By Jess
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Stuffed peppers have never failed me. I have made them for my parents, even for my boyfriend’s parents. That’s how confident I am that this recipe will turn out well and be enjoyed by any guests I have over for dinner. One stuffed pepper usually measures out to be enough for one person, especially if you serve it with a salad or a side dish like roasted broccoli. Bell peppers stuffed with turkey and zucchini prove to be a filling and delicious dinner choice.
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The first step in preparing the peppers is to partially cook the peppers by boiling them for 5 minutes. Cut off the tops first (no one wants that part) and take out the seeds, then place in boiling water. After 5 minutes drain the peppers by placing them on a paper towel upside-down.
Zucchini adds some bulk to the filling, along with onion and ground turkey or beef. The onions and meat are cooked together first, and then the zucchini is added into the pan. I usually just use tomato paste to stir everything together, but you could also chop up some fresh tomatoes for the filling as well.
Finally you get to stuff the peppers with the meat mixture and bake them for 15 minutes. Hint- you could be roasting some broccoli at the same time for your side dish. As an added bonus, there is usually a little extra meat filling that doesn’t fit into the peppers. I find this is good for snacking on while the peppers are baking, or to save for leftovers. Once the peppers are done, simply top with fresh parsley and serve.
One of my resolutions this year is to have more dinner parties, and you can bet that stuffed peppers will be one of the dishes served. This recipe, which I have made time and again, is always near the top of my list when I am looking for a tasty and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
- 5 large bell peppers
- 1 tbsp virgin coconut oil
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 1 tsp dried organic oregano
- 1/2 tsp organic sea salt
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1 large zucchini, halved and diced
- 3 tbsp paleo-friendly tomato paste
- organic ground black pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, for serving
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a small baking dish with coconut oil spray. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut the stems and very top of the peppers off, removing the seeds. Place in boiling water for 4-5 minutes. Remove from the water and drain face-down on a paper towel.
- Heat the coconut oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add in the onion. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until the onion begins to soften. Stir in the ground turkey, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook until turkey is browned. Add the zucchini to the skillet as the turkey finishes cooking. Cook everything together until the zucchini is soft, and then drain any juices from the pan.
- Remove the pan from heat and stir in the tomato paste. Place the peppers upright in the baking dish and spoon the meat mixture into the center of each. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve warm sprinkled with chopped parsley.
Servings
Serving Size
1
Servings/Recipe
5
Time
Total Time
35 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
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More Good Paleo Stuffed Bell Pepper Recipes
1. Pulled Pork Poblano Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed peppers are a great way to use up any leftover pulled pork that you may have in your refrigerator or freezer. The paleo-friendly pork is stirred together with cilantro, red onion, and jalapenos for a spicy and flavorful stuffing. Poblano peppers make an excellent base for the entire dish. Serve with your choice of guacamole or salsa.
Ingredients
4 Poblano peppers
3 cups cooked pulled pork
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 small red onion, finely diced
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to broil. Wash the peppers and place on a baking sheet. Broil until all of the sides are blackened, turning to rotate. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Remove the stem, seeds, and blackened skin from the pepper. Cut down the center of the pepper to place the stuffing in.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix together the pulled pork, cilantro, onion, and jalapeno. Distribute the pork filling among the peppers. Fold the peppers around the filling and use toothpicks to secure closed. Place back on the baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove the toothpicks and serve warm.
2. Chorizo-Stuffed Bell Peppers
Miniature bell peppers can be stuffed with spicy chorizo for a flavorful, bite-sized appetizer or snack. The chorizo is cooked first with cauliflower rice before being added to the peppers and baked in the oven. Serve with a drizzle of lime to finish this unique and light dish.
Ingredients
6-8 mini bell peppers
4 oz. chorizo, casings removed
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/3 cup chicken stock
2 cups cauliflower rice
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a small baking dish with coconut oil spray. Cut the peppers in half, take off the stems and remove the seeds.
2. Heat one teaspoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chorizo the pan and use a spoon to break into smaller pieces. Cook for 3-4 minutes until browned. Remove to a plate, reserving any grease in the pan. Set the chorizo aside.
3. Add the onion to the same pan and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, paprika, and a pinch of salt. Stir in the tomato paste and chicken stock and turn the heat down to low. Add the desired amount of cauliflower rice to the pan along with another pinch of salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Stir in the chorizo and cook for 3-4 more minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
4. Place the bell peppers in the prepared baking dish and divide the meat mixture among them. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Serve warm sprinkled with cilantro.
17 Comments
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You have chicken broth listed in the ingredients but I don’t see where you use it in the instructions? Do you put it in the pan when you bake the peppers? Thanks.
Reply
Hi Becky- the broth is actually something I decided not to add into the recipe, so we’ll adjust the ingredients to reflect that. Thanks for pointing it out!
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I’m sort of irritated about the whole broth thing. I went to the store to get all the ingredients, and measured everything out, only to find there is no need for chicken broth. Please update the ingredient list. Thank you.
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We, too, bought the broth and tried to figure out where it should be incorporated. It would be helpful if you would update the ingredient list.
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pardon, but can’t you use the broth in something else? If you cook, broth is not a wasted buy – also, you wouldn’t need to purchase it if you made it yourself with saved bones – just pop it back into the freezer… jeesh!
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I added eggplant and garlic (I’m not paleo) and used my homemade ketchup. It turned out great (sans broth).
Thanks!
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Please update the ingredients list to reflect said changes. Thank you.
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Turned out awesome. The pre-streaming peppers have them an awesome soft texture. Will add to regular rotation.
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Made these today ….a very happy kiwi right now
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I made this for lunch today for my friend and it was lovely!!! I put made some extra tomato sauce and baked it in the oven for 15 min though. Thank you for the recipe.
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Hi Rebecca,
We LOVE this recipe. Would it be possible to make the peppers in advance and refrigerate them? If so, how should the cooking time be adjusted?Reply
My husband used this recipe for dinner tonight but he didn’t know we had zucchini so he used eggplant and ground turkey. Absolutely delicious! I’ll be reading more of your blog and trying more recipes. Thanks!!!
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Turned out great! I used an extra bell pepper instead of zucchini and added some basil. Will make again!
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Made this for dinner tonight using ground beef – so delish! Thanks for a great recipe!
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Can I freeze these?
Reply
Yes, they should freeze very well!
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These are lovely! We added minced garlic, Italian seasoning, chili pepper flakes, and fresh spinach leaves (at the end while the mixture was cooling)… and for my dad, we added some bruschetta flavored goat cheese (not paleo obviously). Cooked it for 20 minutes so it browned on top… Huge hit at our house- even with the kids. Thanks!
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