These quinoa stuffed peppers are loaded with plant-based protein, lean ground turkey and flavorful seasonings! It’s a healthy and delicious way to eat more veggies that your family will love.

Quinoa stuffed peppers in a baking dish.

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Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

I absolutely love when I find easy and healthy dinner ideas that my whole family will eat. Quinoa stuffed peppers are a favorite, as well as unstuffed pepper casserole and chicken stuffed peppers. We love them!

I have seen several recipes for stuffed bell peppers with cooked quinoa online and never found one I’ve liked. I finally came up with my own version and love how they turned out. The kids even ate these easy stuffed bell peppers…everyone loved them!

Cooking quinoa in a skillet.

How to Make Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Showing how to make quinoa stuffed peppers in a 4 step collage.
  • Cook filling. Saute onion until translucent, then add meat and cook until browned. Drain any excess grease. Add in beans, tomatoes, green chiles, water, quinoa, cumin, taco seasoning, and S&P. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until quinoa is done about 10-15 minutes.
  • Stuff. Line the sliced pepper halves in the bottom of a 9×13″ baking dish. Then evenly spoon the filling into the peppers and top with mozzarella cheese.
  • Bake. Cover pan with foil, then bake at 375°F for about 40 minutes, or until quinoa stuffed bell peppers are soft (but not mushy).
Quinoa stuffed bell peppers with shredded cheese on top.

 Favorite Toppings

Tips and Variations

  • Instead of slicing off tops, I like to cut my bell peppers in half to stuff. It’s more of an “open-faced” approach and easier. Remember to remove the stem, seeds and ribs.
  • Make these a vegetarian dish by omitting the meat. You still get plenty of protein and fiber from the quinoa and beans!
  • Feel free to swap the ground turkey with ground chicken.
  • Make stuffed peppers with quinoa and beef by using lean ground beef.
  • Don’t drain the canned tomatoes or chiles. The liquid helps to cook the quinoa.
  • You could swap the quinoa for rice if preferred.
  • Don’t forget to cover the pan with foil! This helps steam the peppers so they’re nice and tender.
Quinoa stuffed peppers in a white baking dish.

More Healthy Dinner Ideas

Quinoa stuffed peppers in a baking dish.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers Recipe

5 from 11 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4
These quinoa stuffed peppers are loaded with plant-based protein, lean ground turkey and flavorful seasonings! It's a healthy and delicious way to eat more veggies that your family will love.
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Video

Ingredients 

  • 4 bell peppers , halved length wise, ribs removed
  • ½ Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion
  • ½ pound ground turkey (or ground beef)
  • 1 (14-ounce) can black beans , drained and rinsed
  • 1 (14-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes , with liquids (plain is fine too)
  • 1 (7-ounce) can diced green chiles , with liquids
  • ¾ cup water
  • ½ cup quinoa
  • ½ Tablespoon cumin
  • 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning
  • Salt , to taste
  • Ground black pepper , to taste
  • ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

For serving: Sour cream or Salsa

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place 8 pepper halves in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes.
  • In a large saucepan, heat 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook 3 minutes, or until translucent. Stir 1/2 pound ground meat and cook until browned. Drain any excess grease.
  • Stir in 1 can drained black beans, 1 can fire roasted tomatoes, 1 can diced green chiles, 3/4 cup water, 1/2 cup quinoa, 1/2 Tablespoon cumin, and 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, or until quinoa is cooked.
  • Spoon in filling and top with 1/2 cup cheese. Cover pan with foil and cook 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and peppers are wilting.
  • Remove from oven and serve with sour cream or salsa, if desired. Enjoy!

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Variations: 
  • Make it a vegetarian dish by omitting the meat. You still get plenty of protein and fiber from the quinoa and beans!
  • Feel free to swap the ground turkey with ground beef or even chicken.
  • You could swap the quinoa for rice if preferred.
Storage: These peppers will keep in an airtight container (preferably shallow) in the refrigerator up to 3 days. To reheat, I like to warm mine back up in the oven for about 5 to 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 264kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 42mg, Sodium: 331mg, Potassium: 589mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 4303IU, Vitamin C: 156mg, Calcium: 133mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

Quinoa stuffed bell peppers on a white plate.