Stuffed peppers for dinner? Try this stuffed Anaheim peppers recipe filled with ground turkey and cheddar cheese, topped with your favorite hot sauce.
Anaheim peppers! When you cook with chili peppers as much as we do, you'll find yourself making a lot of stuffed peppers. I mean, a LOT of stuffed peppers.
Seriously, I'm adding them all the time. See - Stuffed Chili Pepper Recipes. It's really growing. I've even written an entire cookbook dedicated to them.
Plug for me!
We don't just make them, though, because we're huge chili pepper lovers. Stuffed peppers are actually a convenient way to prepare a meal, and when it boils down to the basics, they're just plain fun. I mean, look at them!
There are so many possibilities to choose from, ranging from the mildest bell all the way up to the superhots, which are quite a bit harder to stuff because of their size. If you want to turn your stuffed peppers into a meal, you'll need to choose an appropriately sized chili pepper.
About Anaheim Peppers
The Anaheim pepper is named for the California city of Anaheim. They were brought to southern California in 1894 and grown commercially by Emilio Ortega.
Anaheims are popular because they are quite mild in terms of heat (only 500-2500 SHU), but they are also incredibly easy to find.
I find them stocked in the local grocery store chain's chili pepper section along with jalapenos, serranos, bells and sweet peppers all the time. Go ahead and grab some. Anaheims are a good size to stuff and they have a thicker wall which stands up to the cooking process. All you need to do is slice them open, clean them out, and get creative with your stuffing.
This particular dish incorporates lean ground turkey that has been seasoned with a Cajun blend.
We typically opt for ground turkey over beef because of the calories, and we've come to prefer ground turkey over the years, but beef would be good here as well. Or try some ground chicken.
The cheddar cheese gets nice and gooey inside, and gives you just enough of that mouth feel and fat content to bring it all together.
Let's talk about how we make the recipe, shall we?
Sausage and Cheese Stuffed Anaheim Peppers Ingredients
- Anaheim Peppers.
- Olive Oil.
- Onion. Chopped.
- Jalapeno Pepper. Chopped.
- Garlic Cloves. Chopped.
- Ground Turkey.
- Cajun Seasonings.
- Cheddar Cheese.
- Sriracha. Or your favorite hot sauce for topping.
How to Make Sausage and Cheese Stuffed Anaheim Peppers - The Recipe Method
First, stem the peppers and remove the innards with a knife. Slice them in half lengthwise and set them aside for now.
Next, heat a bit of oil in a pan to medium heat and add your chopped onion and jalapeno peppers. Cook them down about 5 minutes to soften.
Add the garlic and cook another minute, until fragrant.
Add the ground turkey and break apart with a wooden spoon. Cook about 8-10 minutes, or until cooked through.
Add the Cajun seasonings and a bit of water. Stir to combine. Cook a couple minutes longer, until the water reduces and the seasonings are mixed in nicely.
While the turkey is cooking, bring a small pot of water to boil and boil the Anaheim pepper halves for 2-3 minutes to soften. NOTE: You can skip this step if you prefer firmer stuffed peppers.
Set the peppers onto a baking sheet.
Stuff each pepper with layers of your seasoned cooked turkey mixture.
Next, top them with shredded cheddar cheese.
The amount of stuffing and cheese will vary depending on the size of the pepper, so plan accordingly. Be sure to stuff the mixture in good and tight with your thumb.
Heat a grill to medium heat and grill for 15 minutes. Or, you can broil the stuffed peppers not too close to the heat source about 15 minutes, until the skins begin to char.
Remove from heat and serve!
Serve a couple of these and you have yourself a complete meal. Two each was enough for us to feel plenty full and satisfied, but I still ate a third. Don't forget the sauce for some added moisture.
Sriracha is good, but consider your favorite hot sauce from the ocean of awesome specialty makers out there. Enjoy!
That's it, my friends! I hope you enjoy your turkey and cheddar stuffed Anaheim peppers!
Recipe Tips and Notes
- The Meats. I enjoy seasoned ground turkey for this recipe, but it works great with any ground meat. Try it with ground beef, pork, or chicken.
- Spices. I love a good Cajun blend for this, but it's so easy to adapt to your own taste preferences. Try it out with taco seasonings or a good fajita seasoning blend, or go with your own favorite.
- Cheese. I used shredded cheddar here, but you can use any cheese that is properly melty, like Monterrey jack or pepper jack. Go for it!
Storage & Leftovers
Storing your Turkey and Cheddar Stuffed Anaheim Peppers in an airtight container in the fridge may allow you to store the leftovers for up to 3-4 days. To maximize the storage life, make sure to refrigerate the peppers promptly.
Check Out Some of My Other Popular Stuffed Pepper Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Turkey and Cheddar Stuffed Anaheim Peppers Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 Anaheim peppers
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 12 ounces ground turkey
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasonings
- 6 ounces cheddar cheese or more as needed
- Sriracha or your favorite hot sauce for topping
Instructions
- Stem the peppers and remove the innards with a knife. Slice them in half lengthwise.
- Heat a pan to medium heat and add olive oil. Heat through. Add onion and jalapeno and cook about 5 minutes to soften.
- Add garlic and cook 1 minute, or until fragrant.
- Add ground turkey and break apart with a wooden spoon. Cook about 8-10 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Add Cajun seasonings and a bit of water. Stir to combine. Cook a couple minutes longer, until the water reduces and the seasonings are mixed in nicely.
- While the turkey is cooking, bring a small pot of water to boil and boil the Anaheim pepper halves for 2-3 minutes to soften. NOTE: You can skip this step if you prefer firmer stuffed peppers.
- Stuff each pepper with layers of ground turkey mixture and cheddar cheese. The amount will vary depending on the size of the pepper, so plan accordingly.
- Heat a grill to medium heat and grill for 15 minutes. It helps to wrap them in aluminum foil so the stuffing doesn’t ooze out. If you grill directly over the heat, watch the skin for blackening, which is fine, but you don’t want it TOO blackened. Or, you can broil the stuffed peppers not too close to the heat source about 15 minutes, until the skins begin to char.
- Remove from heat and serve! Top with your favorite hot sauce!
Notes
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 11/4/19 with new information and photos. It was originally published on 4/20/15.
Donna Faerber says
I don't have a broiler safe pan. How should I modify to bake? What temperature and how long?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Donna, you can either bake the peppers for 20-25 minutes or broil for 15 minutes in the center of the oven. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Eric Gribbell says
Made this for my wife and kids and got thumbs up. They are very sensitive to spicy food, but this still worked and I could blaze mine up at the table with my favorite face burner. For the kids, I served the meat in flour tortillas, and they ate it like tacos. Easy dish for me to make and customize for everyone. I will admit, I had to leave the jalapeno out, but I might sneak a little in next time. I was afraid my youngest would see something green and not eat it! As it stands, she let me add it to her list of approved meals 😉
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Eric! Glad you all enjoyed the stuffed peppers!
Tarin Lindsey says
This site looks great and what a yummy recipes. I love to eat fresh shrimp. Your Turkey and Cheddar Stuffed Anaheim Peppers looks very delicious and nice combo it attracts me. I want to serve this for my father's birthday celebration this weekend. For sure my father will be surprise with this special dish. Can't wait to serve this recipe. This is also a perfect weekend with my family with this recipe.Thanks for sharing your healthy recipe as free. Nice post indeed. Have a blessed day!