Home > Dinner > Unstuffed Peppers Unstuffed Peppers July 14, 2020 | 26 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. If you like Stuffed Peppers, you’ll love this 30-minute version! We’ve got all the comforting and delicious flavors of stuffed peppers but prepared quickly in one skillet. Low-carb and nutritious Unstuffed Peppers skillet meal is sure to be a family favorite. This meal is hearty and filling so it’s a good idea to pair it with something light and crunchy like this Cucumber Salad, Roasted Broccoli or some grilled corn on the cob. Unstuffed Peppers I don’t personally follow a low-carb diet (I can’t help making (and eating) this honey whole wheat bread on a weekly — sometimes bi-weekly — basis), but so many of you have asked for more low-carb meals and I have loved hearing the feedback on those dishes! Unstuffed Peppers is a great low-carb skillet dinner, and honestly, you won’t miss the carbs! This dish is packed with flavor, extremely filling, high in protein, and loaded with nutritious ingredients. It’s also a pretty easy meal to make, especially when it’s paired with frozen cauliflower rice; you don’t even need to whip together a base for sopping up the delicious saucy ground turkey. What to serve Unstuffed Peppers over Low-carb options If you’re looking for a low-carb option, these two are my favorites: Buttered spaghetti squash “noodles.” Here’s how to prep spaghetti squash noodles. Riced cauliflower. This is my personal favorite way to serve Unstuffed Peppers; I simply purchase two bags of frozen cauliflower rice. I add both bags, straight from the freezer, to a very large nonstick skillet and cook, stirring every once in a while, until tender and slightly charred. Carb-filled options For all the carbs, add Unstuffed Peppers on top of one of these options: Basmati rice Buttered noodles Unstuffed Pepper tips Don’t forget the parsley (or a similar fresh herb); it cuts through the richness of the dish and adds a burst of freshness. For the marinara sauce, I recommend Rao’s® marinara sauce: (not sponsored). This marinara has a deeply intense flavor and tastes homemade. Store leftovers in an airtight container; Unstuffed Peppers only get better as they sit! I like to meal prep with this recipe; it stores well for 3-5 days in airtight containers in the fridge. Because of the dairy in this recipe, I don’t recommend freezing it. 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. More low-carb recipes Egg Roll in a Bowl low-carb veggie and ground meat Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet easy 30-minute meal Steak Salad Recipe with an herby cilantro-lemon vinaigrette Avocado Tuna Salad serve on lettuce wraps for a low-carb meal Turkey Meatloaf with lots of “hidden” veggies FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Unstuffed Peppers 4.89 from 18 votes - Review this recipe If you like stuffed peppers, you'll love this 30-minute skillet meal version. We've got all the comforting and delicious flavors of stuffed peppers, but prepared quickly and with fewer carbohydrates! Nutritious Unstuffed Peppers is sure to be a family favorite. SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Unstuffed Peppers 4.89 from 18 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe If you like stuffed peppers, you'll love this 30-minute skillet meal version. We've got all the comforting and delicious flavors of stuffed peppers, but prepared quickly and with fewer carbohydrates! Nutritious Unstuffed Peppers is sure to be a family favorite. Course Dinner, Main Course Cuisine American Keyword Unstuffed Peppers Prep Time 20 minutes minutes Cook Time 10 minutes minutes Total Time 30 minutes minutes Servings 4 servings Chelsea Lords Calories 173kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $6.12 Ingredients▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil, separated▢ 1 and 1/2 cups finely diced yellow onion (1 large onion)▢ 2 cups chopped sweet 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 EACH: ground cumin, Italian seasoning▢ 1/2 teaspoon EACH: onion powder, roasted garlic powder▢ 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional▢ Fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper▢ 1 pound (16 oz.) lean (93/7) ground turkey (See Note 1)▢ 1 large beef bouillon cube ▢ 1 can (14.5 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes▢ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce▢ 1/2 cup marinara sauce (we love Rao's)▢ 1 and 1/4 cup freshly grated sharp Cheddar cheese▢ 3-4 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian parsley for garnish▢ Serve over: cooked rice or cauliflower rice (See Note 2)US - Metric USMetric InstructionsPEPPERS AND ONIONS: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in an oven-safe 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add in the finely diced onions, and chopped bell peppers. Saute for 6-8 minutes or until softened. Add in garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste and the seasonings: the 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. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.GROUND TURKEY: Move veggies to the sides of the pan. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the center of the pan and add ground turkey. Let cook without stirring, until golden brown on bottom, about 1-2 minutes and then break up into chunks. Continue to cook and crumble the ground turkey until browned, incorporating veggies as you cook through the ground turkey, about 5 more minutes.TOMATOES: Add in the 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 the marinara sauce and stir to heat through.CHEESE: Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and immediately transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for 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 skillet, remove from heat, and allow the residual heat to cook the cheese while it stands.).ENJOY: Serve over cooked cauliflower rice or regular rice. Video Recipe NotesNote 1: I recommend ground turkey that is sold in a carton, rather than in a chub (the plastic tube). The chub ground turkey tends to be overly watery and less flavorful. Note 2: Riced cauliflower is my favorite way to serve Unstuffed Peppers; I simply purchase two bags of frozen cauliflower rice and add both bags, straight from the freezer, to a very large nonstick skillet and cook, stirring every once in a while, until tender and slightly charred. Nutrition FactsServing: 4servings | Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.2g | Protein: 2.6g | Fat: 11.4g | Cholesterol: 0.7mg | Sodium: 290.8mg | Fiber: 3.9g | Sugar: 9.6g We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
Made it for tonight and all the family approuved. It was delicious. They did not had ground turkey at the grocery store so I used pork. I will saved this recipe to the family’ favorites 😊 Reply
This looks delicious and is on my meal plan for the week. I am wondering it the nutrition information includes the cheese? Thanks 😊 Reply
I made this recipe by substituting chicken for turkey. It was absolutely delicious. Definitely will make this again. Reply
I always have leftovers that I freeze. When ready to use I thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake 30 minutes at 350. Turns out perfect. Reply
Hey! We made this for dinner and I just wanted to let you know that we calculated the calories out to be around 530 per serving at 4 servings, not 173. Is the serving number supposed to be higher? Also side note it’s DELICIOUS so I don’t really care how many calories it is, I will be making this again and again. Reply
Hmm! That’s strange! Are you calculating rice with your estimate? I’ll have the girl that calculates nutrition facts for the site look into it; thank you so much! So happy you enjoyed it! Reply
We haven’t tested it yet, we never have leftovers haha, but if you freeze it let me know how it goes! 🙂 Reply
I always freeze my leftovers. When ready to make I thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake for 30 minutes at 350. Reply
another winner. I was looking for something tasty but relatively easy to make on a chilly evening. The flavours melded perfectly. I served the dish with lemon rice – lots to go around! (and yes, it was delicious the next day). I don’t follow a low-carb diet, but this would pair very well with spaghetti squash. Another keeper. Reply
Thank you for this delicious recipe! I changed it up a bit because that’s how I roll. Ha! I used homemade sun dried tomatoes, added smoked paprika, used beef bouillon paste and covered the dish to melt the cheese. It was absolutely delicious! What a delightful way to use our home grown peppers, onions, tomatoes and fresh herbs! Reply
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! Reply
