Air Fryer Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients

• 4 bell peppers (any color), tops cut off, cored and seeded
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 lb ground turkey (or lean ground beef)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1.5 cups cooked rice (white, brown, or cauliflower rice)
• 1 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil or parsley, for serving

Instructions

1. Cut the tops off the bell peppers, then use a small knife and spoon to remove the seeds and white membranes from inside, keeping the peppers whole.
2. Sprinkle the inside of each pepper with a pinch of the salt and set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat on the stovetop, add the diced onion, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent.
4. Add the ground turkey to the skillet, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no pink remains and it reaches an internal temperature of at least 165F.
5. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
6. Add the cooked rice, drained diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, remaining salt, and black pepper to the skillet, stirring to combine, and cook for 2 minutes until heated through; remove from heat.
7. Stuff each pepper generously with the turkey and rice mixture, pressing down gently to pack it in, filling all the way to the top.
8. Preheat the air fryer to 360F for 3 minutes.
9. Stand the stuffed peppers upright in the basket with space between them so they do not lean on each other; cook in two batches if all 4 do not fit upright without touching.
10. Air fry at 360F for 14 minutes, checking that the pepper skins are starting to soften and blister in spots.
11. Open the basket, top each pepper with 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella, and continue air frying for another 6 to 8 minutes.
12. The peppers are done when the skin is tender enough to easily pierce with a fork, slightly blistered and soft-looking (not raw and firm), and the cheese on top is fully melted and golden in spots.
13. Carefully lift the peppers out with tongs or a wide spatula, since the filling will be very hot, and let rest for 3 minutes before serving.
14. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley and serve warm.

Tips

Why You'll Love This

• A lightened-up comfort food classic ready in under an hour
• High in protein and fiber with veggies built right in
• Great make-ahead meal that reheats well in the air fryer
• Easy to customize with different grains or ground meats

Nutrition

Nutrition values are estimated per serving based on the ingredients used.