Turkey Stuffed Poblano Peppers

These Ground Turkey Stuffed Poblano Peppers are healthy and comforting! They're baked with rice, spinach, tomato sauce and topped with cheese.

These Turkey Rice Stuffed Peppers are my idea of comfort food. They are completely satisfying - savory, hearty, filling, and most importantly, they make your house smell amazing as they bake in the oven. A good comfort food should make you really hungry as it cooks.

One of my favorite peppers is the poblano pepper. I make sure to stick a couple of poblano plants in the garden every spring to ensure that we will be able to enjoy these stuffed poblano peppers every year during the late summer and autumn months.

Poblano peppers are a variety of Mexican chili peppers that have a great smoky flavor. They're mildly spicy and perfect for making stuffed peppers. Poblanos provide an earthy, smoky, and rich flavor to any dish.

This recipe is made by cutting the poblano peppers in half and stuffing them with a mixture of ground turkey, rice, and spinach that's flavored with sauteed garlic, onions, jalapeno peppers, and bell peppers. It's seasoned simply with smoked paprika and Italian seasoning and then baked in a casserole dish in the oven.

The poblano peppers are baked a casserole dish along with tomato sauce, which allows them to become tender and flavorful. The dish is finished with grated cheese, which melts in the oven and garnished with fresh cilantro.

Jump to:

• What Are Poblano Peppers?
• Do Peppers Need To Be Cooked Before Stuffing?
• Ingredients For Turkey Stuffed Poblano Peppers
• Does Ground Turkey Need To Be Cooked Before Stuffing Peppers?
• How To Make The Ground Turkey Filling
• How To Make Stuffed Poblano Peppers
• How To Tell When Stuffed Peppers Are Done Cooking
• What To Serve With Turkey Stuffed Peppers
• How Long Do Stuffed Peppers Last In The Fridge?
• Can They Be Frozen?
• Turkey Stuffed Poblano Peppers

What Are Poblano Peppers?

A poblano pepper is a variety of pepper that comes from the Puebla region of Mexico. They're dark green in color and have an oblong shape. Poblano peppers have a characteristically smoky, earthy, and slightly spicy flavor.

Poblano peppers are incredibly versatile and can be used in everything from soups to casseroles to dips. They're best when roasted or grilled, as this brings out their natural sweetness.

The dried version of a poblano pepper is the ancho pepper, which is often used to make mole and other Mexican sauces.

You can find poblano peppers in the produce section of most grocery stores. If you cannot locate poblano peppers, feel free to use Anaheim chili peppers. Alternately, you can use bell peppers in place of the poblano peppers when making this recipe.

Do Peppers Need To Be Cooked Before Stuffing?

Some recipes call for boiling, parboiling, or baking peppers before stuffing to help them soften during the cooking process.

It is not necessary to boil or par cook the peppers before stuffing them. These Turkey Stuffed Poblano Peppers are baked in tomato sauce, which helps to provide moisture and soften them during the cooking process, eliminating the need to par cook them first.

To ensure that the peppers soften during the cooking process, simply cover the casserole dish with tinfoil while baking. This helps to "steam" them and prevents them from drying out.

If you find that the peppers are too crunchy at the end of the cooking time, simply bake them for a few more minutes, or until they reach your desired tenderness.

Ingredients For Turkey Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Here's what you'll need to make them.

• 6 cloves Garlic
• 1 Onion (white or yellow)
• 1 Jalapeno Pepper (seeds and membranes removed for less heat)
• 1 Bell Pepper (any color)
• 2 cups Spinach (chopped) (or hearty greens of choice)
• ½ cup Fresh Cilantro (minced) (plus more for garnish)
• 1 lb. Ground Turkey
• ½ cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• ½ cup Long Grain White Rice
• 1 cup Water
• 2 tsp. Smoked Paprika
• 2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
• 1 tsp. Kosher Salt
• ½ tsp. Pepper
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 4-5 Poblano Peppers (or bell peppers)
• 2 cups Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 ½ cups Grated Cheese (such as Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, Fontina, or Cheddar)

Does Ground Turkey Need To Be Cooked Before Stuffing Peppers?

Yes, it's important to cook the ground turkey (or any ground meat) before stuffing the peppers. This will help to improve the texture and flavor of the filling and ensure that no bacteria is present in the meat before stuffing.

The ground turkey filling for these stuffed peppers is made by sauteing the meat in a skillet along with garlic and onions and jalapeno and bell peppers along with spinach, cooked rice, and smoked paprika and Italian seasoning.

Sauteing the ground turkey filling before stuffing the peppers helps to develop a deeper flavor and ensures that all of the elements are evenly cooked, which means that all of the components of the stuffed peppers finish cooking at the same time.

How To Make The Ground Turkey Filling

The filling is made by mincing the garlic and onions and jalapeno and bell peppers along with roughly chopping the spinach. The veggies are then sauteed in a skillet along with the ground turkey and spices.

The cooked rice is added to the ground turkey mixture after the turkey is fully cooked, so it's best to prepare it at the beginning of the process. The rice may be cooked on the stove top or in a rice cooker. Alternately, you can use leftover cooked rice.

