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overhead shot of ground turkey stuffed peppers in instant pot
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4.70 from 13 votes

Instant Pot Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Instant Pot ground turkey stuffed peppers have 5 ingredients and are simple to prepare. With delicious TexMex flavor, they also work well for meal prep!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
time to pressurize10 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Diet: Low Fat
Servings: 6 peppers
Calories: 344kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked rice see note 1
  • 6 bell peppers see note 2
  • 1 lb lean ground turkey
  • 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese see note 3

Topping suggestions

  • sour cream or greek yogurt
  • fresh tomatoes or salsa
  • avocado slices
  • fresh green onions or cilantro
  • tortilla chips

Instructions

  • Prepare peppers- Using a sharp paring knife, carefully cut around the tops of each pepper. Pull the lid off, pull out any strips of membrane (the white stuff), and dump out the seeds.
    stuffed pepper with the lid taken off
  • Poke drainage holes- Using a toothpick, poke several holes in the bottom of the pepper. I suggest working the toothpick around a bit to make the holes a bit bigger. This helps extra liquids that come from the ground turkey and bell peppers drain out while they cook.
    poking a hole in a bell pepper with a toothpick
  • Mix filling- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the ground turkey, cooked and cooled rice, taco seasoning, salt, and 1 ¼ cups of shredded cheese.
    stuffed pepper filling in bowl with spatula
  • Fill peppers- Use a spoon to press the mixture into the peppers. You will need to press it gently with the spoon.
    stuffed pepper (uncooked) on grey surface
  • Prepare Instant Pot- In the stainless steel insert of your Instant Pot, add 1 cup of water. Place the trivet on top, then arrange the peppers on the trivet (depending on the size of your Instant Pot you may or may not be able to fit all your peppers. 6 quart fits 4; 8 quart fits 6). Sprinkle with reserved cheese.
    stuffed peppers in instant pot with cheese on top- uncooked
  • Pressure cook- Place the lid on your Instant Pot and make sure the steam release handle is in the 'sealing' position. Pressure cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. When the cooking cycle completes, perform a quick pressure release: carefully move the steam release handle into the 'venting' position.
    instant pot with 12 minutes on timer
  • Top with fresh tomatoes, green onions, or other suggested toppings.
    stuffed peppers in the instant pot

Video

Notes

1- I love using basmati, but you could swap for brown rice, a wild rice blend, or even quinoa. Generally rice triples when cooked, so ¾ cup uncooked should be sufficient.
2- look for wide, straight bell peppers; since they can vary greatly in size, you may have enough filling for more or less than 6 peppers
3- get creative by using aged cheddar, monterey jack, or jalapeno cheddar.
Storage
Cool completely, then store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat
Reheat in the microwave until steaming hot, and enjoy!
Freezer Instant Pot Meals
  1. Complete steps 1-4 above.
  2. Arrange your stuffed peppers (not yet cooked) in a 9 x 13 inch pan and freeze until solid (4 hours).
  3. Transfer to a deep meal prep container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
  4. Thaw 48 hours before you intend to cook.
  5. Cook as directed in the recipe card; peppers will be slightly softer after freeze/thawing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pepper | Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 378mg | Potassium: 529mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 4240IU | Vitamin C: 152.5mg | Calcium: 287mg | Iron: 1.5mg