These Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers are the best! They're stuffed with a delicious quinoa and turkey filling and take only 35 minutes to make.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Bell peppers – use any colour bell peppers like red, yellow, orange or green peppers.
- Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like canola or avocado oil.
- Ground turkey – ground chicken or ground beef would also be good in this recipe.
- Yellow onion – swap out for white onion or shallots instead.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic can be used in a pinch.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
- Chili powder – make your own using a blend of paprika, cumin and cayenne.
- Fresh salsa – your favourite jarred salsa would also work here.
- Spinach – substitute for another dark leafy green such as kale.
- Cheddar cheese – feel free to use any shredded cheese blend of your choice.
- Parsley – garnish with chervil or leave this off altogether if you don't have any parsley on hand.
- Quinoa – quinoa is the healthier option, but you can use rice instead if you’re not a fan of quinoa.
How to make stuffed peppers in the air fryer
Step 1: Make the quinoa and cut the peppers.
Add quinoa and water to a rice cooker or pot on the stove and cook until liquid has absorbed. Cut the tops of bell peppers and scoop out seeds and pithy parts.
Step 2: Cook the peppers.
Preheat the air fryer to 400 F for 5 minutes. Add to the air fryer, spray with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper to taste. Air fry for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Sauté the ground turkey.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey, breaking up with a spoon and seasoning with salt & pepper to taste. Cook for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned, then add onions and garlic, sauteeing another 2-3 minutes.
Step 4: Make the stuffing.
Add salt and pepper, chili powder, salsa and cooked quinoa, sauteeing another couple of minutes until combined. Stir in spinach, then remove from heat.
Step 5: Stuff the peppers.
Add filling to bell peppers then top with shredded cheese.
Step 6: Top with cheese and cook.
Air fry for another 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley if desired, then serve and enjoy!
What to serve with stuffed peppers
These air fryer stuffed peppers are pretty much in an entire meal on their own. They’re full of veggies, grains and protein, so you can eat them by themselves for a well-balanced meal! That being said, if you’re looking for ideas on what to serve with stuffed peppers, here are some ideas:
- Side salad
- Crispy green beans
- Roasted veggies
- Brussels sprouts
- Baby potatoes
- Crusty bread
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can definitely cook stuffed peppers in the air fryer. They’re super easy to make and are ready in just 35 minutes, which makes them a great option for weeknight dinners where you need something fast and delicious.
For this air fryer stuffed peppers recipe, you’ll need to pre-cook the peppers in the air fryer for 5 minutes at 400° Fahrenheit before stuffing them with the filling. This ensures that they won’t get soggy.
If you’re making stuffed peppers in the air fryer, they’ll need to cook for a total of about 10 minutes. Cook the peppers for 5 minutes, stuff them with the filling, then cook them for another 5 minutes. Easy-peasy!
Storing and reheating
You can store any leftover stuffed peppers in the fridge for 3 to 5 days in airtight glass containers or meal prep bowls. Reheat them right in the air fryer for 5 minutes or in the oven at 375° Fahrenheit in a foil-covered baking dish for 30 minutes. You can technically reheat them in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, but they'll get pretty soggy.
Freezing this recipe
The texture of these air fryer stuffed peppers won’t be exactly the same after freezing, but they can be frozen for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, let them defrost in the fridge overnight then reheat as normal.
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More easy air fryer dinners
Meal Prep Tools
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning these stuffed peppers into leftovers.
- I own and love the Philips Digital Airfryer XXL (this is the biggest size so you can cook your chicken all at once, it's the best size for families).
- A rice cooker is invaluable for saving time, and it cooks other grains, too!
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The Best Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 4 bell peppers any colour
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 cup fresh salsa
- 2 cups chopped spinach
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Chopped parsley optional, for garnish
Quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup quinoa
Instructions
- Add quinoa and water to a rice cooker or pot on the stove and cook until liquid has absorbed.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 F for 5 minutes. Cut the tops of bell peppers and scoop out seeds and pithy parts. Add to the air fryer, spray with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper to taste. Air fry for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey, breaking up with a spoon and seasoning with salt & pepper to taste. Cook for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned, then add onions and garlic, sauteeing another 2-3 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper, chili powder, salsa and cooked quinoa, sauteeing another couple of minutes until combined. Stir in spinach, then remove from heat.
- Add filling to bell peppers then top with shredded cheese. Air fry for another 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley if desired, then serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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