These easy Mini Pepper Nachos are low-carb and a great appetizer, snack, or side dish. They’re stuffed with chicken, cheese, and avocado and topped with nacho toppings. Dip them in salsa, and you won’t miss the tortilla chips!
If you’re looking for a great low-carb appetizer or just looking to lighten things up, these mini pepper nachos are for you. They have the flavor of nachos but without the tortilla chips.
I use mini bell peppers as the “chips” for this dish – they’re crunchy and add lots of flavor without all the carbs. They’re stuffed with a chicken, cheese, and avocado filling and then broiled. The peppers stay fresh and crunchy while the filling is warm with melted cheese. It’s a great combination.
You can usually find bags of mini bell peppers in the produce department at the grocery store. They come in different colors, so you end up with a colorful plate of low-carb nachos.
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- Diced jalapeno
- Chopped cooked chicken
- Mashed avocado
- Plain low-fat or fat-free Greek Yogurt
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Chili powder
- Ground cumin
- Salt and black pepper
- Mini bell peppers sliced in half
- Chopped green onions
How to Make Mini Pepper Nachos
Coat a small skillet with cooking spray and cook the jalapeno for a few minutes or until it’s tender.
Combine the chicken, avocado, yogurt, one cup of cheese, chili powder, cumin, and the cooked jalapeno in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and arrange the sliced peppers in a single layer. Fill each one with one to two tablespoons of the filling and then top them with the rest of the shredded cheese.
Broil them in the oven on high for about five to ten minutes or until the cheese is melted. The peppers will cook around the edges but will still have a crunchy bite. You don’t want them to be too soft because they won’t hold the filling.
Serve the bell pepper nachos hot from the oven. Garnish with the chopped green onions and serve them with a side of salsa.
Recipe Variations
Meat: Instead of chicken, you can use shredded roast turkey. For a different twist, try using cooked lean ground beef or ground turkey.
Jalapeno: If you don’t like jalapenos, you can leave them out or substitute a diced poblano pepper which isn’t as spicy.
Yogurt: Sour cream works in place of the yogurt if that’s what you have on hand.
Cheese: Swap the cheddar cheese for pepper jack cheese or Monterey jack cheese. Or you can do a combination.
Garnishes: Squeeze some lime juice over the top before serving, along with a sprinkle of fresh chopped cilantro.
How to Serve Them
- Appetizer: Serve them like you would nachos but without the tortilla chips. Arrange them on a serving plate with small bowls of salsa, guacamole, and sour cream for dipping.
- Side Dish: We love these peppers with a salad or bowls of soup for a main course meal.
If you’re eating low-carb, that doesn’t mean you need to give up your favorite flavors! These mini pepper nachos will cure a craving for nachos without taking you off track. I hope you give them a try soon.
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Mini Pepper Nachos Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup diced jalapeno
- 1 ½ cups 12 ounces pre-cooked chicken
- ¾ cup 6 ounces mashed avocado
- ½ cup plain low-fat or fat-free Greek Yogurt
- 2 cups shredded cheese use low-fat if desired. divided
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and Pepper optional
- 24 mini bell peppers seeds, ribs & stems removed, cut in half
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
Instructions
- Add cooking spray to a small skillet and cook jalapeno over medium heat until tender, just a few minutes.
- Place cooked jalapeno in a large bowl with chicken, avocado, yogurt, 1 cup cheese, chili powder and cumin. Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper if desired, to taste.
- Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil. Arrange peppers on cookie sheet. Fill each pepper with about 1-2 tablespoons chicken mixture. (Every pepper will vary as the mini peppers often come in different sizes.)
- Top with remaining cheese.
- Broil on high for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and peppers have started to cook around the edges. They won’t get soft – they stay crunchy on purpose.
- Garnish with scallions and serve with a side of salsa.
Notes
- For Optavia users: use low-fat cheese and don’t add salt or pepper. Per Serving (12 pepper halves): 1 leaner, 3 greens, 1 healthy fat, 2 condiments.
Nutrition
These easy Mini Pepper Nachos are low-carb and a great appetizer, snack, or side dish. Perfect when dipped in salsa!
Mel is an IT guy turned blogger and is discovering his love of cooking and photography. If you ever have Fantasy Football questions, he's your guy.
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