Healthy Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa and Tomato

Veggies stuffed with other veggies smothered with cheese. Sign me up! Bell peppers obviously beg to be stuffed, since they form a little bowl once hollowed out.

These quinoa stuffed bell peppers are filled with lean ground turkey or beef, quinoa, Roma tomatoes, spinach, garlic and herbs, then baked until tender and topped with melted cheddar. The recipe serves 4.

The Best Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers (With Ground Turkey)

Since my stuffed zucchini recipe, I intently assess every vegetable with hopes of eventually stuffing it.

My husband is not exaaaaactly a quinoa enthusiast. Shame. However, I always get a little burst of excitement when he doesn’t like something. It’s like an intense game of chess where I move one ingredient here and another there and before you know it, checkmate! He’s falling in love with something he previously hated, like these sneaky quinoa scrumptious stuffed peppers.

Why did I use a chess analogy? I’m seriously horrible, and he always beats me. I’m way too competitive to admit my subpar chess abilities to him, so let’s just keep this between you and me.

For my fellow quinoa admirers, do not pass go, do not collect $200, and go directly to my balsamic quinoa salad! Now that it’s finally warming up (I kid you not, we had a foot of snow dumped two weeks ago), you’ll want to whip up that recipe the first time you fire up the grill for the season.

Depending on how large your peppers are and how much you stuff them, you may need to adjust the baking time. You only need to bake long enough for the ground beef or turkey to cook through. And the cheese, of course, is optional. It’s obviously more healthy cheese-less too.

Okay, chess? Monopoly? I’m getting way off track. Peppers, Kami. Talk about the amazingly delicious stuffed bell peppers!

Why You’ll Love These Stuffed Peppers

• A sneaky dose of quinoa. It blends right into the meat filling, so even quinoa skeptics clean their plates.
• Loaded with vegetables. Tomatoes, spinach, onion and an optional jalapeno go into every pepper.
• Cheese is optional. The peppers are plenty tasty on their own, and lighter without it.
• Easy cleanup. Everything bakes on one sheet pan.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

• Quinoa: Adds protein and a light, fluffy texture that stretches the meat. Rinse it well through a fine strainer before cooking to wash off its natural bitter coating. White quinoa is the mildest, which makes it the easiest to sneak past picky eaters.
• Extra virgin olive oil: Just a teaspoon to soften the garlic and onion.
• Garlic and onion: A sweet or red onion and plenty of minced garlic give the filling its savory base. Cooking them first takes away the raw bite and makes them sweet and mellow, so the filling tastes rounded instead of sharp.
• Lean ground turkey or ground beef: Use whichever you like. Thaw it completely before mixing so the filling cooks evenly inside the peppers.
• Roma tomatoes: Diced with their seeds, they keep the filling juicy as it bakes. Romas are meaty and less watery than other tomatoes.
• Fresh spinach: A large handful wilts right into the filling and adds color without changing the flavor.
• Jalapeno (optional): Seeded and finely chopped for a little heat. Leave the seeds out unless you like it spicy.
• Dried oregano, basil and parsley: A classic Italian herb trio that flavors the meat and tomatoes.
• Salt and black pepper: Season the filling well, since it is the main source of flavor in each pepper.
• Bell peppers: Green or red, cut in half lengthwise with the stems and seeds removed. Look for wide, flat bottomed peppers so the halves sit level on the pan. Red peppers are sweeter and green ones are a bit more grassy and bold.
• Shredded cheddar cheese (optional): Sprinkled on in the last 5 minutes so it melts without burning.

