These tasty Southwestern Stuffed Peppers are sure to have a regular spot in your dinner rotation. The simple weeknight meal uses salsa, sweet corn, and a tasty spice blend to bring a taste of southwestern flavors to a classic dish.
Simple meals don’t have to lack in flavor. These southwestern stuffed peppers are the perfect example of an easy weeknight meal that brings all sorts of flavors to the plate.
This homey meal takes everything you love about a traditional stuffed pepper and upgrades the dish with southwestern flavors. The best part about this upgrade is none of the traditional and comforting flavors are lost along the way. Garlic and onions are cooked alongside ground turkey and seasoned with a spice mixture of cumin, garlic powder, and paprika. The turkey is then cooked with rice, sweet corn, and salsa before getting stuffed into bell peppers and finished off in the oven.
What’s great about this comforting dish is that it doesn’t feel heavy like other comfort foods. It’s light, refreshing from the salsa, and super filling with all the vegetables.
The next time you want a comforting meal that doesn’t leave you feeling overly full, go with these southwestern stuffed peppers. Even your pickiest eater will clear their plate!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Filling and Light. With everything stuffed into the pepper, you wouldn’t think that this meal is on the lighter side. However, it won’t leave you feeling overly full. The turkey adds a lightness to the dish that leaves you feeling full in a satisfied way.
- Easy To Prepare. This recipe will be simple to prepare regardless of your skill level in the kitchen. The hardest part will be waiting for the peppers to cook in the oven.
- Budget-Conscious. All of the ingredients for this recipe are light on the wallet. Simple ingredients like turkey, corn, and cheese transform into a hearty meal.
- Freezer-Friendly. Double the recipe and stick half of the peppers in the freezer. You’ll see below how to store the peppers to make them freezer-friendly.
How To Make Southwestern Stuffed Peppers
Don’t let all of the steps from the recipe scare you off. The recipe is fairly simple to make — it just requires some patience. You can find all of the instructions and details for the recipe listed at the end of this post.
Key Ingredients
- Ground Turkey. The ground turkey cooks in the pan before getting stuffed into the pepper, so it is nice and flavorful.
- White Rice. The addition of white rice helps soak up the flavor of the ground turkey and doesn’t leave the peppers with a runny liquid.
- Mozzarella Cheese. A mild cheese that provides an excellent flavor and topping to the dish.
- Sweet Corn. The sweetness of the corn adds a refreshing flavor that compliments the spice blend.
- Peppers. Red peppers will work as excellent vehicles for the filling. A quick roast in the oven before they are stuffed gives them a nice and delicate flavor.
- Toppings. Use sour cream or fresh cilantro to top off the stuffed pepper.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Slice & bake. Slice the red peppers in half and bake them for 20 minutes.
2. Sauté the aromatics. Cook the onion and garlic in a skillet for a few minutes.
3. Add the ground turkey. Add the ground turkey and cook until it browns.
4. Add the remaining ingredients. Add the remaining ingredients, stir, and cook for a few more minutes.
5. Stuff the peppers. Stuff the baked peppers with the mixture and bake for a while longer.
6. Serve. Serve with fresh cilantro and sour cream.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Go light on the toppings. Don’t overdo it when it comes to the toppings. Too much sour cream can overpower the beef mixture, making it into one big mushy meal.
- Customize the protein. If you’re not a fan of ground turkey or want to make this meal vegetarian, swap out the ground turkey for tofu, lentils, or black beans. The flavor and texture of the meal will still be the same. Plus, some additional fiber and protein will be added to the dish.
- Swap the rice. White rice will absorb all of the flavors of the ground turkey the best, but brown rice is another great option. It won’t absorb all the flavors as well, so you may need to adjust some of the seasoning.
Make-Ahead and Storage Recommendations
If you are short on time or simply like to meal plan in advance, these southwestern stuffed peppers are easy to make beforehand and freeze. Follow the recipe and let the peppers fully cool. When they are cool, wrap them individually or in a portion size of your liking in plastic wrap and store them in an airtight container. When ready to eat, unwrap the peppers and warm up in the microwave or oven at a low temperature.
If you have leftover peppers, they can be saved in the fridge for about 4-6 days. Store the peppers in an airtight container and warm up in the microwave or oven when ready to eat.
Try These Other Comfort Food With A Twist Recipes
- Roasted Tomato Soup – Ditch the can and learn how to make a creamy pot of homemade tomato soup that is bursting with flavor.
- Florentine Pizza with Leek – This isn’t your typical slice of pizza. Loads of flavors work together to create an unforgettable bite.
Southwestern Stuffed Peppers
Equipment
- 1 baking tray
- 1 non-stick skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 red onion chopped
- 1 tsp. cumin powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 lb. ground turkey
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup long white rice cooked
- 1/2 cup sweet corn
- 1 cup red salsa or crushed tomatoes
- 4 red bell peppers
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- While the oven is heating, slice the red peppers in half, vertically, and arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet cut side up. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast the peppers for 20 minutes.
- While the peppers are roasting, heat a non-stick skillet to medium and add the olive oil. Once it’s hot, add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, taking care not to let the garlic brown.
- Add the ground turkey and cook until it browns, stirring and breaking it up as it cooks. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the cumin, garlic, paprika, white rice, sweet corn, and salsa; mix well. Allow to cook for a couple of minutes until it comes together and then remove from heat.
- Remove the peppers from the oven and spoon the ground turkey mixture into the peppers, dividing it evenly. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes until the mozzarella becomes golden brown and bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve with fresh cilantro and sour cream.
Notes
- Although we didn’t add it when shooting this recipe, we’ve found that adding 1/2 cup of black beans adds a great southwestern flavor and increases the fiber and protein.
- Brown rice can be substituted for white rice, but in our testing, the brown rice didn’t absorb the flavors as well.
- In the photos, you can see I allowed the garlic to get a little too brown, which can make it bitter. When you make this, don’t let the garlic get brown and crispy!
Nutrition
Related Articles
Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Lentils, Kale and Sun Dried Tomatoes
Stuffed Acorn Squash with Brussels Sprouts, Feta Cheese and Cranberries
Stuffed Onions with Curried Black Quinoa
17 Stuffed Bell Pepper Recipes You Need to Try
What I’ve Been Reading + Lamb Stuffed Eggplant from Jerusalem: A Cookbook
Stuffed Pumpkin with Cheese, Sausage, and Pasta