1. The first step is to cook the rice. This recipe calls for ½ cup of long grain white rice, which yields 1 ½ cups or so of cooked rice. Prepare ½ cup of long grain white rice according to package instructions using a sauce pan on the stove top or a rice cooker.
2. Once the rice is finished, fluff the rice with a fork, remove from heat, and set aside. Alternately, you can use any leftover rice that you have on hand.
3. As the rice is cooking, mince 6 cloves of garlic, 1 onion (white or yellow are best), 1 jalapeno pepper (remove seeds and membranes for less heat), and dice 1 bell pepper (any color).
4. Roughly chop 2 cups fresh spinach (or any hearty greens such as kale or Swiss chard), and ½ cup of fresh cilantro.
5. Remove the top portion of 4-5 large poblano peppers and chop them in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and membranes. Dice the chopped top portions of the poblano peppers and add them to the diced bell peppers. Feel free to use bell peppers instead of poblano peppers if you prefer.
6. Place a large skillet on the stove top and heat to medium-high.
7. Add 2 Tbsp. of olive oil to the skillet.
8. Once the oil is heated, add the minced garlic, onions, jalapenos, and diced bell and poblano peppers to the skillet. Sauté for 8-10 minutes, stirring often.
9. Add 1 lb. of ground turkey (you can also use ground chicken) to the skillet and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often (the turkey should be cooked through at this point).
10. As the turkey cooks, add 1 tsp. of kosher salt, ½ tsp. of pepper, and 2 tsp. each of smoked paprika and Italian seasoning. Stir until incorporated.
11. Add the 2 cups of chopped spinach (or hearty greens of choice) and cook for another 2 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted.
12. Add the 1 ½ - 2 cups of cooked rice to the skillet along with ½ cup of minced cilantro and ½ cup of low sodium chicken broth to help keep the mixture moist. Stir until completely combined.

How To Make Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Once the filling is ready and the peppers are prepared, all that's needed is to arrange them into a 9x13 inch casserole dish along with some crushed tomatoes.

The tomatoes help to keep the peppers moist as they cook and provide the dish with a great tangy flavor that complements the other ingredients.

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Pour 2 cups of crushed tomatoes (or tomato sauce) into the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
3. Arrange the halved poblano (or bell) peppers snugly into the casserole dish on top of the crushed tomatoes.
4. Spoon a generous portion of the turkey rice mixture into each pepper (the mixture will likely overflow the peppers). Continue until all of the filling is used up.
5. Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Grate 1 ½ cups of any variety of cheese that melts nicely. Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, Cheddar, or Fontina are all great choices.
7. After 45 minutes, take the casserole dish out of the oven and remove the foil.
8. Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the peppers and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Remove the casserole dish from the oven.

How To Tell When Stuffed Peppers Are Done Cooking

The skin of poblano peppers is a bit tougher than that of bell peppers, so it takes a little longer to bake them than it does bell peppers.

Generally, these Ground Turkey Stuffed Poblano Peppers take 45 minutes covered with foil and 5 minutes uncovered at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

The peppers should be tender, but not mushy and easily pieced with a fork when they are done.

Feel free to cook the peppers for another 5-10 minutes if you prefer them softer.

What To Serve With Turkey Stuffed Peppers

These stuffed peppers are great on their own and make for a hearty dish. They're perfect garnished with some extra fresh cilantro for flavor and color.

You can also garnish this dish with some diced avocado, guacamole, Pico de Gallo, or salsa.

It's perfect served with a bright and healthy side salad or a crunchy coleslaw like this kohlrabi slaw or chipotle coleslaw.

Love ground turkey? Check out these recipes!

• Ground Turkey Spinach Pasta
• Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
• Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowls
• BBQ Turkey Meatballs
• Korean Turkey Rice Bowls
• Slow Cooker Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs
• Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs

How Long Do Stuffed Peppers Last In The Fridge?

These stuffed peppers last for 2-3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Make sure to cool the peppers completely before transferring to the refrigerator for storage.

They may be reheated in the oven or the microwave.

Can They Be Frozen?

Turkey Stuffed Poblano Peppers actually make a great freezer meal!

How To Freeze

1. Prepare the recipe as written, omitting the crushed tomatoes and cheese.
2. Once the peppers are baked, allow them to cool completely before freezing.
3. Make sure to store the peppers in a freezer-safe casserole dish and cover with plastic wrap or freezer wrap and a cover.
4. Label with the date and store up to three months in the freezer.

How To Reheat

1. Remove the peppers from the freezer and pour the crushed tomatoes in the bottom of the casserole dish.
2. Cover with tinfoil and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until heated through.
3. Remove the tinfoil, add the cheese, and bake until melted.
4. Garnish with fresh cilantro (optional).

Love poblano peppers? Check out these Grilled Southwest Poblano Burgers, Southwest Potato Corn Chowder, and Poblano Avocado Sauce!

Love stuffed peppers? Check out these recipes!

• Enchilada Stuffed Peppers
• Pizza Stuffed Peppers
• Greek Stuffed Peppers

Looking For More Stuffed Pepper Recipes? Don't Miss These!

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Italian Stuffed Peppers

Rice Stuffed Peppers