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Spooky Stuffed Peppers

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Add some Halloween fun to your meal with these spooky stuffed peppers. Orange peppers are carved with funny jack-o'-lantern grins and packed full of seasoned ground turkey, black beans, rice, and bold spices. Baking makes them soft and lets the flavors blend together perfectly. A melty cheese topping finishes them off, making them the ultimate holiday meal that's festive and healthy.
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Maria from tastyhush
Updated on Sun, 08 Jun 2025 12:21:16 GMT
Orange bell peppers stuffed with delicious filling, baked until tender with a cheesy top, shaped like jack-o'-lanterns. Pin it
Orange bell peppers stuffed with delicious filling, baked until tender with a cheesy top, shaped like jack-o'-lanterns. | tastyhush.com

Halloween's coming up, so how about these playful stuffed peppers with jack-o-lantern faces? They're fun to make, look awesome, and are packed with a yummy filling that’s super satisfying.

INGREDIENTS

  • Shredded Cheese: 3/4 cup, cheddar or colby jack works well, for a gooey finish on top.
  • Black Pepper: 1/4 teaspoon, use as much as you like for flavor.
  • Kosher Salt: 1/2 teaspoon, for that needed seasoning.
  • Dried Basil: 1 teaspoon, brings extra taste to the mix.
  • Dried Oregano: 1 teaspoon, adds some herby goodness.
  • Tomato Sauce: 1 can (15 ounces), keeps it all saucy and tasty.
  • Black Beans: 1 can (15.5 ounces), rinsed and drained, adds some nice texture and fiber.
  • White Basmati Rice: 1 1/2 cups, already cooked per the bag directions.
  • Minced Garlic: 1 tablespoon, or 3 cloves, gives it a flavorful punch.
  • Ground Turkey or Chicken: 1 pound, your main protein here.
  • Diced Yellow Onion: 2 1/4 cups—about one big onion—for extra flavor.
  • Olive Oil: 2 tablespoons, gets used for sautéing your onions.
  • Orange Bell Peppers: 8 peppers, cleaned out and decorated with little faces.

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 7:
Add 1 1/2 cups water to the baking dish. Bake the peppers uncovered for 10 minutes or until they're soft and your cheese is all melty.
Step 6:
Fill each bell pepper with as much of the stuffing as you can, then sprinkle plenty of shredded cheese on top.
Step 5:
Now toss in the rice, beans, tomato sauce, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Let it cook for a few more minutes (3 to 5), so the rice soaks up some sauce. Take it off the heat.
Step 4:
Add the ground turkey or chicken plus garlic to your skillet. Smash up the meat while it cooks for the next 5 minutes.
Step 3:
Warm up some olive oil over medium heat, then throw in the onions. Cook for about 5 minutes and give them an occasional stir.
Step 2:
Chop off the tops of the peppers. Use a small knife to clear out the seeds and ribs inside and carve a little face into each one. Stand them up in a 9x13 pan.
Step 1:
Crank your oven up to 400 F so it’s ready to go.

Serving and Storage Tips

  • If you’ve got any left, let them cool, pop them in a sealed container, and stick them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Warm them up in the microwave or oven when you want more.
  • Toss a handful of chopped herbs like cilantro or parsley over the top before serving—they look great and taste fresh.
  • They go awesome with crisp salad or a side of garlicky bread if you’re feeling hungry.

Tips from Well-Known Chefs

  • Ina Garten says you gotta make sure your stuffing’s well-seasoned—that’s how you get awesome flavor.
  • Rachael Ray likes to give hers a kick with a few shakes of hot sauce, so try that if you want it spicy.
  • Gordon Ramsay’s big on using chopped fresh herbs to amp up every bite.

VARIATIONS

  • No rice? Sub in cooked grains like quinoa or try farro to mix things up.
  • Spice up the filling by swapping in pepper jack or another cheese you like.
  • Going meatless? Load the peppers with beans and extra veggies instead for a totally veggie-friendly version.

Spooky Stuffed Peppers

Fun and tasty spooky stuffed peppers packed with turkey, rice, and beans. Perfect for Halloween parties or dinners.

Prep Time
20 Minutes
Cook Time
25 Minutes
Total Time
45 Minutes
By: Maria

Category: Appetizers

Difficulty: Intermediate

Cuisine: American

Yield: 8 Servings (8 stuffed peppers)

Dietary: Gluten-Free

Ingredients

01 8 orange-colored bell peppers.
02 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
03 Around 2 1/4 cups diced yellow onion (1 onion roughly).
04 1 pound ground turkey or chicken (16 ounces).
05 1 tablespoon of garlic, minced (about three cloves).
06 1 1/2 cups white basmati rice, already cooked (follow directions on the package).
07 1 can of black beans (15.5 ounces), drained and rinsed.
08 1 can tomato sauce (15 ounces).
09 1 teaspoon oregano, dried.
10 1 teaspoon dried basil.
11 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
12 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper.
13 3/4 cup of shredded cheddar or Colby Jack cheese.

Instructions

Step 01

Set your oven to heat up to 400°F.

Step 02

Slice the tops off the peppers. Use a small knife to clean out the seeds and ribs. Carve faces into one side of each pepper for decoration, then put them into a 9x13-inch baking pan.

Step 03

Add olive oil to a skillet and warm over medium heat. Toss in the onions. Cook and stir them every so often for 5 minutes.

Step 04

Stir in minced garlic and ground chicken (or turkey). Cook for another 5 minutes, breaking the meat into smaller pieces as it cooks.

Step 05

Mix in the rice, black beans, tomato sauce, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Let it cook for 3-5 minutes, just until the sauce starts to get absorbed into the rice. Turn off the heat.

Step 06

Stuff each pepper generously with the rice mixture. Sprinkle each with some shredded cheese on top.

Step 07

Pour about 1 1/2 cups of water into the baking dish. Place in the oven and bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until the peppers soften and the cheese melts.

Notes

  1. Get creative with the faces you carve on the bell peppers!
  2. Switch out the ground turkey or chicken for any protein you like.
  3. You can prepare these in advance and pop them into the oven when you're ready to eat.

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

It is important to consider this information as approximate and not to use it as definitive health advice.
  • Calories: 320
  • Total Fat: 10 g
  • Total Carbohydrate: 45 g
  • Protein: 20 g