Gluten Free Stuffed Peppers

I love a great stuffed pepper, but they sometimes can feel too heavy. So I wanted to lighten them up quite a bit in an effort to save my waistline in these amazing gluten free stuffed peppers! I cut out the cheese completely, switched the meat to lean turkey instead of beef and used quinoa instead of rice. To give these gluten free stuffed peppers big bold flavors, I wanted to go with a very southwestern inspired flavor profile. The result was such a filling and incredible package of flavor that had hubby going back for (guilt free!) seconds!

I love the bright, summery color of the yellow bell peppers!
First, I prepped my peppers. I love the bright, sunny color of the yellow bell peppers so that’s what I used here! I just hollowed them out to be perfect little holders for the filling. Then I roasted them in some olive oil and salt to let them develop flavor before I filled them.
The hearty, savory filling for the gluten free stuffed peppers.
While the peppers roasted, I prepared the incredibly hearty filling for the gluten free stuffed peppers. It was an amazing combination of turkey, quinoa, black beans and vegetables. It was rib sticking good but also so lean and healthy!
The gluten free stuffed peppers ready to bake!
I stuffed each of my roasted peppers to the brim with that awesome filling. Then the gluten free stuffed peppers went back into the oven to bake for about 20 minutes to meld together beautifully.
Gluten Free Stuffed Peppers
When they were done, I let them cool for a minute. Then I topped each of the gluten free stuffed peppers with a spoonful of salsa to finish them off. The salsa gave them a great extra kick! Oh my goodness, these babies had so much flavor and were so filling. They didn’t feel heavy though. My quest for a satisfying, flavorful and healthy meal was a success! Enjoy, friends. xoxo
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Gluten Free Stuffed Peppers
Gluten Free Stuffed Peppers
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
55 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Servings: 6 stuffed peppers
Author: Jeanie and Lulu's Kitchen
Ingredients
FOR PREPPING THE PEPPERS
  • 6 whole yellow bell peppers or whichever colored pepper looks good at the store
  • olive oil as needed
  • salt as needed
FOR THE FILLING
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 dash olive oil for browning
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 whole shallot minced
  • 1 whole jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
  • 4 whole tomatoes diced
  • 1 can black beans rinsed and drained, 15 ounce size
  • 1 whole lime zested and juiced
  • salsa as needed for topping
Instructions
  1. First, the peppers need to get prepped and a little roasted. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Thoroughly wash the outside of the peppers with cold water. Cut off the very tops and scoop out the seeds and membrane to have a nice, clean vessel for the filling. Get the peppers into a baking dish. Drizzle them generously with olive oil and season each of them with a pinch of salt. Roast them in the oven for 12 minutes to let them develop flavor and start to get tender.
  2. In the meantime, start preparing the filling. In a small pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Pour in the quinoa and cover the pot with its lid. Reduce the heat to low and let the quinoa cook until tender for about 12 minutes. While the quinoa cooks, heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Brown the ground turkey while breaking it up with a spoon. Season it and spice it with the salt, chili powder and smoked paprika. When the turkey is cooked, add in the shallot, jalapeno and tomatoes. Let them get soft and fragrant for a minute. Then add in the black beans, lime juice and lime zest. Let the mixture come to a low boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and let it all simmer for 10 minutes.
  3. Both the peppers and quinoa should be just about done at this point. Take the peppers out of the oven, leaving the oven on, and take the pot of quinoa off of the heat. Fluff the quinoa up with a fork, then pour it into the meat mixture and stir it all to combine it into one glorious filling. Scoop a generous amount of the filling into each pepper. Really pack it in to get the peppers nice and well-stuffed. Depending on how big your peppers are, you may have some filling leftover. If you do, awesome! Put it in a container, refrigerate it and save it to warm up and have over greens for lunch! Put the gluten free stuffed peppers back into the oven and bake them for 20 minutes. When they are done, let the stuffed peppers cool for a minute. Top each of them with salsa and serve immediately! Enjoy!

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