🥘 Ingredients

Bell Peppers

• 6 large (960 g) bell peppers, any color, tops cut off and seeds removed

• 1/2 tsp (3 g) salt, for seasoning the inside of the peppers

Ground Turkey Filling

• 2 lb / 32 oz (907 g) ground turkey, 93% lean

• 1 tbsp (15 g) olive oil

• 2 tbsp (30 g) tamari

• 2 tbsp (30 g) fresh lemon juice

• 1 tsp (2 g) lemon zest

• 1 tsp (3 g) cumin

• 1 tsp (3 g) smoked paprika

• 1 tsp (2 g) dried oregano

• 1 tsp (6 g) salt

• 1/2 tsp (1 g) black pepper

• 4 stalks (60 g) green onions, green tops only, thinly sliced

• 2 medium (240 g) tomatoes, finely diced

Rice

• 1.5 cups (278 g) white long-grain rice, dry

• 2.25 cups (540 g) chicken broth

• 1/2 tsp (3 g) salt

Sauce for Baking

• 1 cup (240 g) chicken broth, poured into a baking dish to keep peppers moist

• 1 tbsp (15 g) olive oil

• 1 tbsp (15 g) fresh lemon juice

• 1 tsp (3 g) smoked paprika

Garnish

• 3 tbsp (12 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

• 1 medium (60 g) lemon, cut into wedges

🔪 Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).

2. Start the rice: Combine rice, broth, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stir once, reduce to low, cover, and simmer 18 minutes. Remove from heat; steam, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. The rice will finish slightly underdone; it will finish cooking inside the peppers in the oven.

3. Prep the peppers: Slice the top off each bell pepper and remove seeds and membranes. Season the inside of each pepper with a pinch of salt. Stand them upright in a large baking dish.

4. Cook the turkey: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey and break apart with a spoon. Cook 4-5 minutes until no longer pink. Drain excess liquid. Add tamari, lemon juice, lemon zest, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir well and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

5. Make the filling: Combine cooked turkey, slightly underdone rice, diced tomatoes, and green onion tops in a large bowl. Toss well until evenly mixed.

6. Stuff the peppers: Divide the filling evenly among the 6 peppers, pressing down gently to pack. They should be fully loaded to the top.

7. Make the sauce: Whisk together broth, olive oil, lemon juice, and smoked paprika. Pour into the bottom of the baking dish around the peppers.

8. Bake: Cover the baking dish tightly with foil, then bake for 20 minutes until the peppers are tender and the filling is heated through. Remove foil for the last 3 minutes.

9. Serve: Plate one stuffed pepper per serving, spoon a little of the pan sauce over the top, garnish with fresh parsley and a lemon wedge.

Approximate Nutrition Per Serving

• Calories: ~600

• Protein: ~46 g

• Carbohydrates: ~71 g

• Fat: ~15 g

Notes

• Slightly underdone rice is intentional; fully cooked rice stuffed into a pepper and baked for 20 minutes will turn mushy. Pulling it at the 18-minute mark with a 5-minute steam means it finishes perfectly inside the pepper.

• Pack the filling firmly: Loosely filled peppers collapse during baking. Press the filling down gently as you load each pepper.

• Pepper color tip: Red, orange, and yellow peppers are sweeter and more tender after baking. Green peppers hold their shape better but have a slightly bitter edge. A mix of colors works great both visually and for flavor.

• Tamari check: Confirm no wheat, onion, or garlic on the label. San-J and Kikkoman Gluten-Free are reliable options.

• Broth check: Confirm no onion or garlic on the label.

• Turkey drain tip: Draining the turkey well after cooking is critical to keeping the fat count below the 20g ceiling per serving.

• Oil note: This recipe uses exactly 2 tbsp of olive oil across the full recipe, 1 tbsp for cooking the turkey and 1 tbsp in the baking sauce, keeping each serving at roughly 1 tsp of added oil.