If you’re looking for a dish that is easy to make, packed with protein and flavor, and perfect for game day or any other time of the year then these Cheesy Taco Stuffed Mini Peppers are your answer. These spicy little appetizers come together in only 30 minutes (including cooking time) and can be customized with your favorite toppings including guacamole, sour cream, cilantro leaves, diced tomatoes, jalapeños or salsa.
Taco night is a favorite for many families and it can be hard to find new ways to make tacos, or inspired dishes. With these Cheesy Taco Stuffed Mini Peppers, taco night will never be the same! This recipe makes six servings and takes about 30 minutes max to make. Make it alongside our delicious slow cooker Taco Dip and your guests will flip!
You can serve these stuffed mini peppers as an appetizer or side dish at your next gathering with friends, family, or coworkers. These peppers are sure to please anyone who tries them. Your mouth will water just looking at how delicious they look and smell while you cook them too! They are also perfection for people looking to eat lower carbs!
How to Make Stuffed Mini Peppers with Ground Beef
These peppers are so easy, peasy to make! Check out what you need to do for some tasty pepper appetizers.
- To start, wash, dry, and slice your mini rainbow peppers in half length wise. I did this with gloves to avoid any capsaicin from getting on my skin or eyes.
- Once the peppers are cleaned out, place them on baking sheet and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Brown the ground beef, and then mix it with the softened cream cheese, cheddar, and taco spice.
- Stuff each pepper evenly with mixture.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until peppers are melty, golden-brown, and slightly crisp.
- Sprinkle cilantro on top and enjoy warm!
Are These Mexican Taco Peppers Spicy?
In short, these are not spicy as written. The beauty of these taco peppers is that they are much more flavorful than spicy (heat wise). If you really love the heat, you could consider adding some red pepper sauce to the mixture. I really love how the sweet pepper has a slight crisp and really complements the bold flavors of the taco filling. My kids are 14, 12, and 9 and they had no issues eating these.
Variations
Cheese – To make these lower in fat you could use Neufchatel cheese and reduced fat cheese blend. You can use white, yellow, taco-flavored cheese, or Mexican blend for these.
Meats – I used grass-fed lean ground beef for these, but you could use 80/20 ground beef. Just be sure to drain any excess fat from these. Ground chicken, sausage, turkey, bison, or venison could be used. If you are vegetarian, meatless crumbles could be used.
Peppers – You can use larger red, yellow, or orange bell peppers to make this a low-carb meal. The mixture will fill 6 halves total. If you like heat, you can use jalapenos too. Just be sure to wear gloves to prevent the capsaicin from burning your skin and eyes.
Garnish – Featured garnish is chopped cilantro. However, since these mini peppers are similar to taco pepper nachos, You could serve them with salsa, guacamole, or sour cream.
Leftovers
Store any pepper leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If you would like to freeze these, I would freeze the peppers stuffed with the mixture, unbaked. To bake, thaw peppers in the refrigerator before baking for 20-25 minutes.
More Taco Recipes to Try Today!
- Slow Cooker Taco Dip
- Slow Cooker Taco Meat
- Baked Chicken Tacos
- Taco Hot Dogs
- Chicken Tacos
- Buffalo Shrimp Tacos
- Grilled Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
- Easy Tostadas Recipe
Mini Cheesy Taco Stuffed Peppers
Equipment
- oven adjusted to the center rack position
- large baking sheet
- skillet
- large mixing bowl
- wooden spoon
- cutting board & knife
Ingredients
- ½ pound ground beef browned
- 10 Mini rainbow peppers or 3 large bell peppers
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1½ cups Mexican cheddar blend
- 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice mini peppers with a knife length-wise. Remove any excess seeds and ribs. Add halved peppers to a large baking sheet.
- In a skillet, add ground beef and brown. Drain any excess fat and add hamburger to a large mixing bowl.
- Add softened cream cheese, taco spice, and shredded cheddar to the large bowl with the ground beef; mix to combine.
- Spoon taco mixture into each pepper half. Bake peppers for 15-20 minutes or until peppers are slightly crisp, and filling is golden-brown. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Enjoy warm.
hi I’m looking to making these for Super Bowl!
What temp do I set the oven to please?