Zesty Stuffed Mini Peppers

The filling for these stuffed mini peppers is made of two kinds of cheese, spices and lime zest. A colorful and delicious appetizer recipe!

I’m crazy over mini peppers. They are good in salads, and dips, and chopped up in all kinds of recipes, but my favorite way to prepare them is to stuff them with zesty cheesy goodness!

The filling I make for stuffed mini peppers differs from most recipes you’ll find surfing the web. It’s made with two kinds of cheese, cumin, a little onion, and garlic powder. I use lime juice and zest for a zesty filling, giving the peppers a little hidden pop of color and brightness that sends the stuffed mini peppers over the top!

Seve these zesty stuffed mini-peppers at your next party, but watch out! Don’t let anybody fight over the last one!

What are Mini Peppers?

Think of mini peppers as a sweeter and smaller version of bell peppers with a crisp-tender crunch full of flavor. Mini peppers are good in salads, dips, or chopped up in recipes. They are available in assorted red, yellow, and orange colors and can be packaged in most grocery stores’ produce section.

Ingredients Needed

The recipe card at the end of this post provides a detailed list of ingredients.

• Mini Sweet Peppers: you can use whatever color you want. I usually can only find them in a package in assorted colors. They sure are pretty on a platter!
• Cheese: I use both softened cream cheese and cheddar cheese. The cream cheese is super soft and creamy, while the cheddar’s sharp pungent flavor cuts through and makes the filling slightly gooey.
• Spices: Garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper. The garlic powder and onion powder give the cheese savoriness to offset the lime, while cumin and cayenne pepper give the stuffed peppers warmth and a little heat. If you don’t like spice, omit the cayenne or add more if you do!
• Lime: This is the secret ingredient. Lime zest has more flavor than juice, which can fade away during cooking.

Add-Ins

Cooked Meat: Recently, I made these with leftover breakfast sausage. I crumbled the sausage up and mixed it with the filling. I recommend adding pork sausage, chorizo, or ground beef seasoned with taco seasoning. 

If using sausage, make sure the sausage is cooked before adding the filling to the peppers and don’t forget to leave some plain stuffed mini peppers for your vegetarian friends.

How to Make Stuffed Mini Peppers

Despite a bit of planning to ensure the cream cheese is soft and the effort of cleaning out the peppers, this stuffed mini peppers recipe comes together in just a few minutes. 

Detailed instructions are provided in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Step 1: Soften the cream cheese. 

Take the cream cheese out for 1 hour before making this recipe. The softened cream cheese mixes with the other ingredients better, so there won’t be big globs of cream cheese in your peppers.

Step 2: Prepare the peppers.

There are many ways to prepare mini peppers for filling. I like to keep them whole. It’s like the pepper becomes the jacket around the zesty cheese filling. Many recipes say to cut the peppers in half and put the filling in boat-shaped pepper halves.

1. Wash and drain the peppers well.
2. Slice off the top/stem of each pepper. 
3. Use a butter knife, and carefully twist the knife inside the pepper to help remove the ribs and seeds. Set aside and repeat with the remaining peppers.

Step 3: Prepare the Zesty Cheese Filling.

Mix the cheeses, spices, lime zest, and lime juice in a medium bowl. Stir well and make sure it blends well. Then stir in sausage (if using).

Step 4: Fill the Peppers.

Generously spoon the cheese filling into each pepper and place the peppers onto a baking sheet.

Step 5: Bake, Cool, and Enjoy!

Place the baking sheet of peppers into the oven; bake for 20 minutes or until heated through, and the cheese is melted. Then remove the baking sheet from the oven. 

Allow the peppers to cool for at least 5 minutes. Place them on a platter or plate, and enjoy!

Tips For Making This Recipe

• Soften the cream cheese for at least one hour before stuffing the peppers.
• Use a butter knife to loosen the veins and seeds from the mini peppers.
• For easier cleanup, use aluminum foil or parchment paper to line the baking sheet. 
• For crispier peppers, either serve raw or shorten the cooking time by 5-10 minutes.
• The cheese will ooze out when baking. Use a spoon to push it back into the pepper before serving. A pepper rack is helpful to keep the cheese filling from oozing out during baking.
• Use jalapenos if you love their spicier flavor and cannot find mini peppers.

Recipe FAQ’s

I hope you will enjoy these little bites of zesty cheese stuffed mini peppers as a snack or with your friend and family gatherings. Everyone will love them. I know we sure do!