Bell Pepper Nachos Recipe

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Ingredients

These bell pepper nachos are made with all of your favorite nacho toppings plus bell peppers. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.

• Bell peppers: To make bell pepper chips, you’ll need to remove the stem and seeds and then slice into bite-sized pieces that you can top with toppings. You can also use mini bell pepper halves and stuff them for mini pepper nachos.
• Ground turkey or lean ground beef: Any lean protein works for these. My favorites are ground turkey, ground chicken, lean ground beef or shredded chicken breast.
• Taco seasoning mix: My go-to is Siete taco seasoning, or you can make your own with simple ingredients like garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
• Mexican cheese: I usually grab a grab of Mexican-blend cheese but you can also use shredded Monterey Jack or sharp cheddar cheese.
• Black beans: I typically use black beans but you can use any beans that you have! Pinto beans, refried beans or even chickpeas work great in this recipe.
• Avocado: Diced avocado adds healthy fats, fiber, and creaminess to these nachos.
• Cherry tomatoes: Instead of using jarred salsa you can make this super easy pico de gallo with just a few ingredients. Any tomatoes will work but cherry or grape tomatoes are nice and sweet.
• Sweet onion: Sweet onion, red onion or green onions work here.
• Lime juice: You’ll need lime juice for the pico de gallo, but it’s also delicious squeezed on top of the freshly baked nachos.
• Fresh cilantro: Cilantro adds the best fresh, herby flavor to these nachos. Add as much (or as little) as you like!
• Salt and black pepper

Optional Toppings

The more nacho toppings, the better in my opinion! Here are some additional toppings that I love to add to these bell pepper nachos.

• Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
• Salsa
• Veggies like jalapenos, black olives, or green onions
• A splash of hot sauce
• Avocado, guacamole, or avocado lime crema
• Cheese sauce or cottage cheese queso

Tips & Tricks

• Roast your bell peppers “face up“: Aka with the inside of the bell pepper facing up. This way, you can “stuff” each bell pepper piece with toppings.
• Don’t skip the toppings! If you ask me, the more toppings, the better! The best toppings are plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, salsa, hot sauce, jalapeńos, avocado, guacamole, cheese sauce or avocado lime crema! I also LOVE adding my cottage cheese queso!
• Separate chips and peppers: If you add regular tortilla chips too, be sure to separate the bell peppers and tortilla chips on the sheet pan. Bell peppers have quite a bit of moisture and will make your chips soggy (store leftovers separately too).
• Keep an eye on them: Be sure to watch your nachos closely in the oven because they can burn easily!

Easy Variations

One of the best parts of this recipe is how easy it is to customize! Here are a few suggestions.

• Buffalo chicken nachos: Toss shredded chicken in buffalo sauce instead of using ground turkey and then follow the recipe as written. Drizzle with ranch or blue cheese dressing (or my favorite buffalo ranch sauce!).
• Barbecue chicken nachos: Toss shredded chicken in barbecue sauce and top nachos with caramelized onions.
• Vegetarian nachos: Use a meat alternative like vegan crumbles, tofu or simply add an extra can of beans in place of meat.
• Use mini bell peppers: Instead of cutting regular bell peppers into chips, try using mini bell peppers! They’re the perfect size for nachos.
• Turn it into a salad or burrito: Serve nachos on top of greens for a nacho salad situation or in a flour tortilla with sour cream for an easy “burrito”.
• Try shredded chicken: Shred rotisserie chicken or used canned chicken for a huge time saver.
• Add some tortilla chips: If you prefer some crunch to your nachos, you can also do half regular tortilla chips too!

Storing Leftovers

• Fridge. Store leftover bell pepper nachos in an airtight container for up to 4 days. If you anticipate you’ll have leftovers, I recommend storing the pico de gallo and avocado separately and then topping after reheating the nachos.
• Reheat. These nachos can be reheated in the oven, air fryer, or microwave. The oven and air fryer will create the crispiest nachos, as the microwave might soften the peppers a bit.