faster on the night you end up making these!
Not only do I KNOW you are going to enjoy the taste of these stuffed peppers but you are going to love the calorie count… 262 calories a serving!!!!
You’re welcome .. now go indulge! Bon Appetite!
Southwestern Turkey Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 7 peppers 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Spanish
Description
These Southwestern Turkey Quinoa Stuffed Peppers are filled with loads of protein and bold flavors that’ll leave you feeling satisfied and hungry for more at the same time! Plus, they’re only 262 calories per serving!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 red onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 large chipotle pepper, minced (from can of chipotle peppers in adobe sauce)
- 1 lb. ground lean turkey
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 15 oz. Muir Glen diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 3/4 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 3/4 cup frozen corn
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, diced
- 1/2 cup dried quinoa
- 7 large bell peppers, tops cut off and seeds removed (assorted colors)
- 3/4 cup shredded colby jack cheese
- optional garnish: sliced green onions, diced cilantro, sliced avocado
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- In a small saucepan add 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and add quinoa. Cover. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for 10-13 minutes until water is evaporated. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
- Heat a large saute pan to medium high heat. Add olive oil and diced onions.
- Saute onions until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add garlic and chipotle peppers to onion mixture, saute for 1 minute.
- Add in ground turkey, cook until no longer pink. Approximately 5-7 minutes.
- Next, add in smoked paprika, cumin, salt, ground pepper, fire roasted tomatoes, black beans, corn, and fresh cilantro. Cook until liquid is evaporated, about 4-5 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
- Add turkey mixture to a bowl with quinoa and toss to mix.
- Place peppers in a 13×9 baking dish open side up. Stuff with turkey quinoa mixture.
- Bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove from oven and top each pepper with 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese. Place back in oven and cook until cheese is melted, another minute.
- Serve! Top with fresh cilantro, green onions, and avocado.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pepper
- Calories: 262
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 438 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 23 g
- Cholesterol: 44 mg
Filed Under:
IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, BE SURE TO SNAP A PIC AND HASHTAG IT #JOYFULHEALTHYEATS. I LOVE SEEING WHAT YOU MAKE!
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16 comments on “Southwestern Turkey Quinoa Stuffed Peppers”
I loved this recipe. It’s delicious and not heavy on the the palate. Using lean turkey meat is also better than beef or pork.
thanks so much Jane! So glad to hear you liked it!
I love hearing what other make on different holidays. We always have gumbo on Christmas (at EVERYONE’s house). These peppers look perfect for any day too!
ohhh that sounds so good… and now I want gumbo!
Oh my goodness, this looks delicious! What a perfect meal for the fall!
Thanks so much Michelle!
Krista, these peppers are absolutely gorgeous! Love the stuffing – can’t wait to try them! Pinned!
Thanks so much Melanie! I appreciate it!
I was just telling Dustin that I was craving a dish that my Mom would make all the time growing up…a simple oven chicken parmesan! I really hope our kids are able to pick out stand out dishes rather than new dishes all the time…dang food blogger problems!
haha.. I know! We rarely have something more than once now! But every once in a while I just can’t take it anymore and want to have a family favorite! 🙂
I think our kids will be able to pick out the staples… at least I hope they will. 🙂
I don’t think I’ve ever had stuffed peppers, but your photos just made me want to make them soon! Love the southwest flavours in this, they look amazing!
WHAT!!!??? I thought everyone has had stuffed peppers! Girl, you need to try this asap! You will love it!
Green peppers get no love 🙁 Haha, I understand though, I like them in sauces and such, but when it comes to stuffed peppers, any other colour is preferred! These look beautiful and I love the southwestern twist!
haha… right! I can handle them in sauces but not the “star” of a dish.
Christmas: Noodle Kugel
Summer: Watermelon
Thanksgiving: Pineapple Souffle
Fall: Apple Dutch Babies
I have not tried Quinoa yet. I am a texture gal so it scares me that it will be like couscous or rice pudding. But so many people love it I guess I should just bite the bullet and try it!!!
Pineapple Souffle!!!! That sounds amazing! Is it on the blog? If so I’m heading over asap!
As it relates to quinoa, definitely give it a try. You might love it. I was not feeling brussels sprouts for the longest time, then finally tried them and now I love them!