Unstuffed Peppers bring the same deliciousness of stuffed peppers, but faster! In 30 minutes, this low-carb, one-skillet meal will become a family favorite.
author’s note
The Quick And Flavorful Dinner You Need!
After doing a poll on Instagram, it was clear you all wanted more low-carb recipes, and while I’m not someone who follows a low-carb diet (I couldn’t live without my honey whole wheat bread!), I do love finding ways to make my favorite dishes more veggie-packed and better for me.
Zucchini boats are a go-to lower-carb dinner in my house, so I had a feeling Unstuffed Peppers would be a hit—and I was right! These are bursting with flavor and so easy to make. It’s definitely a dinner that will be on repeat at my place!
Ingredients In Unstuffed Peppers
A few ingredients to discuss:
- Ground turkey: Choose ground turkey in a carton for better texture and flavor.
- Beef bouillon cube: Crumble it before adding to ensure it dissolves quickly.
- Diced tomatoes: Grab fire-roasted for tons of extra flavor without extra work.
- Bell peppers: Use a mix of peppers for extra color and flavor, or whatever you have on hand.
- Marinara sauce: Use a high-quality marinara like Rao’s for extra flavor.
Quick Tip
To avoid tomato sauce stains on reusable plastic containers, put any leftover Unstuffed Peppers in glass containers, disposable plastic, or dark-colored reusable plasticware that won’t show the red.
How To Make Unstuffed Peppers
The full recipe is below but here are some tips while making it:
- Cook veggies: Keep veggies moving in the pan to avoid burning.
- Turkey: Don’t stir immediately; let the turkey brown for a minute to get a flavorful sear.
- Add liquids: Let the sauce cook slowly to intensify the flavors before adding cheese.
- Top with cheese: If your pan isn’t oven-safe, cover it and let the cheese melt using residual heat.
- Serve: For extra flavor, pour a little olive oil over the rice before serving.
Storage
Leftovers?
- Storing: Cool completely and transfer to airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: Microwave until hot, stirring occasionally, or reheat in an oven-safe dish at 350°F (175°C) until warmed through.
- Freezing: For longer storage, freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months.
More Low-Carb Recipes:
Unstuffed Peppers
Equipment
- Oven-safe pan 12-inch
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1-1/2 cups finely diced yellow onion 1 large onion
- 2 cups chopped bell peppers 2 large peppers; I use 1 red and 1 orange
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic 3 cloves
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon roasted garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- Salt and pepper
- 1 pound lean ground turkey 93/7, see note 1
- 1 large beef bouillon cube
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup marinara sauce I love Rao’s
- 1-1/4 cup freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 3 to 4 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian parsley for garnish
- Cooked rice or cauliflower rice, for serving, see note 2
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in an oven-safe 12-inch pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add finely diced onion and chopped bell peppers. Sauté 6–8 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and seasonings: chili powder, cumin, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, and optional red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper to taste; I add 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Move veggies to the sides of the pan. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the center and add ground turkey. Let cook without stirring, until golden brown on bottom, about 1–2 minutes, then break up into chunks. Continue to cook and crumble ground turkey until browned, incorporating veggies as you cook, about 5 more minutes.
- Add in fire-roasted diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and crumbled beef bouillon cube. Stir to incorporate and cook off most of the liquid from the tomatoes. Add in marinara sauce and stir to heat through.
- Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and immediately transfer the pan to the oven. Bake 4–8 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with fresh parsley. (If this dish wasn’t cooked in an oven-safe skillet, cover the pan, remove from heat, and allow the residual heat to cook the cheese while it stands.)
- Serve over cooked cauliflower rice or regular rice.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is one of my “go to” recipes. And is made at least a couple times a month. I use ground turkey since hubby doesn’t do beef. We have had it with Jasmine rice and riced cauliflower. I like to add more garlic powder to mine and use fire roasted tomatoes.
I’m so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Jessi!
We thought it was a bit sweet and the flavors were very muddled.
Thanks for your feedback! I’ve never heard that the flavors were muddled before. Did you change the recipe at all?
I just made this for dinner and it was delicious! I served it over mashed potatoes. I think it would be good on a baked potato too. I will definitely be making this again!
So thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Sherie!
Could I make this is a crockpot?
I haven’t tested this in the crockpot so I can’t tell you exact timing, but if you give it a try let me know how it turns out!
I think I have made this like 5 times now.
I improvise if I am missing something (like the roasted tomatoes or the marinara). No Matter. Turns out lovely. – not quite the best. Still very, very good
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! We substituted ground beef for turkey and used rice (of course a little less healthy!) and it tasted great and all who ate it loved it!
I am os thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Angie! 🙂