Simple Stuffed Peppers
The best stuffed bell peppers you’ll ever taste, these Italian stuffed bell peppers are quick, easy, and taste like lasagna in pepper form!
My gluten-free turkey lasagna is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. However, I don’t always have the time to layer and bake all the ingredients, and I don’t always want something quite so heavy.
That’s when I turn to this simple stuffed peppers recipe instead. I’ve been testing various stuffed pepper recipes for years, and this is by far the best. It’s seriously so delicious!
Made with a turkey, marinara, and cheese filling, it has all the rich, savory flavor of lasagna you love. However, everything is stuffed into peppers for a low-carb, gluten-free meal secretly full of nutrients.
Even better, everything comes together and cooks fairly quickly with just a baking dish and a skillet. That means you can be in and out of the kitchen in about an hour.
Prepare this recipe for everything from weeknight meals to the family to meal prep and even holiday parties. No matter what, it’s always a winner!
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Stuffed Bell Peppers Ingredients and Notes
- Bell peppers - Use large bell peppers to allow for easy stuffing. I like green bell peppers, but any color will work.
- Oil - I prefer the strong flavor of olive oil, but avocado oil works well, too.
- Aromatics - White onion and fresh garlic create a pungent, savory, subtly sweet base to flavor the meat.
- Ground turkey - I personally prefer white meat, but dark meat will work as well. Use anywhere from 85% - 95% fat-free. If preferred, lean ground beef or ground chicken will also work.
- Marinara sauce - Use any store-bought or homemade marinara you like best.
- Cheese - A combination of ricotta cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese adds lots of rich flavor and a gooey texture no one can resist.
How to Make Italian Stuffed Peppers
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Step One: Prepare. Preheat your oven. Then, wash and dry the bell peppers, and slice about ½ inch off the top. Carefully remove the seeds and membrane from the center of each pepper. Place the peppers upright in a baking dish.
Step Two: Sauté. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook the onion until it's soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic, and continue to cook until fragrant.
Step Three: Brown the meat. Next, add the ground turkey to the skillet, and cook, breaking it into smaller pieces, until no pink remains.
Step Four: Simmer. Stir the marinara sauce in with the meat mixture, and allow it to reach a simmer.
Step Five: Stuff the peppers. Use a spoon to scoop the mixture into each pepper, filling them about ⅓ of the way full. Then, spoon ricotta cheese on top, spreading it out in an even layer. Top the peppers with the rest of the turkey mixture followed by a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese.
Step Six: Bake. Transfer your Italian stuffed peppers to the oven, and bake until the cheese is melted and the peppers are soft.
Step Seven: Serve. Allow the peppers to cool and set slightly. Then, add a garnish of fresh parsley, and enjoy warm!
Expert Tips
- Look for bell peppers that are roughly the same size to allow for even cooking.
- I like to wedge the tops of the peppers in between each other to help them stand up straight, but you can also slice off a little of the bottoms if the peppers are falling over.
- If possible, buy a block of mozzarella, and grate it yourself. Pre-shredded varieties contain anti-caking agents that prevent them from melting as well.
- Feel free to prepare this recipe in advance, stuffing the peppers but omitting the top layer of cheese. Then, cover the baking dish, and store the peppers in the oven for up to one day. When you’re ready to bake, add the cheese, and bake as normal, adding a few minutes as needed.
- If the top of the peppers begins to brown too quickly, cover the baking dish with foil, and continue to bake until the peppers are tender. Then, remove the foil, and broil for a minute or two to create a golden top.
Storage
Once cool, you can transfer leftovers to an airtight container, and store them in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them in the microwave or covered in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until they’re heated through.
FAQs
You can easily serve this Italian stuffed peppers recipe on its own. Or, pair it with sides like rice, a side salad, or caramelized Brussels sprouts. Then, add a slice of crusty bread to help soak everything up!
Some recipes call for blanching or boiling peppers before stuffing, but I don’t find it necessary. They become plenty soft as they bake!
If you’re worried about your peppers becoming soggy, pat them dry with a paper towel before stuffing. Then, make sure to drain any excess liquid from the cheese, and avoid overbaking.
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Recipe
Italian Stuffed Peppers
Equipment
- 1 (9x13) Baking Dish
- 1 Large Skillet
Ingredients
- 6 bell peppers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ onion - diced - about 1 cup
- 2 garlic cloves - minced
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 15 oz ricotta cheese - part-skim or whole milk
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese
- Parsley - to garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F. Wash and dry the bell peppers and slice off the tops of each pepper (only about ½ inch off the top). Remove the seeds from each pepper.6 bell peppers
- Place the peppers upright in a 9 x 13 dish. I like to wedge the tops of the peppers in between each other to help them stand up straight but you can also slice off a little of the bottoms if the peppers are falling over.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat with olive oil and cook the white onion until soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant.1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ onion - diced, 2 garlic cloves - minced
- Brown the ground turkey in the skillet and break it up into smaller pieces until no pink remains.1 lb ground turkey
- Stir the marinara sauce into the turkey and allow it to reach a simmer.2 cups marinara sauce
- To assemble the stuffed peppers, use a spoon to fill up each bell pepper about ⅓ of the way full with the ground turkey mixture. Spoon about 3 tablespoon of ricotta into each bell pepper and spread it into an even layer on top of the turkey mixture. Fill up the rest of the bell peppers with the turkey mixture. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and bake the dish in the oven for 20 - 30 minutes until the cheese is melted on top and the peppers are soft.15 oz ricotta cheese - part-skim or whole milk, ½ cup mozzarella cheese
- Allow the stuffed peppers to set for at least 10 minutes before topping with chopped parsley and serving.Parsley
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