Moroccan Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers With Rice, Cilantro And Baharat

Ground turkey stuffed peppers with cilantro, rice and baharat are a complete meal that will fill your stomach and satisfy your soul on cold days.

Ground turkey stuffed peppers make an easy weeknight meal

Moroccan ground turkey stuffed peppers are going to make your weeknight meals a whole lot easier.

I am a big fan of Moroccan cuisine. I am an even bigger fan of easy weeknight dinners that serve a complete meal in one dish. Not having to make or serve two or three separate dishes is at the top of my dinner wishlist.

These ground turkey stuffed peppers tick both those boxes - so is it any wonder I love them so much?

I first discovered these stuffed peppers with ground turkey and tomato sauce when watching the Israeli hit TV show, Master Chef. On one the episodes, an unassuming Moroccan woman, Jackie Azoulay, made stuffed peppers that wowed everybody with their punchy flavors.

I immediately knew I had to remake that dish and develop my own turkey stuffed peppers recipe. And the secret to this dish is in the use of turkey meat, and one seasoning: baharat.

What is baharat?

For a moroccan flavor that will liven any meal, look no further than baharat.

The Moroccan kitchen is full of incredible spice and flavor mixes. My favourites are ras el hanout and chermoula. But now it's time to reveal another Moroccan cuisine MVP: baharat.

'Bahrat' actually translates as 'spices' from Arabic. It's an ever-changing mix of seasonings common across several Middle Eastern kitchens, its exact make up and ratios changing based on the region in which you are eating. But regardless of where you go, a few common ingredients can be found in baharat mixes across the Middle East: paprika, nutmeg, cumin, and cinnamon.

What does baharat taste like?

Baharat is a warming spice that has earthy, slightly sweet notes. It is very aromatic, and you don't need to use a large amount of baharat to really notice it.

Baharat pairs beautifully with all kinds of meat, potatoes, and mushrooms. We also love it with our roasted potatoes and vegetables instead of turmeric.

Where can you buy baharat?

You can buy Baharat online, on Amazon, or in ethnic and Middle Eastern stores. Or you can make it yourself following our quick recipe below!

Baharat substitutes

In place of baharat, you can use cumin and cinnamon together.

For more Moroccan cuisine, check out these recipes:

What you need for Moroccan stuffed turkey peppers

• 6 bell peppers, various colours
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 onions, diced
• 500 grams of ground turkey (beef, chicken or veggie ground also work here - or you can use 2 cups of cooked lentils)
• 1 bunch cilantro, minced (reserve a handful)
• ¾ cup rice
• ½ tablespoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon baharat or 1 teaspoon cumin and ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• Salt
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced or ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• A handful of chopped cilantro

How to make ground turkey stuffed peppers

Make the filling

Preheat a pan to medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of Canola oil. Add diced onion, garlic, ground meat and chopped cilantro. Saute for 5 minutes, until meat seals and turns opaque.

When the meat changes color, add the rice. Add salt, baharat (or cumin) and black pepper, and stir together. Add half a cup of water and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid, and cook for 6-7 minutes over low heat. When done cooking, remove from heat.

Make sauce

Preheat a large, oven-safe stockpot or Dutch Oven to medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of Canola oil. Add diced onion the onion, and saute until it changes colour, about 5 minutes. Add diced tomatoes (including juice), a glass of water, salt, hot pepper and ground ginger. Bring to a boil and add the reserved handful of chopped cilantro.

Prepare peppers:

Remove the "head" from each pepper and set aside. Fill the peppers ¾ of the way with the meat mixture (leave some space below the rim).

Cook ground turkey stuffed peppers

Arrange the peppers in a pot and pour about two tablespoons of the sauce into each pepper. Cover the peppers with the "heads" we set aside. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400F.

Transfer the pot, lid on, to the oven and bake for another 30 mins.

Making ahead and how to store

Our ground turkey stuffed peppers recipe can be made ahead, in stages or fully.

If making in stages in advance, prep the ground turkey and rice filling first. Make the tomato sauce separately. Both can be kept frozen or in the refrigerator for up to two days.

The peppers can be assembled and half cooked the day before. Finish cooking them in the oven right before serving for best results.

