Korean-Style Turkey Stuffed Sweet Peppers (Printable Version)

Sweet mini peppers filled with Korean-spiced ground turkey, gochujang, and melted mozzarella cheese.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 16-20 mini sweet peppers (about 1.1 lbs), halved and seeded
02 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 small carrot, finely grated

→ Meat

05 - 1 lb ground turkey

→ Sauces & Seasonings

06 - 2 tbsp soy sauce (gluten-free if needed)
07 - 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean red chili paste)
08 - 1 tbsp sesame oil
09 - 2 tsp honey
10 - 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
11 - 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

→ Dairy

12 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

→ Garnish

13 - 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
14 - 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or parsley (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Arrange the halved mini sweet peppers, cut side up, on the prepared baking sheet.
03 - In a large skillet over medium heat, add sesame oil. Sauté garlic, ginger, and green onions until fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
04 - Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes.
05 - Stir in grated carrot, soy sauce, gochujang, honey, and black pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until well combined and slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
06 - Spoon the turkey mixture evenly into each pepper half, gently pressing down.
07 - Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the stuffed peppers.
08 - Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and lightly golden and the peppers are tender.
09 - Remove from oven and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and chopped herbs, if desired. Serve warm.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The sweetness of the peppers balances the spicy gochujang in a way that feels completely natural, not forced.
  • Everything cooks in under an hour, and most of that time the oven does the work while you clean up.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully and somehow taste even better the next day when the flavors settle.
02 -
  • Dont skip seeding the peppers completely, leftover seeds make the filling slide out and add unexpected heat.
  • Let the turkey mixture cool for a minute before stuffing, it makes handling easier and the cheese melts more evenly.
  • If your peppers are on the larger side, add a couple extra minutes to the baking time so they soften properly.
03 -
  • Use a small spoon or melon baller to scrape out the pepper seeds quickly without tearing the flesh.
  • If the filling seems dry, add a tablespoon of water or broth to the skillet before stuffing, it keeps everything moist.
  • Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan for thirty seconds before garnishing, it brings out a deeper nutty flavor.
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