Looking for a healthy dinner recipe that can be made in 30 minutes or less? These Spicy Southwest Whole30 Stuffed Peppers are heavenly! I’m loving how easy they are to make and the fact that they can be meal prepped. So perfect for our busy lifestyles!
Watch this recipe video for Spicy Southwest Whole30 Stuffed Peppers!
These Spicy Southwest Whole30 Stuffed Peppers are great for a quick, easy healthy dinner recipe!
Now that we have a baby, we basically have ZERO time to make dinner from scratch. I’m not sure how other moms do it! All I know is that weekend meal prep is my new way of life and I’m not complaining. I ended up making these Spicy Southwest Whole30 Stuffed Peppers in advance, refrigerating them, and then had them ready to go for throughout the week.
If you’re into making a big dinner recipe once or twice a week and then having it for the rest of the week, then these Whole30 Stuffed Peppers are for you!
RELATED: Cheesy Chicken And Rice Stuffed Peppers
What You Need to Make Spicy Southwest Whole30 Stuffed Peppers:
- Sweet peppers – You can use any but I prefer the red or yellow ones because they’re sweeter
- ground turkey – It’s lean, delicious and gives added protein
- spinach – Full of goodness and adds freshness
- pine nuts – Give a nice texture and crunch
- spices – Cayenne, Paprika, Chili Powder & Cumin, this spice blend gives so much flavor to these peppers and a nice spicy kick
- casserole dish – Here’s the one I recommend
Can You Freeze These Stuffed Peppers?
Yes, You can prepare these peppers in advance (don’t bake them) and store them in the freezer in suitable containers. You can also bake them and store leftovers in the fridge. Enjoy them cold with salad or reheat in the oven.
I love these Rubbermaid Brilliance containers for storing these stuffed peppers in the refrigerator or freezer. They’re leak proof, airtight, and amazing for keeping food fresh!
Other Variations
These stuffed peppers are very versatile and can be adapted with different ingredients to change them up but still keeping them whole 30! Here are some ideas:
- Kale
- Ground chicken or beef
- Sausage (check for added sugars and make sure whole30 compliant)
- Leftover potatoes
- Avocado
- Green onions
- Olives
- Fresh homemade salsa
Looking for more Whole30 and Paleo recipes? Try out these Paleo Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken Meal Prep Bowls and this Easy Whole30 Breakfast Casserole!
Spicy Southwest Whole30 Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb ground turkey
- 1 cup spinach
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 5 whole peppers
- 1 Tbsp crushed pine nuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Cook the ground turkey.
- While the ground turkey is cooking, cut the peppers in halves and clean out the middle of each one.
- Set one pepper aside and finely chop.
- When the turkey is almost finished cooking, add in the spinach and finely chopped pepper.
- Add in the ground pepper, cayenne, paprika, chili powder, garlic, and cumin.
- Stuff each pepper half with the turkey mixture and top with pine nuts.
- Bake for 20 minutes (or until peppers are nearly soft).
- Serve hot and enjoy!
Ana says:
How long do you cook Turkey
Ashley says:
Love these! I’m the only one in our home that loves stuffed peppers so I meal prep these for my lunches for the week. So good! I add some tomato sauce so they’re a little saucier and they’re perfect!
Christine McMichael replied:
Great idea to add tomato sauce! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe!
Jamie says:
Can I prep them on a Sunday, to bake them on Tuesday? Do I still need to freeze them?
Christine McMichael replied:
Yes, that’s perfect! You shouldn’t need to freeze them, refrigeration should be fine for 2 days. I hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Mary Emily Trice says:
Why does it say 2 servings but the recipe calls for 5 whole peppers, but a serving is only 1 whole pepper?
Christine McMichael replied:
One serving is two whole peppers (four halves). There are two servings in the recipe, which means four peppers. The fifth pepper is chopped up and used in the ground turkey mix. I hope that makes sense!
Alexa says:
Are these 262kcal per half pepper or 262kcal for the entire pepper cut in half? Hope that makes sense-by the way….delicious
Christine McMichael replied:
Good question, Alexa! A serving is two peppers – four halves. So it’s 262 kcal for two entire peppers that are cut in half. I know it’s a little confusing in the recipe but I hope this clarifies!
Katie says:
How much time should you add if baking from frozen? Or should you just defrost them first?
Thanks!
Christine McMichael replied:
Defrosting first would be best if possible, but I would otherwise add about 20 minutes to the time. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Kayla says:
Where do you get crushed pine nuts from?
Christine McMichael replied:
Hi, Kayla! I buy them at the grocery store in the baking aisle and then put them through my food processor. Enjoy!
Kathleen says:
Hi! What’s the nutritional information/caloric breakdown on these? They look good!!
Annie says:
So two stuffed pepper halves is a serving? Or just one half? Looks so good!
Christine McMichael replied:
Hi, Annie! Yes, that is correct. Two stuffed pepper halves is one serving! Enjoy!
Kelly says:
Could I leave the peppers whole and cut the tops off? I’m making them for a larger group and am trying to save space in my pan.
Christine McMichael replied:
Yes, absolutely! That’s a great idea. You may start the peppers in the oven about 10 minutes before you stuff them since they will take a little bit longer to cook that way. I hope you enjoy the recipe, Kelly! 🙂
Katie says:
These are in the oven now! I added extra spinach and 1 finely chopped zucchini to mine. I think I’d add onion and mushroom next time if I had them on hand. thanks!
Christine McMichael replied:
Love it! That sounds delicious. I hope you enjoyed the recipe, Katie! 🙂
Christina says:
Thank you for the recipe! I just started my 3rd round of Whole 30, and surprisingly haven’t done stuffed peppers in previous rounds. I did 1lb of ground beef, and also added a half of a red onion and 8oz of chopped baby Bella mushrooms to the mix. I stuffed the peppers very full and had just enough meat mixture leftover to make two kid size quesadillas for my oicky eaters. Smells heavenly in the oven. I snuck a bite of the meat mixture… YUM!
Christine McMichael replied:
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Christina! 🙂 Good luck on your Whole30 journey, sounds like you’re already doing great!
Robyn says:
These are Great!
Christine McMichael replied:
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Robyn!
Samantha says:
So one serving size is 4 halves, correct? And that’s 262 calories?
Christine McMichael replied:
Hi, Samantha! Yes, that is correct. 4 halves, or 2 peppers (whichever way you look at it). Enjoy the recipe!
Lauren says:
Assuming I can use ground beef instead of ground turkey? Looks delish!
Christine McMichael replied:
Hi, Lauren! Yes, you can 😉 Enjoy the recipe!