Korean-Style Turkey Stuffed Sweet Peppers (Printer-friendly)

Sweet mini peppers filled with Korean-spiced turkey and melted cheese, baked until tender and golden.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 12 to 16 sweet mini peppers

→ Meat

02 - 1 pound ground turkey

→ Aromatics

03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced, plus extra for garnish

→ Sauce & Seasoning

05 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
06 - 1 tablespoon gochujang
07 - 1 tablespoon honey
08 - 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
09 - 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
10 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Toppings

11 - 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
12 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease a baking dish. Slice mini peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Arrange pepper halves cut side up on the prepared baking sheet.
02 - In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add a splash of oil. Add ground turkey and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until just browned, approximately 5 minutes.
03 - Add minced garlic, grated ginger, and sliced green onions to the skillet. Sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.
04 - Stir in soy sauce, gochujang, honey, sesame oil, and black pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until well combined and slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
05 - Spoon the turkey mixture evenly into each pepper half, pressing gently to fill.
06 - Sprinkle shredded mozzarella evenly over the stuffed peppers.
07 - Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until peppers are tender and cheese is melted and lightly golden.
08 - Garnish with extra sliced green onion and toasted sesame seeds. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They look restaurant-polished but come together in less time than delivery would take.
  • The Korean spice blends with melted cheese in a way that makes people ask for the recipe before they've finished eating.
  • You can prep everything ahead and bake when guests arrive, which means you're actually relaxed during dinner.
02 -
  • Don't skip toasting the sesame seeds yourself—store-bought pre-toasted ones lose their fragrance, but a quick 2-minute pan toast transforms them into something genuinely flavorful.
  • The gochujang makes the difference between a good stuffed pepper and one that tastes authentically Korean, so don't substitute it with sriracha or generic hot sauce.
  • If your peppers are particularly thick-walled, you might want to pre-bake them for 5 minutes before filling so they finish tender rather than chewy.
03 -
  • Prep the peppers and make the filling earlier in the day, then assemble and bake right before serving—this way everything comes together warm and fresh.
  • If you're cooking for someone with a dairy allergy, skip the cheese entirely or use a quality vegan mozzarella that actually melts.
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