Keto Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers

By Rena Awada | Updated On December 1, 2021

These Keto stuffed peppers are made with ground turkey, cheesy, loaded with flavor, and super easy to make. They are great for those following a low-carb diet and can be served as a weeknight meal for the entire family to enjoy.

top view roasted stuffed  bell peppers


This stuffed bell pepper recipe is protein-rich and very flavorful. A finger-licking meal made with ground turkey, cauliflower rice, cheese, and loads of other delicious ingredients to make this a perfectly delicious meal that the whole family will love. Make this keto ground turkey stuffed bell peppers any day of the week and use them for your meal prepping too! It is easily customizable with whatever protein or veggie you decide to use to make it just the way you like. If you aren’t following a low-carb diet, you may switch out the cauliflower rice with cooked quinoa or brown rice. It is so good, this keto stuffed pepper recipe will become a family favorite.

Why you will love these keto stuffed peppers

  • Healthy and low in carbs: Ingredients used to make these stuffed peppers are clean and healthy, plus they are low in carbs and keto-friendly.
  • So easy and simple: Making these stuffed pepper is easy and simple to put together. Once the filling is made, stuf the peppers, top with cheese, and pop in the oven.
  • Super flavorful: The flavors of these ground turkey keto stuffed peppers is so good you will clean out your plate and go for seconds/
side shot of stuffed belle peppers topped with melted cheese

Ingredients you will need for these stuffed bell pepper

Below is a list of ingredients that you will need to make these easy turkey stuffed peppers and what you can use for substitutes. Full measurements are listed further down below.

  • bell peppers
  • seasonings: salt & pepper, smoked paprika – you may use your favorite seasonings
  • oil: we used olive oil, but any other oil will work
  • sweet onion: any onion you have on hand works
  • carrots: use fresh carrots or any other veggies of choice
  • garlic cloves: fresh garlic works best, but if you must improvise, use 1 tbsp of garlic powder
  • ground turkey: use 99% lean ground turkey. If you don’t like turkey, you may use ground beef
  • cauliflower rice: make your own riced fresh cauliflower from scratch. To save time, you may used frozen cauliflower rice packs
  • pitted black olives: optional ingredient if you don’t have any don’t worry.
  • marinara sauce: if you have homemade even better
  • mozzarella cheese: we prefer you use mozzarella cheese or any other white cheese like provolone
  • fresh cilantro: this ingredient is used to garnish the final product, you may skip it or use fresh parsley.
ingredients to make stuffed peppers

How to make these keto stuffed peppers

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a medium sheet pan with parchment paper. 

Slice the peppers on half lengthways through the stem and remove the seeds. Lay the pepper halves on the prepared pan, cut side up. Season with salt, pepper, and drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil. Rub with your clean hands to season the peppers all over.

bell peppers sliced in half

Roast in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small food processor or a chopper place the onion, carrot, and garlic. Pulse a few times to chop the veggies into small pieces.

Preheat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a medium pan. Add the chopped veggies and sautee for 3-4 minutes over medium heat.

Stir in the ground turkey, smoked paprika, and cook until the meat is no longer pink around 5-6 minutes. 

bell peppers stuffed with the turkey filling before adding cheese and baking

Add the cauliflower rice, olives, crushed tomatoes and stir well to combine. Cook for 5 minutes, then season to your taste.

Fill the pepper slices with the turkey mixture and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Garnish with minced cilantro and serve while hot.

side shot of stuffed peppers

Frequently asked questions

Should peppers be cooked before stuffing?

Technically no. You do not need to cook the peppers before you stuff them. You will eventually be cooking the peppers by baking them or cooking them on your stovetop. But keep in mind that without cooking them a bit ahead, the peppers once baked will still tend to be a bit on the crisp side. If you prefer the peppers to be soft and less crunchy, we suggest you pre-cook before stuffing them.

Do you put raw meat in stuffed peppers?

