Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers Skillet

Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers Skillet is a one pot meal, ready in 30 minutes and made with only 5 ingredients. It has all the traditional stuffed pepper flavors in fraction of the time!

We also love this 6 ingredient healthy hamburger helper and cilantro lime chicken rice skillet!

I love my ground chicken stuffed peppers and Instant Pot stuffed peppers, but they are lots of work and we end up mashing everything on the plate anyways. That’s why recipes like this deconstructed stuffed peppers skillet, stuffed pepper soup, and Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup are born.

I am using one simple, flavorful ingredient to cut back on the 8 or 10 ingredients you would need in other deconstructed stuffed pepper recipes you see online. This is the best one!!!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One pot or pan: We saute meat, peppers, and cook the rice in a single pot or pan.
• 5 ingredients: Simple, everyday ingredients you likely have in your kitchen already. One is the secret ingredient!
• Quick and easy: Unstuffed peppers is a fuss-free, 30 minute meal with only 5 minutes of prep.
• Super flavorful: This dish will taste like the best stuffed peppers in the world!
• Family friendly: Usually everyone loves meat and rice combo. It is one of my go-to easy weeknight dinners!

Ingredients for Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers Skillet

This stuffed pepper skillet is made with wholesome kitchen staples and easy-to-find ingredients.

• Ground turkey: I used lean ground turkey for a healthier option with lower fat and calories. You can substitute ground chicken, ground beef, or ground pork.
• Bell peppers: You’ll need 4 large peppers cut into large pieces. Choose your favorite or use what you have, green, red, yellow, and orange bell peppers all work well.
• Rice: Use uncooked white rice or brown rice, I used white rice for a shorter cook time. See tips below for other rice varieties.
• Rao’s marinara sauce: This is the best store-bought marinara that is key to a flavor for this dish. I do not recommend to substitute for other brand! It’s made in Italy and has unique intense flavors.
• Chicken broth: The liquid for cooking rice and adding flavor to unstuffed peppers, I used low sodium chicken broth. You can also opt for homemade chicken broth or vegetable broth, or beef broth if making with ground beef.
• Oil: Choose a neutral cooking oil such as avocado oil or olive oil for frying.
• Garnish (optional): I topped off the dish with a dollop of sour cream and fresh parsley, though it’s entirely optional.

How to Make Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers

Grab a large pot or pan, here’s a quick overview how to make deconstructed stuffed peppers. I used my large pot but Dutch oven or deep skillet will work just as well.

There is also a full recipe card below.

• Cook ground meat: Heat a large pot over medium-high heat, coat with oil, and cook ground turkey for 5 minutes, breaking into small pieces while stirring. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.
• Saute peppers: Place the pot back on the stove, coat with a bit more oil, and cook bell peppers for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to let brown edges form.
• Simmer: Return previously cooked turkey to the pot along with rice, marinara sauce, and chicken broth. Stir, cover, bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 12-15 minutes for white rice or 30-40 minutes for brown rice.
• Serve: Remove the lid, give the mixture a final stir, and serve hot with optional garnishes.

Tips for Best Results

Here are my tips and tricks that will make this easy stuffed pepper skillet absolutely amazing!

• Use only Rao’s marinara: It’s the most flavorful store-bought marinara sauce from Italy, and thanks to it, this dish can be 5 ingredients. Even homemade marinara is not as flavorful.
• Type of skillet or pot: You can use any large skillet or pot. I do not have a large enough 12 inch deep skillet and sauce splatters, so I like to use my large pot or Dutch oven to make this recipe.
• Type of rice you can use: Feel free to use your favorite white rice or brown rice variety, or cauliflower rice for a low carb alternative.
• Leftover rice: Leftover Instant Pot long grain white rice, Instant Pot basmati rice, or Instant Pot jasmine rice work well too. Be sure to use only 1/2 cup broth and cook for 5-10 minutes after adding it.
• Be sure to bring skillet to a boil: Lower the heat only after adding all the ingredients and letting them come to a boil, otherwise rice won’t cook properly.
• If using cauliflower rice: Use only 1/2 cup broth, add cauliflower rice and cook for 5-10 minutes.
• If you don’t like green bell pepper: Choose any other sweet bell pepper, I like the flavor green bell peppers add.

What to Serve with Unstuffed Peppers?

This dish stands as a hearty meal on its own with protein, rice, and veggies all in one skillet.

If you feel like adding a little extra alongside this main dish, I love pairing it with garlic bread, a simple green salad drizzled with a healthy salad dressing, or easy seasonal veggies like grilled zucchini or roasted asparagus.

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Transfer to an airtight container and store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. What’s good about this dish as there are no vegetables or pasta to get soggy, so it lasts for quite a while and tastes like fresh once reheated.

Freeze: Once fully cooked and cooled, transfer deconstructed stuffed peppers to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat covered on low heat with a splash of broth.

FAQs

More One Pot Recipes to Try

• Unstuffed cabbage rolls
• Chicken quinoa chili
• Chicken chickpea stew
• One pan Mexican chicken and rice
• Ratatouille
• Skillet enchiladas