Are you looking for a recipe for Healthy Stuffed Peppers? Here’s a favorite of mine that I make in our slow cooker. I prepare it right after breakfast, and we have a healthy dinner ready for us!
As a busy mom, finding time to cook can often feel like a challenge. This dish is not only delicious but also incredibly convenient, allowing me to get dinner on the table quickly for my daughters.
The slow cooker does most of the work, giving me more time to spend with my family or tackle other tasks. Plus, the flavors meld together beautifully, creating a meal that everyone in the family loves.
Key Takeaways
- Cook Time: Low- 6-8 hours
- Main Ingredients: Ground turkey, bell peppers, crushed tomatoes, basil, chopped onion, cooked rice, and seasoned salt
- Servings: 4
- Extras: You can add finely chopped vegetables like carrots or celery to the stuffing mixture for added texture.
- Tip: Experiment with different types of rice, such as brown rice, wild rice, or quinoa, to add variety and health benefits to your meal.
Healthy Stuffed Peppers-Crockpot Recipe
To start us off, I combine the ground turkey, chopped onions, cooked rice, and one teaspoon of seasoned salt in a large bowl to make the filling for our stuffed peppers.
I mix everything together until well combined, ensuring that the seasoning is evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
Next, I prepare the bell peppers by chopping off the tops and hollowing them out, making sure to remove all the seeds.
My thrifty tip for flavor? To use all of that pepper, I chop up the tops of the peppers and use them inside the stuffing. Waste not, want not, after all!
Once the peppers are prepared, I evenly stuff each one with the turkey and rice mixture. I find it helpful to press the mixture down gently to ensure it fills the peppers completely.
After stuffing the peppers, I place them in the slow cooker, arranging them so they fit snugly but not too tightly. I usually buy a pack of 6 for the week, so I check which ones fit in the pot the best.
In a separate bowl, I combine the pepper pieces (from the tops), crushed tomatoes, dried basil, and the remaining teaspoon of seasoned salt to make a simple yet flavorful sauce.
I pour this sauce over the stuffed peppers, making sure they’re well covered and that there is some sauce on the bottom of the slow cooker as well.
Then, I cover the slow cooker and set it to cook on low for 6-8 hours.
During this time, the slow cooker works its magic, allowing the flavors to meld together and the stuffed peppers to become tender.
Once the timer goes off, all I do is use tongs to pick them up and get them on everybody’s plates! Bam! Easy dinner for any time you have busy nights.
If I’m feeling it, I may put the peppers in a baking dish, throw on a slice of cheese, and broil it for maybe 5 minutes for the cheese to get lightly brown and bubbly.
Ingredients
- 4 large bell peppers cut off the tops, and clean outl but save the tops!
- pepper tops (see above) cut up small for the filling
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1 can crushed tomatoes 32 oz.
- 1 tbsp dried basil fresh herbs are okay too
- 1/4 cup onion chopped
- 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
- 2 tsp seasoned salt divided
- Italian seasoning if you want to skip measuring and want more traditional sauce taste
Instructions
- Combine ground turkey, onions, rice, and 1 tsp seasoned salt and mix well.
- Chop off the tops and hollow out each pepper, removing all seeds.
- Evenly stuff each pepper with the turkey/rice mixture.
- Place stuffed peppers in the slow cooker.
- Combine crushed tomatoes, basil, and 1 tsp seasoned salt to make a sauce.
- Cover stuffed peppers and the bottom of the slow cooker with the sauce.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Substitutions & Add-Ins
One of the best things about this stuffed pepper recipe is its versatility.
You can change things up how you like it, using my stuffed peppers recipe as the base!
The Meat
If you prefer a different type of meat, ground beef or chicken can be easily substituted for ground turkey.
I use ground turkey to get the “healthier” version, but you can get lean ground beef if you prefer the taste.
And using ground chicken gives it a new flavor that you might want to try. Poultry can’t go bad when combined with veggies and sauce, right?
For a vegetarian version, you can substitute meat with a mix of beans and vegetables, such as black beans, corn, and diced zucchini.
The Rice
For the rice in the stuffed peppers, you have a lot of options to mix it up and make this how you like it.
I mainly stick with white rice because I prefer the texture, but you can use brown rice, cauliflower rice, or any combination of the three to get your macros in!
You can also experiment with different types of rice or grains, such as quinoa or barley, for a unique twist.
The Stuffing
Additionally, you can get creative with the seasonings and add-ins in stuffed pepper recipes.
If you enjoy a bit of heat, try adding chopped jalapeños or a dash of cayenne pepper.
I also suggest using a chunky tomato sauce instead of crushed tomatoes if you want a true dump-and-go recipe- no need to season if you don’t want to!
Cheese lovers might appreciate adding a sprinkle of shredded cheese to the stuffed peppers during the last 30 minutes of cooking, allowing it to melt and become bubbly.
For those who like a bit more texture, adding finely chopped vegetables like carrots or celery to the stuffing mixture can provide a nice crunch.
FAQs
Do the bell peppers need to be pre-cooked before stuffing?
No, the bell peppers don’t need to be pre-cooked for this slow cooker recipe.
The slow cooker does an excellent job of cooking the peppers to a perfect tenderness without the need for pre-cooking.
What type of rice should I use?
Any cooked rice will work, whether it’s white, brown, or even wild rice. The key is to ensure it is cooked before mixing it with the turkey and other ingredients.
Can I use a different type of pepper?
Yes, you can use any bell pepper color you prefer. Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers all work wonderfully and add a touch of sweetness to the dish.
My family prefers green peppers, but I actually prefer red bell peppers because of the sweetness- sometimes I get a mix of them, so we can pick whatever ones we want for dinner.
Can the cooking time be reduced?
While cooking on low for 6-8 hours yields the best results, you can cook the peppers on high for 3-4 hours if you’re in a hurry.
Just keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t overcook.
Final Thoughts
This slow-cooker stuffed bell pepper recipe is a lifesaver. It allows me to serve my daughters a nutritious and delicious dinner with minimal effort.
With just a bit of preparation in the morning, I can set the slow cooker and let it do the work, freeing up my time for other important tasks.
It’s versatile, easy to customize, and perfect for busy moms looking for a simple yet satisfying meal.
Give this recipe a try and enjoy more quality time with your family while the slow cooker takes care of dinner. Your family will love the delicious flavors, and you’ll love the convenience!
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Hello,
So I just attempted to make the stuffed peppers . Is the ground turkey originally cooked before being added with the rice to be put into the stuffed peppers?
You put the ground turkey in raw and it cooks along with the peppers.
Is it necessary to cook the rice first? Why won’t it cook in the slow cooker with everything else?
Hi Angela, it might work… I just haven’t had much luck with rice in the slow cooker.
Do the peppers skins start to peel off when you cook them this way?
Nope.
Hey. whats the calorie count on this??
Can I substitute the crush tomatoes for something different?
You can always substitute diced for crushed
What is the calories on this recipe?
Nutrition
302 calories
1.7 g total fat
0.8 g sat. Fat
55.7 mg cholesterol
132.3 mg sodium
38.4 g Total carbohydrates
2.9 g fiber
9.1 g sugar
32.3 g protein
Note: I used the LoseIt app to create this recipe. I used 99% lean ground Turkey and no salt added crushed tomatoes.