You can also make the whole recipe in advance and freeze it. Stuffed peppers with ground turkey will keep in the freezer for 6 months. They will keep in the fridge in a pot for up to 5 days.

Adaptations for stuffed peppers

These ground turkey stuffed peppers are gluten-free. Here are some ideas on how you can adapt them further.

Keto / paleo / grain-free / low carb

To make low carb ground turkey stuffed peppers with no rice, simply omit the rice. Follow the rest of the cooking process exactly - you don't even need to adjust quantities.

You can also substitute the rice for cauliflower rice in these ground turkey stuffed peppers.

Vegetarian stuffed peppers

Switch the ground turkey for veggie ground round or textured vegetable protein that's been soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes and then squeezed out. You can also switch it for 1 cup uncooked lentils. Cook the lentils separately before proceeding with the recipe.

Check out our step-by-step story

To see a step-by-step animated web story on how to make an easy dinner out of these rice stuffed peppers, check out our easy turkey stuffed peppers story.

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Recipe

Moroccan Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Ksenia Prints

Moroccan ground turkey stuffed peppers with rice and baharat are a complete meal that will fill your stomach and satisfy your soul.

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 1 hr 10 mins

Total Time 1 hr 25 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Israeli, Jewish, Middle Eastern, Moroccan

Servings 6 servings

Calories 327 kcal

Equipment

• Cutting Board
• Chef knife
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Large pan
• Large, oven-safe stockpot or Dutch Oven
• Spatula

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 6 bell peppers various colours

For filling:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 8 garlic cloves minced
• 2 onions diced
• 500 grams ground turkey turkey, beef, chicken or veggie ground round all work here; you can also sub with 2 cups of cooked lentils
• 1 bunch cilantro minced (reserve a handful)
• ¾ cup rice
• ½ tablespoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon baharat or 1 teaspoon cumin

For the sauce:

• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 onion diced
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• Salt
• 1 jalapeno diced or ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• A handful of chopped cilantro

For baharat:

• 3 teaspoon paprika ground
• 2 teaspoon cumin seeds ground
• 1.5 teaspoon cinnamon ground
• 2 teaspoon black pepper ground
• 1.4 teaspoon cloves ground
• 1.5 teaspoon coriander ground
• 0.5 teaspoon cardamom ground
• 1.5 teaspoon nutmeg ground

Instructions

 

To make baharat:

• Mix all the ingredients together. Keep in a jar. Baharat will keep in a sealed jar for months.

Start with the filling:

• Preheat a pan to medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of Canola oil. Add diced onion, garlic, ground meat and chopped cilantro. Saute for 5 minutes, until meat seals and turns opaque.
• When the meat changes color, add the rice. Add salt, baharat (or cumin) and black pepper, and stir together. Add half a cup of water and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid, and cook for 6-7 minutes over low heat. When done cooking, remove from heat.

Make sauce:

• Preheat a large, oven-safe stockpot or Dutch Oven to medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of Canola oil. Add diced onion the onion, and saute until it changes colour, about 5 minutes. Add diced tomatoes (including juice), a glass of water, salt, hot pepper and ground ginger. Bring to a boil and add the reserved handful of chopped cilantro.

Prepare peppers:

• Remove the "head" from each pepper and set aside. Fill the peppers ¾ of the way with the meat mixture (leave some space below the rim).
• Arrange the peppers in a pot and pour about two tablespoons of the sauce into each pepper. Cover the peppers with the "heads" we set aside. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400F.
• Transfer the pot, lid on, to the oven and bake for another 30 mins.

Notes

To make low carb or keto ground turkey stuffed peppers with no rice, simply omit the rice. Follow the rest of the cooking process exactly - you don't even need to adjust quantities.

You can also substitute the rice for cauliflower rice in these ground turkey stuffed peppers.

To make Vegetarian stuffed peppers, switch the ground turkey for veggie ground round or textured vegetable protein that's been soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes and then squeezed out. You can also switch it for 1 cup uncooked lentils. Cook the lentils separately before proceeding with the recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 327kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 23gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 633mgPotassium: 635mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 3864IUVitamin C: 160mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 2mg

Keyword baharat, cilantro, easy, gluten-free, ground turkey, onions, peppers, rice, tomato sauce, tomatoes, turkey, winter

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