Healthy Bell Pepper Nachos
Bell pepper nachos are one of my favorite easy dinners as a dietitian. This recipe is super nutritious and light, but it tastes indulgent and satisfying.
Nothing satisfies like a big, delicoius plate of loaded nachos. But the real deal doesn’t always leave me feeling light and energized.
That’s why I love bell pepper nachos as a healthier everyday alternative. Made with a base of bell peppers instead of chips, this bell pepper nacho recipe is lighter, lower calorie, and a little more nutritionally balanced if you’re working on your health.
As a Registered Dietitian, I make and enjoy these cheesy sheet pan nachos almost weekly. Read this post for tips to learn how to make bell pepper nachos, extra nutrition and prep tips, and answers to all your questions.
Why you’ll love bell pepper nachos
- Just as delicious as regular nachos but lighter and more nutritious
- Super easy to make on one sheet pan
- Picky eater friendly (my nacho-loving husband genuinely loves this recipe!)
- Easy to customize with different meats, extra toppings, and more
What makes these bell pepper nachos healthy?
We use a base of bell peppers instead of tortilla chips for more fiber, more vitamin C, and fewer calories.
Extra lean ground beef offer lots of protein to keep you full and support fitness goals.
Added black beans means extra protein, fiber, and phytochemicals to support your health.
This bell pepper nacho recipe uses less cheese than other recipes to minimize saturated fats.
It’s a great lower carb recipe if you struggle with blood sugar or follow a loose keto diet.
Ingredients and swaps
- Bell peppers: use any color bell peppers you like, or a mix of red, yellow, orange, and/or green. You can also substitute full bell peppers for mini sweet peppers.
- Extra lean ground beef: You can use any fat percentage you enjoy, but I like a leaner meat for more protein and less fat. You can substitute with ground chicken, ground turkey, rotisserie chicken, or other protein sources as desired.
- Black beans: Make sure to drain and rinse these well for the best texture. This can also help minimize any digestive discomfort that beans may cause. You can substitute for any beans you enjoy like pinto or red kidney beans if you’d prefer.
- Pepperjack cheese: I like pepperjack cheese for a melty texture and delicious flavor. But you can use any grated cheese you like! Monterey jack, cheddar, and mozzarella work great too. A little bit of feta or cotija cheese would be delicious as well.
- Red onion: Diced red onion makes a tasty topping, but you can substitute for white onion or green onion.
- Jalapeno: I recommend seeding your jalapeno for less spice. You could also use pickled jalapenos, but they have more heat.
- Salsa: Use any salsa you love. I like medium or hot for a little kick.
Want something a little more substantial?
Use half bell peppers, half tortilla chips! Mixing bell peppers with traditional nachos is healthy too, and it adds some satisfying crunch.
Dietary restrictions
Vegetarian: Swap ground meat for lentils or vegetarian ground round.
Dairy-free: Use dairy-free cheese and avoid any toppings with dairy like sour cream.
Extra fiber: Double the black beans or add lentils.
More protein: Serve with a big scoop of plain Greek yogurt. Also, use extra lean meats for more protein and less fat.
How to make bell pepper nachos
Position your oven rack to the middle and pre-heat to 400 F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Place your bell pepper slices on the parchment-lined pan, skin-side down and avoiding overlap. Season with salt. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until slightly softened.
Dab bell peppers with a paper towel to absorb any excess liquid that was released when cooking.
Gently rearrange your peppers so they’re touching but not overlapping.
Assemble your nachos! Sprinkle each ingredient over your nachos in an even layer, in this order: ground beef, black beans, cheese, red onion, jalapeno. Finish with small dollops of salsa all over the nachos. Bake for 10-13 minutes or until cheese is melted. Finish under the broiler for 2-3 minutes for extra browning, if desired.
Let your bell pepper nachos rest for 5-minutes. Add toppings of choice and enjoy!
More topping ideas
Add these extra toppings after your nachos are cooked:
- Sour cream
- Greek yogurt (love this for a protein boost!)
- Cotija cheese
- Fresh lime
- Pickled jalapeno
- Sliced green onion
- Diced white onion
- Pico de gallo
- Cubed avocado
- Guacamole
Tips
- Don’t cut your bell peppers too small. You want them big enough to fit comfortably in your hand.
- Carefully dab extra moisture from your cooked bell peppers before adding toppings. Extra moisture can make things a little soggy.
- Customize this recipe to your preferences and needs. You can swap the meat, use a different cheese, or add extra of whatever you love. This recipe will still work out great!
More healthy dinner ideas
Healthy ground beef stir fry
One pot pesto chicken and rice
Turkey zucchini enchilada casserole
Creamy slow cooker chicken chili
Healthy cheesesteak pasta recipe
Weeknight taco baked potaotes
Common questions
Absolutely! If you’re looking for a low carb meal, this bell pepper nacho recipe is great as is. But if you’d prefer something more substantial, I love to mix tortilla chips with bell peppers. To do this, cook your bell peppers as instructed in steps 2-3. In step 4, add tortilla chips to the pan before adding toppings.
Yes, I think bell pepper nachos are a great make-ahead meal or meal prep option. Re-heat for a few minutes in the air fryer or toaster oven, or use a microwave if needed.
Yes! This recipe works great with mini bell peppers as the base. Simply slice your mini peppers in half, and remove seeds and stem. Reduce cooking time as needed since mini bell peppers are not as thick as regular bell peppers.
Nope! Feel free to substitute extra lean ground beef for ground turkey, ground chicken, canned chicken, or rotisserie chicken. For a vegetarian recipe, swap meat with lentils or vegetarian ground round.
Did you try this recipe?
Leave your rating and review below! And don’t forget to post a picture to Instagram, and tag me @real.life.nutritionist.
Healthy Bell Pepper Nachos
Ingredients
- 4 bell peppers, cut into 2-inch squares
- ½ lb extra lean ground beef, cooked and crumbled, seasoned with salt and pepper in cooking
- ½ cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup grated pepperjack cheese
- ¼ red onion, diced small
- 1 seeded jalapeno, diced small
- ⅓ cup hot salsa
- toppings as desired (see notes), to serve
Equipment
- Sheet pan half or full both work
Instructions
- Position your oven rack to the middle and pre-heat to 400 F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Place your bell pepper slices on the parchment-lined pan, skin-side down and avoiding overlap. Season with salt. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until slightly softened.
- Dab bell peppers with a paper towel to absorb any excess liquid that was released when cooking.
- Gently rearrange your peppers so they're touching but not overlapping.
- Assemble your nachos! Sprinkle each ingredient over your nachos in an even layer, in this order: ground beef, black beans, cheese, red onion, jalapeno. Finish with small dollops of salsa all over the nachos. Bake for 10-13 minutes or until cheese is melted. Finish under the broiler for 2-3 minutes for extra browning, if desired.
- Let your bell pepper nachos rest for 5-minutes. Add toppings of choice and enjoy!
Notes
- Sour cream
- Greek yogurt (love this for a protein boost!)
- Cotija cheese
- Fresh lime
- Pickled jalapeno
- Sliced green onion
- Diced white onion
- Pico de gallo
- Cubed avocado
- Guacamole
