Description
Easy Mini Stuffed Peppers are a delicious and hearty meal featuring ground turkey, cooked rice, and fresh vegetables stuffed into sweet mini bell peppers, baked to perfection in a savory tomato-based sauce. This recipe combines simple ingredients and straightforward steps to create a comforting dish that’s perfect for a weeknight dinner or entertaining guests.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Sauce and Vegetables
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 small carrot, grated
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups chicken broth
For the Stuffed Peppers
- 2 pounds mini bell peppers
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 4 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
For Serving
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) to prepare for baking the stuffed peppers.
- Sauté Vegetables: In a heavy bottom braiser or oven-safe pan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion, grated carrot, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Sauté for 5 minutes until the vegetables are softened.
- Prepare the Sauce: Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes to combine flavors. Pour in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 more minutes to create a rich sauce.
- Prepare the Peppers: While the sauce simmers, cut off the stem end of each mini bell pepper and carefully scoop out the seeds with a small spoon, creating hollow vessels for stuffing.
- Make the Filling: In a mixing bowl, combine the ground turkey, cooked rice, chopped green onions, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and garlic powder. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Stuff the Peppers: Transfer the meat mixture into a ziplock bag and cut off one corner to create a piping bag effect. Pipe the filling evenly into each hollowed mini pepper.
- Assemble and Bake: Nestle the stuffed peppers into the simmering sauce in the braiser. Cover the pan with foil or a lid and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. Check for tenderness at 25 minutes; if peppers are larger, bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Serve: Spoon some of the sauce over the stuffed peppers and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and fresh chopped dill for a creamy, herbal finish.
Notes
- You can substitute ground turkey with ground chicken or beef if preferred.
- If mini bell peppers are not available, small sweet peppers can also be used, adjusting baking time accordingly.
- For a spicier kick, add a pinch of crushed red pepper or smoked paprika to the meat mixture.
- Leftover stuffed peppers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
- Sour cream adds creaminess and balances the tomato sauce, but Greek yogurt can be used as a healthier alternative.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Mini Stuffed Peppers, Ground Turkey Recipe, Baked Stuffed Peppers, Easy Dinner, Healthy Stuffed Peppers
