Looking for a colorful, fun dish to serve for a Fall meal? Try these easy to prepare Stuffed Peppers with Ground Turkey and Black Rice.
Black rice a.k.a. Forbidden rice is having a moment. A food that was once only allowed to pass through the lips and into the stomach of the Chinese emperor is now available to everyone. Thank goodness, because I love this rice! If you haven’t tried it, you must. There are a number of brands that sell black rice. I used the brand below in this recipe.
Note: This is not a sponsored product or post.
Black rice is a good source of fiber and rich in antioxidants. The mildly sweet, nutty flavor from the rice works well with a variety of ingredients. This recipe is a colorful and filling stand-alone main dish. Need a little more food? Serve a simple salad with these stuffed peppers and call it a night.
What You’ll Need:
- 6 large orange bell peppers
- 1 medium zucchini, diced small
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Italian parsley
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 cup cooked black rice
- 1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
How to Make Stuffed Peppers with Ground Turkey and Black Rice:
Begin by rinsing the peppers and drying them well. You'll want to cut the tops off and remove any seeds. Cut the pepper away from the stem and dice into small pieces. Discard the stem. Use a small knife to remove the seeds and veins from the pepper bottoms.
In a skillet, sauté the onions then add the ground turkey. Add the diced peppers, garlic, zucchini, red bell pepper, tomatoes, Italian parsley, salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes then add the rice and cheese. Make sure all of the ingredients are blended together well.
Stuff the bell peppers with the turkey, vegetable and rice mixture. Cover with foil and bake in the oven. Grate additional cheese onto peppers if desired, then serve immediately.
A Few Tips:
- When purchasing peppers look for ones that are rich and bright in color. The skin should be shiny with no bruises or soft spots.
- After purchasing, peppers can be placed in a plastic bag and stored refrigerated for up to a week.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 6 large orange bell peppers seeds and veins removed, tops reserved and diced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 medium zucchini diced small
- 1 red bell pepper seeded, veins removed and diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Italian parsley
- 1 cup cooked black rice
- 1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
-
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9 x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
-
Wash and dry bell peppers. Cut the tops off of peppers. Remove any seeds and stems from tops and discard. Dice tops of pepper and set aside.
-
Clean the inside of the peppers by removing any seeds and veins. Lightly sprinkle the inside of the peppers with salt and place them onto the baking pan. Set aside.
-
Heat a large skillet over medium heat then add olive oil.
-
Add onion to skillet and saute for 1 minute. Add ground turkey and cook for 3 minutes. Add zucchini, diced peppers, garlic, tomatoes, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook until turkey begins to brown and vegetables begin to soften. Add rice and cheese and cook for 1 minute.
-
Stuff bell peppers leaving space at the top. Do not overstuff. Cover peppers with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
-
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with additional grated cheese if desired. Serve immediately.
Let me know if you made this recipe. Snap a pic and post it to Instagram. Tag @lisamarietodd and hashtag #anappetizinglife.
Thank you for this healthy recipe!! I made it as is. I omitted the cheese but my husband had some in his. I would be interested in a bit more flavor. Maybe seasoning the meat before hand?Adding mango? Not sure. But this was a great healthy dinner option! I will be trying more of your recipes.