Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the ground turkey and break it apart with a spatula as it cooks. Season with the garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the turkey is fully cooked through with no pink remaining and any liquid in the pan has evaporated. Remove from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. This cooling step matters, because adding cream cheese to steaming hot meat makes it too loose to hold in the peppers.
- Transfer the cooled turkey to a mixing bowl. Add the softened cream cheese, half the shredded cheddar, and the sliced green onions. Stir everything together until the cream cheese is fully combined and the mixture looks uniform. Taste it and add the hot sauce now if your family likes a little heat.
- Halve the mini peppers lengthwise and remove the seeds and membranes. Lay them cut side up on your cutting board. They are small, so use a small spoon or your fingers to press the turkey filling into each pepper half, mounding it slightly above the rim. Press it in firmly so it does not fall out in the air fryer.
- Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheddar evenly over the tops of the filled pepper halves. Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees F for 3 minutes. Working in batches if needed, arrange the stuffed peppers in the basket in a single layer so air can circulate around them. Do not stack or overcrowd.
- Cook at 375 degrees F for 12 to 14 minutes. The peppers are done when the skins are soft and slightly wrinkled, the filling is heated through, and the cheese on top is melted and lightly golden in spots. A fork should pierce the pepper with very little resistance.
- Use tongs or a small spatula to transfer the stuffed peppers to a serving platter. Let them cool for 2 minutes before serving since the filling holds heat. Serve with sour cream or Greek yogurt on the side for dipping if you like.
Notes
If you are cooking these in batches, keep the first batch warm in a 200 degree F oven on a baking sheet while the second batch finishes in the air fryer. Leftover filling also works great the next morning scrambled into eggs.
