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This easy to make taco stuffed peppers recipe is a dinner the whole family will love! Bell peppers are stuffed with ground turkey, black beans, corn, green chiles, Mexican spices and your choice of salsa or enchilada sauce. Top them with cheese for a healthy weeknight dinner!
If you love all things taco, try this ground beef taco casserole, taco skillet, and taco soup!
If you love tacos and stuffed peppers, then you’ll love this mashup recipe! My taco stuffed peppers are a great option if you’re looking for a healthy high protein and high fiber dinner. They’re also freezer friendly and great for meal prep.
My taco stuffed peppers are also easy to customize to you and your family’s liking. I used ground turkey for the taco meat, but you can swap it for ground beef or ground chicken if you prefer. You can also add rice to the filling for extra carbs. The toppings are totally up to you, but I’m partial to adding my green chile guacamole on top!
Ingredients
- bell peppers – Any color bell pepper can be used.
- lean ground turkey – I like to use 93/7 lean ground turkey. A little fat adds so much flavor and keeps the filling from being too dry.
- yellow onion – White onion can also be used.
- chili powder, ground cumin and garlic powder – The homemade taco seasoning blend.
- cilantro – Don’t like cilantro, omit it.
- green chiles – Use mild or hot depending on how spicy you want them.
- black beans – They’re a great way to add fiber and extra protein. Swap with pinto beans if you prefer.
- frozen corn – For extra flavor and smokiness used frozen fire roasted corn.
- red enchilada sauce or salsa – Depending on what you have or like best, either red enchilada sauce or salsa can be used.
- Colby jack cheese – I love the way colby jack cheese melts. You could also use cheddar, monterey jack, or pepper jack.
Tips for Making Taco Stuffed Peppers
- Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Roast the halved bell peppers before adding the filling. This ensures that the pepper and filling cook evenly.
- Bell peppers contain a lot of water and roasting them prior to adding the filling releases some of that water. Dump it out before adding the filling.
- If you’re short on time, you can make the taco stuffed pepper filling a couple days in advance. This will eliminate most of the prep work and some of the cooking time.
- Use any leftover filling to make a taco, wrap, topping for nachos, or these taco salad bowls.
Storing Leftovers
Storage – The stuffed peppers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can reheat them in the microwave or in the oven.
If reheating in the oven, line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up. Bake the stuffed peppers at 350° F. for 15 minutes or until they’re warmed through.
Freezing – Make and bake the stuffed peppers as directed in the recipe. Let them cool completely and then wrap them individually in plastic wrap and put them in an airtight container or freezer bag. You can also put them in an a casserole dish and freeze them all together. The peppers will keep for several months in the freezer as long as they are wrapped properly.
Substitutions for Ground Turkey
Alternative taco fillings for these taco stuffed peppers are, ground beef, bison or ground chicken. For a vegetarian option try vegetarian meat crumbles, rice, extra black or pinto beans or crumbled tofu. If you use tofu be sure to buy extra firm and press it beforehand to squeeze out the liquid.
If you like the peppers to be more crisp then you can skip this step. You will still likely need to increase the baking time to 40-45 minutes.
Topping Ideas
Just like tacos, you can top these stuffed peppers with all of your favorite toppings. Here are some ideas.
- Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- Shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes
- Black olives
- Avocado slices
- Salsa
- Pickled jalapeños or onions
More Stuffed Pepper Recipes
- Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
- Cheesy Broccoli, Chicken and Rice Stuffed Peppers
- Italian Stuffed Peppers
- Classic Stuffed Peppers
- Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers
- Creamy Chicken Spinach and Rice Stuffed Peppers
Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- 4 bell peppers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, optional
- 4 ounces diced green chiles
- 1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 8 ounces salsa or red enchilada sauce
- 3/4 cup shredded Colby Jack or cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F. and line a baking sheet with foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray.
- Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the core and seeds. Place the halved peppers on the baking sheet cut side up and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 15 minutes.
- While the peppers are baking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add in the ground turkey, onion, spices, salt and pepper. Crumble the turkey with a wooden spoon as it cooks. When the turkey is cooked through, stir in the black beans, corn, green chiles, cilantro, and salsa or enchilada sauce. Taste for seasoning and bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Remove the peppers from the oven. Pour out any liquid that’s gathered inside of them and then evenly divide the filling into each half. Bake for another 10 minutes and then top them with the shredded cheese. Bake for 5 more minutes and then serve.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Advise on making in slow cooker?
I’ve never prepared these in a slow cooker so I can’t say for sure.
Have made multiple times and it’s always a hit!
Love hearing that you’ve made them multiple times! Thanks for leaving a review.
This was hands down one of the best dishes I’ve had in quite some time. My daughter made these with a few tweaks (no corn or black beans, she didn’t have any on hand) but added 2 diced jalapenos and 2 diced garlic cloves. We ate some the day she made them and froze some which we had 2 months later, just as good the second time around.
These were delicious and so easy to make. I will definitely make these again.
Thanks for making them Carrie!
Can you freeze these, if so what’s the shelf life?
Yes. They can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost them in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.