How to Make Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

1. Cook the quinoa. Rinse the quinoa well. Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small pot, add the quinoa, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until tender and the little tails appear.
2. Heat the oven. Preheat to 375°F while the quinoa cooks so everything is ready at the same time.
3. Soften the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion is slightly translucent and fragrant. Remove from the heat.
4. Mix the filling. In a large bowl, combine the onion mixture, ground turkey or beef, tomatoes, spinach, jalapeno, oregano, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Add the cooked quinoa and mix again until well blended. Clean hands are the easiest tool here, and the filling should look evenly speckled with tomato, spinach and quinoa.
5. Stuff the peppers. Lightly spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray and set the pepper halves on it, hollow side up. Scoop about 1/2 cup of filling into each one, adding more as needed. Mound it slightly, since the filling shrinks a little as the meat cooks.
6. Bake. Bake at 375°F for 35 to 45 minutes, until the meat is completely cooked: 165°F for turkey or 160°F for beef in the center of the filling.
7. Add the cheese. With 5 minutes left, sprinkle on the cheese and bake until melted. Serve!

Ways to Customize Stuffed Peppers

• Softer peppers: Blanch the pepper halves before stuffing and baking. I like mine more crunchy, so I usually skip it.
• Swap the meat: Use lean ground turkey or ground beef.
• Skip the cheese: They are plenty tasty without it.
• Change the heat: Add the jalapeno for a kick, or leave it out for kids.

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers FAQs

• How do I make the peppers softer? Blanch them before stuffing and baking. Dip the halves in boiling water for a couple of minutes, drain and then fill.
• How long do I bake stuffed peppers? 35 to 45 minutes at 375°F. Large or very full peppers may need longer. Bake until the filling reaches 165°F for turkey or 160°F for beef.
• Do I cook the meat first? No. The raw meat is mixed into the filling and cooks inside the peppers, so check the temperature before serving.
• Can I make them ahead? Yes. Cook the quinoa ahead and refrigerate it. Mix and stuff the peppers right before baking.
• How do I store leftovers? Refrigerate within 2 hours and enjoy within 3 to 4 days. Reheat until steaming hot, or 165°F.
• Can I use other colors of peppers? Yes. Green, red, yellow or orange all work. Red, yellow and orange are sweeter.
• Can I freeze stuffed peppers? Yes. Freeze baked, cooled peppers in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat until hot in the center.
• What should I serve with them? They are a full meal with protein, grains and vegetables, but a green salad or the balsamic quinoa salad is a great side.
• Is the cheese required? No. It is optional, and the peppers are lighter without it.

Kitchen Tools for This Recipe

Quinoa and Tomato Stuffed Bell Peppers

Quinoa and tomato stuffed bell peppers filled with lean ground turkey or beef, spinach, garlic and Italian herbs, baked at 375°F and finished with optional melted cheddar. A hearty, veggie packed dinner for 4.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  

• 1/4 cup quinoa
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbs minced garlic
• 1 small sweet or red onion diced
• 1 lb lean ground turkey or ground beef thawed
• 2 Roma tomatoes washed and diced with seeds
• 1 large handful of fresh spinach
• 1 jalapeno seeded and finely chopped (optional)
• 1 Tbs dried oregano
• 1 Tbs dried basil
• 1 Tbs dried parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 4 green or red bells peppers stem and seeds removed and cut lengthwise in half
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese optional

Instructions

 

• Rinse quinoa well through a fine strainer. In a small pot, bring 1/2 cup water to boil and add quinoa. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until tender.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375.
• In a medium-sized skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and heat for 2 minutes. Add garlic and onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until onion slightly translucent. Remove from heat.
• In large bowl, add onion mixture, thawed ground beef/turkey, tomatoes, spinach, jalapeno, oregano, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
• Once quinoa is cooked, transfer to meat mixture and mix well again until well blended.
• On a large baking sheet, spray lightly with cooking spray. Line the bell peppers with hollowed middles facing up. Scoop about 1/2 cup of meat mixture into each bell peppers center. Add more as needed.
• Bake at 375 for 35 to 45 minutes or until ground beef/turkey is completely cooked. With 5 minutes remaining in cooking time, sprinkle with cheese and serve!

Made these stuffed peppers? Leave a star rating in the recipe card and tell me if your family noticed the quinoa in the comments below. Your feedback helps other cooks.

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