Turkey Stuffed Poblano Peppers

This Turkey Stuffed Poblano Peppers recipe makes a great healthy dinner! It's made with ground turkey, rice, and full of Southwest flavors.

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 really good as they bake. A good comfort food should make you really hungry as it cooks.

This version is healthy AND gluten free. These peppers are stuffed with ground turkey, Southwest spices, lots of veggies, and topped with cheddar cheese.

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

We've had some issues with a particularly ravenous woodchuck this summer but so far all of our pepper plants are untouched (poblanos included). This means that these Stuffed Poblano Peppers are sure to be a regular on our menu!

Jump to:

• How To Make Stuffed Poblano Peppers
• Do I Need To Cook The Ground Turkey First?
• Prepare The Stuffed Pepper Filling
• How Long Should I Bake Stuffed Poblano Peppers?
• How Can I Tell When Stuffed Peppers Are Done Cooking?
• Are Poblano Peppers Hot?
• What To Serve With Turkey Stuffed Poblano Peppers
• Can Stuffed Poblano Peppers Be Frozen?
• Turkey Stuffed Poblano Peppers

How To Make Stuffed Poblano Peppers

I'm not going to lie, these stuffed poblano peppers require some chopping. Most of the work is on the front end.

Once these things are in the oven, though, you can just chill and watch some Netflix while you patiently (or, not so patiently) wait for them to bake.

How To Prepare The Filling

1. Start with the rice - You want roughly 1 cup of cooked rice. Add ½ cup dry long grain white rice to a small sauce pan along with 1 cup water. Bring the rice to a boil, cover, and then bring to a low simmer for 12-15 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, remove from heat, and set aside when finished. You can also use a rice cooker to prepare the rice. Alternately, you can use any leftover rice that you have on hand.
2. As the rice cooks, it's time to chop! Mince 6 cloves of garlic, 1 onion, 1 bell pepper (any color), 1-2 banana peppers (optional), 2 cups fresh spinach (or any hearty greens such as kale or Swiss chard), and 1 cup of cilantro.
3. Gather 4-5 poblano peppers and chop them in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and membranes. You can also use bell peppers instead of poblano peppers with this recipe if you prefer.

Do I Need To Cook The Ground Turkey First?

Now that the chopping is finished, it's time to cook the filling.

It's important to cook the ground turkey before adding it to the poblano peppers.

This will help the flavors develop, provide a better texture, and ensure that it cooks through and is safe to consume.

1. Heat a large skillet to medium-high and add 2 Tbsp. of olive oil.
2. Once the oil is heated, add the minced garlic, onions, and peppers to the skillet. Sauté for 8-10 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add 1 lb. of ground turkey (you can also use ground chicken) to the pan and cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring often.
4. As the turkey cooks, add the following spices: 2 tsp. smoked paprika, 2 tsp. Italian seasoning, and 1 tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper.
5. Add the 2 cups of chopped spinach (or hearty greens of choice) and cook for another 2 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted.

Love ground turkey? Don't miss these recipes!

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

Prepare The Stuffed Pepper Filling

At this point the cooked rice is added to the turkey mixture along with 1 cup of chopped cilantro.

1. Add the cooked rice to the skillet, along with 1 cup of chopped fresh cilantro.
2. Stir until the mixture is completely combined.
3. Adjust seasonings as needed.

How Long Should I Bake Stuffed Poblano Peppers?

Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

I find that it's easiest to bake these stuffed poblano peppers in a 9x13 inch cake pan or some type of casserole dish. And because I love stuffed peppers in some type of sauce I bake these along with some crushed tomatoes.

1. Pour 2 cups of crushed tomatoes into the bottom of a casserole dish.
2. Now, it's time to stuff the poblanos. Arrange the halved peppers snugly in the baking pan. Spoon a generous (and I mean generous - It's OK if the mixture spills over the peppers) portion of the turkey rice mixture into each pepper. Continue until all of the filling is used up.
3. Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

How Can I Tell When Stuffed Peppers Are Done Cooking?

1. As the peppers are baking (and making you hungry with their amazing scent) shred 1 cup of cheddar cheese (or cheese of choice). You can use any type of cheese that you like with this recipe - As long as it melts, it's fair game.
2. After 45 minutes, take the pan out of the oven, remove the foil, and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes. The cheese should get nice and melt-y.

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.

Love Southwest flavors? Don't miss these recipes!

• Southwest Ground Beef Chili
• Quinoa Enchilada Casserole
• Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Chicken Panini with Chipotle Mayo
• Slow Cooker Barbacoa Tacos

Are Poblano Peppers Hot?

One of the reasons I enjoy poblano peppers so much is their unbeatable flavor. They are not hot or spicy but rather smoky in flavor.

The poblano is spicier than a bell pepper but I would not describe it as 'spicy' (and I'm from Minnesota - The land where black pepper is considered spicy).

What To Serve With Turkey Stuffed Poblano Peppers

These peppers are great on their own and this is a hearty dish. With filling meals like this I always think a salad makes a nice side dish or it can be topped with some fresh Pico de Gallo, avocado, guacamole, or salsa.

I love to top the whole thing off with some extra chopped cilantro.

Turkey Stuffed Poblano Peppers are great with a side dish like this cilantro lime kohlrabi slaw, black bean corn salad, and chipotle coleslaw.

Can Stuffed Poblano Peppers Be Frozen?

Turkey Stuffed Poblano Peppers actually make a great freezer meal!

How To Freeze

1. Prepare the recipe as written (leaving off the cheese and without the tomato sauce).
2. Allow the peppers to cool completely when finished cooking, cover, and place in the freezer (it's best to use a freezer-safe casserole dish for this).

How To Reheat

1. Remove the cover from the pan and bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven.
2. Add the tomato sauce to the bottom of the pan and the shredded cheese and cook for 25-30 minutes or until the peppers are thoroughly heated through.

These stuffed peppers are total healthy comfort food. I look forward to poblano pepper season ALL year long!

Love poblanos? Check out these Grilled Southwest Poblano Burgers 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!

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

Chicken Parm Stuffed Peppers

Campfire Dutch Oven Italian Stuffed Peppers

Best Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers