Southwest Turkey Stuffed Peppers

4.88 from 8 votes

These Southwest Turkey Stuffed Peppers are healthy and flavorful! They're made with ground turkey, black beans, cheese, and enchilada sauce.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: ground turkey stuffed peppers, enchilada stuffed peppers, healthy stuffed peppers

Servings:

Calories: 279kcal

Author: Christine Rooney

Ingredients

6 cloves garlic
1 small onion any color
1 jalapeno seeds and membranes removed
4 large bell peppers any color
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. ground turkey lean
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano or Italian seasoning
3 packed cups chopped kale or hearty greens of choice
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
2 cups gluten free red enchilada sauce or regular red enchilada sauce if not gluten free
1 cup Pepper Jack cheese or cheese of choice
1 lime cut into wedges
cilantro and avocado for garnish, optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mince 6 cloves of garlic and 1 small onion (any color).
Cut 1 jalapeno pepper in half and remove the seeds and membranes for less heat. Finely dice the jalapeno pepper.
Roughly chop 3 packed cups of kale (curly or lacinato kale). Feel free to use any hearty greens, such as spinach, Swiss chard or collards in place of the kale.
Drain and rinse 1 can of black beans to remove any excess salt (feel free to sub Pinto beans or beans of choice).
Cut 4 large bell peppers lengthwise into halves. Remove the stem, seeds, and membranes from each of the peppers and discard.
Place a large skillet on the stove top and heat to medium-high. Add 2 Tbsp. olive oil to the skillet. Once heated, add the minced garlic, onions, and jalapeno. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring often.
Add 1 lb. lean ground turkey to the skillet, along with 1 tsp. each kosher salt and pepper, 2 tsp. each smoked paprika and chili powder, and 1 tsp. each ground cumin and dried oregano (or Italian seasoning).
Sauté the ground turkey for 8-10 minutes on medium-high, breaking it apart with a spatula as it cooks.
Add the chopped kale (or hearty greens of choice) to the skillet and cook until the kale has wilted down slightly. Add the can of drained and rinsed black beans (or beans of choice) to the skillet and stir until combined.
Sauté all of the ingredients for another 1-2 minutes, stirring until completely combined. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
Pour 2 cups of gluten free red enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange the bell pepper halves on top of the sauce in the baking dish. Spoon a generous amount of the filling into each of the bell pepper halves. Continue until all the filling is used (it will likely spill over the peppers).
Cover the baking dish tightly with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes.
Grate 1-2 cups of Pepper Jack cheese (or cheese of choice). After 30 minutes, remove the tinfoil and sprinkle 1-2 cups of the shredded cheese (depending on how much cheese you like) over the top of the peppers.
Return the baking dish, uncovered, to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes.
If you find that the bell peppers are still too crunchy at the end of the cooking time, feel free to return them to the oven until they reach your desired level of softness.
To Serve: Serve stuffed peppers with a squeeze of lime juice. Garnish with fresh cilantro and sliced avocado (optional).

Notes

Ground chicken or beef may be used in place of ground turkey. Using a different ground meat may change the nutritional information.

If using ground beef, feel free to drain any excess grease before stuffing the peppers.

Nutrition