This Unstuffed Peppers Recipe brings 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 Recipe
A few ingredients to discuss:
| Ingredient | Tip |
|---|---|
| Ground turkey | Choose ground turkey in a carton for better texture and flavor. |
| Beef bouillon cube | Crumble before adding so it dissolves quickly. |
| Diced tomatoes | Use fire-roasted for extra flavor without extra work. |
| Bell peppers | Use a mix of colors for more flavor, or whatever you have on hand. |
| Marinara sauce | Use a good-quality marinara like Rao’s for more 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 Recipe
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 Recipe
Video
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.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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!
Sounds delish! So glad you enjoyed! Thanks Judi! 🙂
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.
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Joe! 🙂
Used hot Italian sausage and it turned out great!
Delish! I’m so happy to hear this! 🙂
Can you freeze this after cooking it?
We haven’t tested it yet, we never have leftovers haha, but if you freeze it let me know how it goes! 🙂
I always freeze my leftovers.
When ready to make I thaw overnight
in the refrigerator and bake for
30 minutes at 350.
Love that! Thanks for sharing Shelley! 🙂
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.
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!
Can you freeze this
I’m sure you could; sorry I haven’t personally so I don’t have great recommendations
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.
So great!! 🙂
OMG! Yummy!
Thanks Terri! 🙂
I made this recipe by substituting chicken for turkey. It was absolutely delicious. Definitely will make this again.
Great idea! 🙂
This looks delicious and is on my meal plan for the week. I am wondering it the nutrition information includes the cheese? Thanks 😊
Yes!
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 😊
I’m so glad the whole family loved! Thank you so much for your comment! 🙂