Burrito Stuffed Peppers with Ground Turkey and Pinto Beans
Burrito filling inside a gorgeous stuffed pepper?! YES, please! These slightly spicy burrito stuffed peppers with ground turkey and pinto beans make the perfect healthier comfort food dinner!
Every time we make these peppers, they are gone in a flash– I am sure they will be at your home too!
Oh, and the peppers are made with pantry-staple AND inexpensive ingredients! That’s right: this recipe is a TOUCHDOWN!
Burrito Stuffed Peppers with Ground Turkey Ingredients
- Bell Pepper Halves
- Any color of bell pepper will work! Use your favorite, or buy what’s on sale! Just make sure to remove the seeds and the rib from each pepper..
- Ground Turkey
- Ground turkey is a little healthier than ground beef and is typically around half the price! For a good deal on ground turkey, make sure to check out your freezer section.
- Cooked Rice
- You can use any type of rice (or quinoa) you like in this recipe. I typically use a cup of leftover jasmine rice.
- Pinto Beans
- A lot of Mexican or Southwestern-style stuffed peppers call for a can of black beans. I am not mad about it, but pinto beans are the way to go when you want that traditional burrito taste.
- Can of Diced Tomato with Green Chiles
- A can of fire-roasted diced tomato will also swap well if you can’t find a can of diced tomatoes with green chili (or if you want to make it a little less spicy).
- Corn
- We like to add corn to our burrito stuffed peppers to enhance the southwestern vibe. This ingredient can be left out if you don’t want to add any corn in.
- Tomato Sauce
- The plain tomato sauce does two things. 1) it extends the tomato-y burrito flavor. 2) it helps to hold the filling together. Use an 8oz can of unseasoned, plain tomato sauce in this recipe.
Want to Save Some Time on This Recipe?
SHHHH! I will let you in on a secret!
If you need to save some time on dinner–I have some grocery store shortcuts that you can use!
Sometimes it’s more important to save time than money. Here are few a of my favorite time-saving swaps:
- Packet of Taco Seasoning: in place of ALL the stuffed pepper seasonings
- Preshredded Cheese: I love my blocks of cheese because they are SO much cheaper–but let’s be real sometimes we just need an easy swap
- Microwave Rice: just pick up a packet of microwave rice instead of making your own rice
How To Make Stuffed Peppers in the Oven
Stuffed peppers with no boiling required–that’s what I am talking about! Roast the peppers in the oven before baking for less work (and a much better texture–no one wants a crunchy stuffed pepper) in this recipe!
This easy burrito stuffed peppers recipe is baked in the oven. Follow these simple steps below to make the BEST southwestern-inspired stuffed peppers of your life!
- Preheat your oven to 375ā.
- Slice bell peppers in half and remove all seeds and ribs of the pepper. Place the sliced peppers into a 9×13 casserole dish. Drizzle the peppers with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook the peppers for 15-20 minutes.
- As the peppers are cooking, prepare the ground turkey. Brown and crumble ground turkey in a large pan over medium heat. When the ground turkey is cooked, remove the turkey from the pan and set aside.
- In the empty pan add your chopped onion and cook until softened.
- When the onion is softened, add the ground turkey back into the pan and add the minced garlic, salt, chili powder, cumin, and ground pepper to the mixture. Add hot sauce (if desired) and tomato sauce. Stir until everything is combined.
- Next, stir in the cooked rice, pinto beans, and corn to finish the burrito-filling mixture.
- When the peppers are finished baking, stuff the burrito filling into the stuffed peppers. Top each pepper with shredded pepper jack cheese.
- Bake the stuffed peppers at 375ā for 15 minutes. Top with additional toppings like salsa, avocado slices, cilantro, or a squeeze of lime juice.
Can Stuffed Peppers Be Prepared Ahead of Time
YESSS!!! Stuffed peppers are an EXCELLENT make-ahead recipe!
