I remember very distinctly having the idea for these Asian Stuffed Peppers and deciding ahead of time that I was going to love them. After all, what’s not to like about what is essentially dumpling filling without the guilt of frying?
On top of being healthy, they’re fast! We are always looking to develop consistently reliable weeknight staples, and these Asian stuffed peppers have absolutely become one of ours.
Want to make them Whole30 compliant? Simply replace soy sauce with coconut aminos. Easy peasy!
For more stuffed pepper recipes be sure to check out our Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers and our Sausage Stuffed Peppers!
Healthy Stuffed Bell Pepper Recipe
We love that these stuffed peppers are made without rice. Don’t get us wrong, rice is the bomb. But sometimes we’re looking for a healthy, grain-free meal. On occasion, we do Whole30 to give our bodies a reset. By replacing the soy sauce with coconut aminos, these are both Whole30 compliant as well as gluten free.
What’s In The Filling?
We prefer using ground chicken, but ground turkey or pork would work great too. Use the best bell peppers you can find, as the flavor really shines through.
The rest of the flavors are minimal: minced onion, garlic, shallot, chopped spinach, soy sauce (or coconut aminos), ginger paste, and fresh herbs.
Also, don’t underestimate the power of sesame oil. It makes this dish!
Can Stuffed Peppers Be Made Ahead?
Yes! We love making a big batch at the beginning of the week and eating leftovers all week long.
We recommend reheating them in an oven versus the microwave, which helps make sure the peppers don’t get too soggy.
Remember to top them with fresh herbs each time. Reheating herbs like cilantro will cause them to wilt and lose their flavor.
Can You Freeze Stuffed Peppers?
We do not recommend reheating from the freezer. However, if you’re going to freeze them, make sure that the meat is fully cooked through and the peppers have cooled down completely before wrapping in a freezer-safe air tight container. They will keep for up to 3 months.
Again, fair warning that they will not taste as wonderful as they do when fresh. Besides, the skin of the bell pepper will likely turn to mush upon reheating. They’re already roasted and soft, so to re-cook them you’re in danger of having them fall apart. We highly suggest eating them fresh (or within a few days of cooking / storing in a refrigerator).
How To Serve
You’ll love these with either blistered haricots verts, Asian Brussels sprouts, or blistered shishsitos peppers!
Don’t forget to serve Asian stuffed peppers with some low-sodium soy sauce or homemade teriyaki sauce on the side for dipping or drizzling! Really takes the flavor to the next level!
If you make my Asian Stuffed Peppers, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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Healthy Weeknight Dinner Recipes:
- Sicilian Swordfish
- Pan Seared Chicken With Burst Tomatoes
- Salmon en Papillote
- Miso Cod
- Beef Negimaki
Asian Stuffed Peppers Recipe
Ingredients
- 3-4 bell peppers halved, stems and seeds removed
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 ½ tsp kosher salt divided
- 1 ½ lb ground chicken turkey, or pork
- 3 scallions thinly sliced
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp coconut aminos or soy sauce plus more for serving
- 1 heaping tsp ginger paste
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
- ½ large onion minced
- 1 small shallot minced
- 1 clove garlic (minced
- 1 cup baby spinach roughly chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Place halved peppers cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and 1 tsp kosher salt. Bake for 10 minutes, or until tender.
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 ½ lb chicken (or other ground meat), remaining 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, 3 scallions, 2 tsp sesame oil, 2 tsp soy sauce (or coconut aminos), 1 heaping tsp ginger paste, and ¼ tsp black pepper. Set aside.
- Heat 2 Tbsp canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and shallot, then cook until translucent, stirring often, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and 1 cup spinach, and cook 1-2 minutes more, until spinach has just wilted. Set aside to cool slightly, then add to ground meat and mix well.
- Fill each pepper with meat mixture, then bake 20-25 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 F. Serve with cilantro and additional soy sauce / coconut aminos, as needed.
Notes
- Note that cook time will vary based on how much filling is in the peppers. Larger bell peppers will have a larger amount of filling (and cook longer) relative to smaller peppers. Use a meat thermometer to ensure filling is cooked to 165 F in the center of each pepper before serving.
- We do not recommend freezing and reheating stuffed bell peppers, as they are likely to get soggy.
- Cooked stuffed bell peppers, however, will keep in a refrigerator for up to 1 week.
I was really excited when this low carb dinner was posted, but I didn’t love it as much as I expected. I used ground turkey instead of chicken and doubled the recipe, and to be fair I should probably try it exactly as written. My filling took longer to cook than stated in the recipe,which made the peppers really soft. Also, the flavors weren’t as strong as we like. I was hoping for a dumpling flavor that would really pop, so that was disappointing. However, I wonder if they would’ve “popped” more if I’d used chicken instead of subbing turkey, so that could’ve been entirely my fault. I’ll update with another review when I’ve tried it as written!
I’m sorry you didn’t like this one. We make these stuffed peppers often, they are so loved in our family. The filling recipe is based off a variation of dumpling filling from our best friends who are Chinese! The idea is to keep it super simple. I can see why you might want to add additional flavors, but traditional dumpling filling (according to our pals!) has very few ingredients. We tend to pour a bit of soy on top, but otherwise — nothing else. xo, Ari
Do you cook the chicken prior to putting in the pepper shell?
Hi Jenny! No, you put the raw filling in the peppers. They will then cook for 18-20 minutes until the internal temperature of the meat (chicken OR pork filling) reaches 165 F. Best, Ari
Amazing!! I used ground pork, and we didn’t have shallot so I just added more scallion. Also we didn’t use spinach. I added in one cup of cooked rice to the meat mixture because we had some left over. I finished with Sriracha and avocado instead of cilantro. I love love love this recipe I will definitely make it again
We love this one too, Samantha! Thanks so much! xo, Ari