Most do this and it is ok to do so. In fact, that is the classic way of making stuffed peppers. You do have to add cooked rice with it. We prefer to cook the meat and stuffing ahead and use cooked meat stuffing to stuff the bell peppers. This will cut down on cook time, and ensure that everything is cooked through.

Can stuffed bell peppers be frozen?

Stuffed peppers are perfectly ok to be frozen ahead of time. A great make-ahead meal. Stuff the peppers, top with cheese, and place them in a freezer-safe dish to prevent them from getting freezer burned. Freeze for up to 3 months.

top view baked peppers stuffed with cheesy turkey

More stuffed pepper recipes

Other simple dinner recipes you may like

side shot of roasted stuffed peppers

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top view baked peppers stuffed with cheesy turkey

Keto Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Simple and easy stuffed pepper with ground turkey, cauliflower rice, herbs, marinara sauce and topped with cheese, then baked to perfection.
5 from 10 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4
Calories: 435kcal
Author: Rena

Ingredients

  • 4 bell peppers
  • kosher salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil divided
  • 1 small sweet onion quartered
  • 1 large carrot cut into 1-inch slices
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 cup cauliflower rice fresh or frozen, and thawed
  • 1 cup pitted black olives roughly chopped
  • 15 oz marinara sauce one can
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
  • 1 tbsp minced cilantro

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F and line a medium sheet pan with parchment paper.
  • Slice the peppers on half lengthways through the stem and remove the seeds. Lay the pepper halves on the prepared pan, cut side up. Season with salt, pepper, and drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil. Rub with your clean hands to season the peppers all over.
  • Roast in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a small food processor or a chopper place the onion, carrot, and garlic. Pulse a few times to chop the veggies into small pieces.
  • Preheat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a medium pan. Add the chopped veggies and sautee for 3-4 minutes over medium heat.
  • Stir in the ground turkey, smoked paprika, and cook until the meat is no longer pink around 5-6 minutes.
  • Add the cauliflower rice, olives, crushed tomatoes and stir well to combine. Cook for 5 minutes, then season to your taste.
  • Fill the pepper slices with the turkey mixture and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
  • Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
  • Garnish with minced cilantro and serve while hot.

Notes

  • Serving size: one whole pepper or two halves 
  • Turkey: if you prefer using another protein you can, use ground beef or ground chicken 
  • Use any bell pepper of choice, color doesn’t matter.
  • You may use frozen carrots
  • Make your own cauliflower rice or get them frozen to save time.
  • Use either cheddar or mozzarella 
  • Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days 

Nutrition

Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 1934mg | Potassium: 1295mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 8413IU | Vitamin C: 184mg | Calcium: 223mg | Iron: 4mg
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. tonya says

    Ok so maybe I’m selling something wrong, but how is this considered keto with 18 net carbs per serving? I’m only on 20 net carbs a day. So I guess if this is all you eat in one day it would work. It’s a bummer because I really wanted to try this recipe but now willing to kick myself out of keto for it.

  2. Sara says

    5 stars
    This was such a delicious recipe! I have been doing the Keto diet for almost a month now along with intermittent fasting and this was such a treat for dinner. I originally questioned adding 1 TBSP smoked paprika but so glad I did. It made the dish so flavorful! This will be a great addition to my Keto recipe binder.

    Thank you for posting this recipe!

  3. Gabi says

    5 stars
    Today was my second time making this recipe. My husband and I love it. It’s so so good that you forget you’re eating keto.

    • Kerri says

      5 stars
      This recipe is exactly what I was looking for. Keto friendly and super delicious!
      I used ground turkey and fresh cauliflower that I chopped into small pieces. I decided to not cook the cauliflower all the way until done because I just love the taste of it and didn’t want to make it too mushy so I cooked it for about 3 minutes then removed from heat.
      I have to say this was the absolute best stuffed pepper I have ever eaten. If your “thinking” about making this recipe – don’t hesitate it really is that good.
      I’ll be looking for more of your recipes in the future – you are a talented cook! Thanks for sharing.

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