Quinoa Stuffed Peppers are the healthy dinner recipe you’ve been looking for! This delicious recipe is going to win over even your picky eaters.
My kids absolutely love stuffed peppers. I love that it is a complete meal and that we have found so many great ways to spin it. You can find our full list of stuffed pepper spins at the bottom of the post.
This Quinoa Stuffed Pepper recipe is our latest twist, and I’m so happy with how they turned out. Not only are they just as delicious as the other recipes, they are a little healthier because they are made with turkey and quinoa.
How to Make Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
- Prepare the peppers. First cut off the tops of all six peppers. Then pull out the seeds and the ribbing. Next put them in a microwave safe bowl with a little oil and microwave them for 6 minutes. This will soften them for the recipe. (See more on this below.)
- Making the filling. Sauté the diced pepper tops with garlic and onion. Add in some ground turkey and cook it. Next add in the quinoa, tomato sauce, and some cheese.
- Fill the peppers. Then top the stuffed peppers with the remaining cheese and bake for 25 minutes.
Cooking Quinoa
These turkey quinoa stuffed peppers call for cooked quinoa. There are a few ways you can do this. However you make the quinoa, the most important thing is that you rinse it first.
- Stove top Quinoa: Place 1 cup rinsed quinoa in a small sauce pan. Add 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the water is fully absorbed and the quinoa is soft. Fluff it with a fork.
- Instant Pot Quinoa: Add 1 cup of rinsed quinoa and 2 cups of water to the instant pot. Close the lid and set the valve to sealing. Use the rice setting and cook for 12 minutes. At the end of the cook time, allow the pressure release valve to drop on it’s own. Open the top and fluff the quinoa with a fork.
Why do we soften the bell peppers?
The bell peppers in this recipe get softened in the microwave to cut down on their time in the oven. It is a way of making this a 40 minute meal instead of an hour and a half meal.
With that being said, you can just increase the baking time by about 30 minutes or you can figure out what level of crunchy peppers your family is okay with. As written, the peppers are very soft, which we love.
FAQ
Yes! You can make these up to the point of baking them and then put them in the refrigerator for 24 hours. When you are ready to bake them take them out of the refrigerator and pop them in the oven.
Yes! Make these but before you top them with mozzarella, put them in the freezer. Freeze in an airtight container for up to three months. When you are ready to bake them, bake them from frozen, uncovered for 20 minutes. Then top them with shredded cheese and bake for 25 more minutes at 20 degrees.
To reheat place these in a covered baking dish and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
Absolutely! You can use the same filling but follow the instructions in our Crockpot Stuffed Peppers.
We think this is a great healthy dinner. It is full of great nutrients, relatively low in carbs, calories, and fat, and a good source of lean protein. If you want to tweak these and make them a little healthier, you could take out some of the cheese. While it’s delicious, it’s not necessary to make them great.
Other Great Stuffed Pepper Recipes
- Italian Stuffed Peppers
- Crockpot Stuffed Peppers
- Taco Stuffed Peppers
- Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers
- Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers
- Stuffed Pepper Casserole
If you make these Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers or any of my other recipes, please let me know what you think by leaving a comment!
Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 6 bell peppers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound ground turkey 93% lean (read about substituting pork and beef here)
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut the tops off of the peppers, remove the ribs and seeds, and then dice the tops of the peppers.
- Place the hallowed out peppers in a large bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil. Cover with a plate and microwave for 7 to 10 minutes. Be very careful when you remove the plate as there will be a lot of steam.
- While the peppers cook, heat a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. Add the chopped bell pepper tops, diced onion, and garlic. Sauté until soft, about five to seven minutes.
- Add the ground turkey and break up as you cook it. Season with onion powder, parsley, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook until the meat is no longer pink.
- Stir in the cooked quinoa, pasta sauce, and one cup of the mozzarella cheese. Taste the mixture and add more salt and pepper to taste. Divide the mixture between the hollowed out bell peppers. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Serve immediately.
Priscilla Vasquez says
Just made it for the first time and looking forward to it! I like that it has Quinoa so my husband will enjoy the protein content!
I hope you both love it!