Our easy Jack-O-Lantern Stuffed Peppers are a fun, delicious and healthy way to celebrate Halloween! You have the choice of 2 different stuffing options for these stuffed bell peppers. Definitely a kid-friendly recipe that the whole family will enjoy!
The Best Jack-O-Lantern Stuffed Peppers
Your kids are going to LOVE this! Halloween is right around the corner and there is nothing cuter than this little stuffed peppers recipe! Just look at them – SO CUTE! These Halloween stuffed peppers are actually pretty easy and the whole meal comes together in about 30 minutes. Perfect for a quick, festive meal before the Halloween festivities begin. For this meal your kids might like playing with their food just as much as eating it
Looking for More Recipes Like This?
If you love Halloween-themed recipes as much as we do, you definitely need to try our Mummy Hot Dogs!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Festive – we always love celebrating a fun holiday with a festive meal! They have a way of becoming traditions every year.
- Family friendly – your kids (well, everyone really) will love playing with this meal as much as they love the yummy flavors!
- Quick – when everyone is super excited about trick-or-treating you are going to need a quick dinner before the candy comes rolling in and this dinner achieves that in ONLY 30 minutes!
What You Will Need
- orange bell peppers – any variety of bell peppers will work, but that bright orange color is perfect for the jack o lantern theme.
- olive oil – option to sub with avocado oil and drizzle in the pan to sauté the filling ingredients.
- fresh garlic & yellow onion – classic ingredients that always get the flavor party started!
- ground turkey – any ground meat will work here, feel free to use ground beef or even ground chicken.
- taco seasoning – highly recommend mixing up our homemade taco seasoning or pick-up a pack of taco seasoning from your local grocery store.
- water – just a little bit in the pan to help mix in the taco seasoning.
- tomato paste & roma tomatoes – love this tomato combination in when making the pepper filling.
- black beans & rice (only used in version 2) – we like to keep it simple and use this boxed version for the black beans and rice. Ingredients are pretty simple and its so easy.
How To Make Whole30/Paleo Jack-O-Lantern Stuffed Peppers
The first steps to making the Whole30/Paleo version of this stuffed peppers recipe is to bring a large skillet to a medium heat, drizzle with oil, and then sauté the garlic and onion. Then brown the ground turkey and add in the taco seasoning, tomato paste and water. Now add in the diced tomatoes and continue to simmer until warmed through.
Then carefully use a sharp knife to cut the top off of each pepper and remove any seeds and membranes from the inside. Now get creative and use your knife to cut a jack o lantern face into the side of the pepper. Repeat will all peppers and bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and scoop the stuffing into each of them.
Place the top back on the pepper and serve!
How To Make Jack-O-Lantern Stuffed Peppers With Rice
The first steps to making this version of this easy stuffed peppers recipe is to make some beans and rice on the stovetop. To keep it easy, we love making this boxed version or make our super easy black beans and rice.
After you prep the bell peppers, place them in a baking dish, and bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Scoop in the filling and place the top of the pepper back on top. So simple!
Topping Suggestions
- Dairy-free sour cream: homemade or this store bought one!
- Salsa: love our Blender Salsa or add some fruit and make a Mango Pineapple Salsa.
- Black Olives
- Guacamole: highly recommend our homemade guacamole or a store-bought version.
- Fresh Ingredients: tomatoes & avocado.
- Cheese – omit for Whole30; use dairy-free, goat, or regular cheese.
Recipe FAQs
- Can you reheat stuffed peppers? – Yes, you can reheat any leftover stuffed peppers in the oven at 350 for about 15-20 minutes or in the microwave for about 2 minutes per pepper.
- Can I prep these ahead of time? – Yes, you can make the stuffed peppers and then store them in the fridge for 3-5 days before baking them in the oven.
- Do I have to cook the peppers before stuffing them? – You don’t HAVE to cook them before stuffing but if you don’t they will stay quite crisp. We highly recommended that you don’t skip the pepper cooking step!
Made this delicious recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Jack-O-Lantern Stuffed Peppers
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
Our fun and delicious Jack-O-Lantern Stuffed Peppers are a great way to celebrate Halloween! A family favorite year after year!
NOTE: Version 1 is Whole30/Paleo and is the main part of the recipe card. Version 2 is not Whole30/Paleo and is found in the Notes section. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 4 large orange bell peppers
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (sub avocado oil)
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 batch homemade taco seasoning
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1–2 roma tomatoes, diced
- optional toppings: dairy-free sour cream, salsa, black olives, guacamole
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare Jack-O-Lanterns: Take bell peppers one at a time. Lay flat on its side on a cutting board and cut off the top of the pepper as thin as you can (do not discard). Use a small paring knife to scrape/cut out the seeds and membranes from the inside of the pepper. Then use the same paring knife to carefully cut a jack-o-lantern face into the front of the pepper, just like you would on a pumpkin. Repeat with all peppers and set aside.
- Bake: Take a small casserole dish and spray lightly with olive oil. Place bell peppers and tops inside and bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until peppers are cooked, but still firm.
- Cook Filling: Meanwhile, take a large cast iron skillet and bring to medium-high heat. Add olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add garlic and let cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add onion and cook until it reduces, about 2-3 minutes. Brown ground turkey in the hot pan and allow to cook, about 5-7 minutes, or until fully cooked. Add taco seasoning, water, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes; stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, if desired.
- Stuff Peppers: Scoop taco mixture into each pepper. Add toppings, as desired.
- Serve: Serve immediately.
Notes
- Version 2: Black Beans + Rice Option (not Whole30/Paleo): Prepare the peppers the same way, but stuff them with some homemade black beans and rice or use this boxed version. Stuff about 1 cup of black beans and rice in each pepper. Serve with your favorite toppings.
- Dairy-Free Sour Cream: I like to make my own, but this store-bought kind is great too!
- Ground Turkey: Feel free to use ground beef if you prefer!
- Tomato Paste: I like to use these tubes of tomato paste so I don’t have to open a can only to use a couple tablespoons.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed pepper
- Calories: 266
- Sugar: 8.9 g
- Sodium: 130.9 mg
- Fat: 12.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.9 g
- Protein: 24.6 g
- Cholesterol: 78.2 mg
Meagan says
Made these with some friends for a Halloween weekend dinner and they were a hit! Loved being able to play and make a delicious meal and especially love the non-meat option for our vegetarian friend. I think these will become a Halloween staple for us!
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Meagan! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback – I really appreciate it!