If you like Stuffed Peppers, you’ll love this 30-minute version! We’ve got all the comforting and delicious flavors of stuffed peppers but prepared quickly in one skillet. Low-carb and nutritious Unstuffed Peppers skillet meal is sure to be a family favorite.
We love serving this meal with a Cucumber Salad, Roasted Broccoli or a Creamy Fruit Salad.
Unstuffed Peppers
I don’t personally adhere to a low-carb diet, as I regularly make and enjoy honey whole wheat bread (sometimes weekly or even bi-weekly). However, many of you have requested more low-carb meal options, and I’ve appreciated the positive feedback on those dishes.
Unstuffed Peppers make for a superb low-carb skillet dinner. Surprisingly, you won’t find yourself missing the carbs. This dish brims with flavor, is incredibly satisfying, protein-rich, and is loaded with nutritious ingredients. Additionally, it’s quite simple to prepare. Pairing it with frozen cauliflower rice makes it even easier, as you don’t need to prepare a separate base to absorb the delicious, saucy ground turkey.
Ingredients In Unstuffed Peppers
- Olive Oil: Used for sautéing vegetables and browning the ground turkey, adding richness.
- Yellow Onion & Sweet Bell Peppers: Provide sweetness and texture as the base of the dish.
- Minced Garlic: Adds a strong, aromatic flavor.
- Tomato Products: Offer acidity, depth, and a saucy consistency.
- Seasonings: Enhance the dish with complexity and heat.
- Ground Turkey: The main protein, adding texture and substance.
- Beef Bouillon Cube: Boosts the meaty flavor in the unstuffed peppers.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Provides tanginess and a bit of sweetness.
- Cheddar Cheese: Adds a creamy, cheesy topping.
- Italian Parsley: As a garnish, it introduces a fresh herbal note.
Quick Tip
To avoid tomato sauce stains on reusable plastic containers, put any leftover Unstuffed Peppers in glass containers, disposable plastic, or dark-colored reusable plasticware that won’t show the red.
How To Make Unstuffed Peppers
- Sauté Vegetables: In an oven-safe skillet, heat olive oil. Sauté diced onions and bell peppers until softened. Add minced garlic, tomato paste, and various seasonings. Cook until fragrant.
- Cook Turkey: Push the veggies to the side of the skillet, add a bit more olive oil and the ground turkey. Brown the turkey without stirring initially, then break into chunks and mix with the veggies until fully cooked.
- Add Tomatoes and Sauce: Stir in fire-roasted diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and a crumbled beef bouillon cube. Cook until most of the liquid evaporates, then add marinara sauce and heat through.
- Bake with Cheese: Top the mixture with cheddar cheese and bake in a preheated oven until the cheese melts.
- Garnish and Serve: Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve your unstuffed peppers over your choice of cooked rice or cauliflower rice.
Storage
Leftovers?
- Storing: Cool completely and transfer to airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: Microwave until hot, stirring occasionally, or reheat in an oven-safe dish at 350°F (175°C) until warmed through.
- Freezing: For longer storage, freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months.
More Low-Carb Recipes
- Egg Roll in a Bowl
- Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet
- Steak Salad Recipe
- Avocado Tuna Salad
- Turkey Meatloaf
Unstuffed Peppers
Equipment
- Oven-safe pan 12-inch
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1-1/2 cups finely diced yellow onion 1 large onion
- 2 cups chopped sweet bell peppers 2 large peppers; I use 1 red and 1 orange
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic 3 cloves
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon roasted garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- Salt and pepper
- 1 pound lean ground turkey 93/7, see note 1
- 1 large beef bouillon cube
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup marinara sauce I love Rao’s
- 1-1/4 cup freshly grated sharp Cheddar cheese
- 3 to 4 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian parsley for garnish
- Cooked rice or cauliflower rice, for serving, see note 2
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in an oven-safe 12-inch pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add finely diced onion and chopped bell peppers. Sauté 6–8 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and seasonings: chili powder, cumin, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, and optional red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper to taste; I add 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Move veggies to the sides of the pan. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the center and add ground turkey. Let cook without stirring, until golden brown on bottom, about 1–2 minutes, then break up into chunks. Continue to cook and crumble ground turkey until browned, incorporating veggies as you cook, about 5 more minutes.
- Add in fire-roasted diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and crumbled beef bouillon cube. Stir to incorporate and cook off most of the liquid from the tomatoes. Add in marinara sauce and stir to heat through.
- Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and immediately transfer the pan to the oven. Bake 4–8 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with fresh parsley. (If this dish wasn’t cooked in an oven-safe skillet, cover the pan, remove from heat, and allow the residual heat to cook the cheese while it stands.)
- Serve over cooked cauliflower rice or regular rice.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thank you for this delicious recipe!
I changed it up a bit because that’s how I roll. Ha!
I used homemade sun dried tomatoes, added smoked paprika, used beef bouillon paste and covered the dish to melt the cheese. It was absolutely delicious! What a delightful way to use our home grown peppers, onions, tomatoes and fresh herbs!
Sounds delish! So glad you enjoyed! Thanks Judi! 🙂
another winner. I was looking for something tasty but relatively easy to make on a chilly evening. The flavours melded perfectly. I served the dish with lemon rice – lots to go around! (and yes, it was delicious the next day). I don’t follow a low-carb diet, but this would pair very well with spaghetti squash. Another keeper.
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Joe! 🙂
Used hot Italian sausage and it turned out great!
Delish! I’m so happy to hear this! 🙂
Can you freeze this after cooking it?
We haven’t tested it yet, we never have leftovers haha, but if you freeze it let me know how it goes! 🙂
I always freeze my leftovers.
When ready to make I thaw overnight
in the refrigerator and bake for
30 minutes at 350.
Love that! Thanks for sharing Shelley! 🙂
Hey! We made this for dinner and I just wanted to let you know that we calculated the calories out to be around 530 per serving at 4 servings, not 173. Is the serving number supposed to be higher?
Also side note it’s DELICIOUS so I don’t really care how many calories it is, I will be making this again and again.
Hmm! That’s strange! Are you calculating rice with your estimate? I’ll have the girl that calculates nutrition facts for the site look into it; thank you so much! So happy you enjoyed it!
Can you freeze this
I’m sure you could; sorry I haven’t personally so I don’t have great recommendations
I always have leftovers that I freeze.
When ready to use I thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake 30 minutes at 350. Turns out perfect.
So great!! 🙂
OMG! Yummy!
Thanks Terri! 🙂
I made this recipe by substituting chicken for turkey. It was absolutely delicious. Definitely will make this again.
Great idea! 🙂
This looks delicious and is on my meal plan for the week. I am wondering it the nutrition information includes the cheese? Thanks 😊
Yes!
Made it for tonight and all the family approuved. It was delicious. They did not had ground turkey at the grocery store so I used pork. I will saved this recipe to the family’ favorites 😊
I’m so glad the whole family loved! Thank you so much for your comment! 🙂