Turkey Skillet Bell Peppers (Printable)

A quick, healthy one-pan meal featuring lean turkey and colorful peppers.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Protein

01 - 1.1 lbs ground turkey

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
03 - 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
04 - 1 green bell pepper, sliced
05 - 1 medium red onion, sliced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

→ Pantry & Seasonings

08 - 2 tbsp olive oil
09 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
10 - 1/2 tsp dried oregano
11 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
12 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
13 - 1/2 tsp salt
14 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ To Serve

15 - Lemon wedges

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
02 - Add the ground turkey to the skillet and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, approximately 5 to 6 minutes.
03 - Add the sliced red onion and minced garlic to the skillet. Sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.
04 - Stir in the sliced red, yellow, and green bell peppers. Cook for another 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender but still crisp.
05 - Sprinkle in the smoked paprika, dried oregano, ground cumin, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Mix well to combine and cook for 2 more minutes to bloom the spices.
06 - Stir in the chopped parsley, adjust seasoning if needed, and remove from heat immediately.
07 - Serve warm, garnished with additional fresh parsley and lemon wedges if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's truly done in 35 minutes, no hidden steps or waiting around.
  • One pan means one thing to wash, which might be the best part of dinner.
  • The peppers stay bright and crisp instead of turning to mush, which somehow makes it feel less like "healthy food" and more like something you actually want to eat.
  • You can prep it in 15 minutes while chatting or listening to a podcast, then cook while something else happens.
02 -
  • If your peppers get mushy instead of tender, you've cooked them too long on medium instead of medium-high—the higher heat cooks them faster and keeps them crisp.
  • Don't skip the smoked paprika and cumin; they're what separate this from just ground turkey and vegetables, and they're the reason people ask for seconds.
  • Taste the turkey itself before it goes in the pan if you can—sometimes store-bought ground turkey is saltier than expected, so your final seasoning might need adjusting.
03 -
  • Prep all your vegetables before you start cooking—once the pan is hot and the turkey is going, you don't want to be chopping mid-dinner.
  • The smoked paprika is the secret that makes people think this is more complicated than it is, so don't swap it for regular paprika or this loses its edge.
  • Keep the heat at medium-high the whole time so vegetables cook quickly and stay crisp instead of steaming into softness.

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