You can use one of two make-ahead methods with these peppers.
- Prepare Ahead of Time & Bake the Day of
- You can prepare this recipe up to 2 days in advance and then finish the peppers the day that you want to serve them.
To do this, roast the peppers and make the burrito filling. Then, cool the peppers and the filling separately. When both the pepper halves and the filling have cooled, stuff the pepper halves with the filling and place the stuffed peppers in a 13″x9″ casserole dish. Top each pepper with pepper jack cheese. Cover the dish and place it in the fridge. When you are ready to eat it, finish the last baking step as outlined in the recipe.
- You can prepare this recipe up to 2 days in advance and then finish the peppers the day that you want to serve them.
- Bake Ahead of Time
- Stuffed peppers will last covered in the fridge for about 5 days. You can bake it all ahead of time and then warm up the (uncovered) casserole dish in a warm oven when you want to serve it. Or heat up an individual pepper for 1-1.5 minutes in the microwave.
Are Burrito Stuffed Peppers with Ground Turkey Freezer-Friendly?
YES!!! Stuffed peppers are an excellent freezer meal! Covered in a freezer-safe dish, these peppers will last for 3 months in the freezer.
Tips to Make the Best Stuffed Peppers
To make the BEST burrito stuffed peppers with ground turkey and pinto beans, follow these best practices below:
Roast the Peppers Before Stuffing
To avoid crunchy stuffed peppers, roast the peppers ahead of time to soften them up before stuffing them with the burrito filling.
Choose Large Peppers
There shouldn’t be any leftover filling in this stuffed pepper recipe. To accomplish that, purchase large peppers to be stuffed. Make sure to really pack in the burrito filling and get the filling into all the crevices of the pepper.
Season All the Layers
Season both the pepper halves and the pepper filling! Most people forget this step, but it is so important to season your stuffed pepper in layers! Every layer of your stuffed pepper should taste delicious on its own. A little salt and pepper go a long way in making the peppers pop.
More Budget-Friendly Healthy-ish Comfort Food Dinners
Looking for budget-friendly and healthy-ish comfort food recipes? Check out some of my family’s favorite easy dinner recipes that your family will want to eat!
- Baked Peruvian Chicken and Potatoes with Cilantro Lime Sauce
- The Best Zucchini Lasagna with Sausage (Not Soggy & Quick)
- Pierogi, Chicken Sausage, & Peppers Sheet Pan (20 Minute Meal)
Burrito Stuffed Peppers with Ground Turkey and Pinto Beans
Print RecipeIngredients
Peppers
- 3 bell peppers any color, halved
- 1 tsp olive oil
- sprinkle of salt
- sprinkle of pepper
Burrito Filling
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 half onion chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 cup rice cooked
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 1/2 tbsp hot sauce
- 1 15 oz can pinto beans
- 1/2 cup corn
- 1 cup pepperjack shredded
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375ā.
- Slice bell peppers in half and remove all seeds and ribs of the pepper. Place the sliced peppers into a 9×13 casserole dish. Drizzle the peppers with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook the peppers for 15-20 minutes.
- As the peppers are cooking, prepare the ground turkey. Brown and crumble ground turkey in a large pan over medium heat. When the ground turkey is cooked, remove the turkey from the pan and set aside.
- In the empty pan add your chopped onion and cook until softened.
- When the onion is softened add the ground turkey bake into the pan and add the minced garlic, salt, chili powder, cumin, and ground pepper to the mixture. Add hot sauce (if desired) and tomato sauce. Stir until the burrito filling is combined.
- Stir in the cooked rice, pinto beans, and corn to the burrito filling mixture.
- When the peppers are finished baking, stuff the burrito filling into the stuffed peppers. Top each pepper with shredded pepper jack cheese.
- Bake the stuffed peppers at 375ā for 15 minutes. Top with additional toppings like salsa, avocado slices, cilantro, or a squeeze of lime juice.
