Southwestern Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers

These Tex-Mex-inspired stuffed mini peppers are one of my latest favorites. They are so good and so addicting. Miniature (and might I add, adorable) sweet peppers stuffed with spiced-up cream cheese and topped with crunchy panko breadcrumbs? I mean, really, what could go wrong in this scenario?

Like corn ribs and potato skins, these mini stuffed peppers have that irresistible finger food appeal. They’re a perfect appetizer for game day get-togethers and parties. Mini stuffed peppers are ideal for after school snacks or just because.

Stuffed mini peppers are terrific hot out of the oven but they also taste great as they cool. Save some for a midnight snack. They’re better than potato chips. Wait, did I just say that? Really, these things are so stinkin’ tasty!

Reasons To Love These Stuffed Mini Peppers

• Bold southwest flavors. Taco seasoning adds zippy flavor to the cream cheese filling while the shredded cheddar ups the ooey-gooey factor. These stuffed mini peppers are similar to jalapeño poppers but without the spicy heat, making them a perfect alternative for those of us who don’t enjoy the burn of hot peppers.
• Easy to make. May I add that stuffed mini peppers are fairly easy to make? Granted, prepping the peppers and stuffing them is slightly on the time-consuming side but they aren’t difficult.
• Great for making in advance. If you want, the peppers can be stuffed ahead of time so they’re all ready to pop in the oven. That’s my favorite kind of party appetizers!

Ingredient Notes

• Sweet Mini Peppers: The sweet multi-colored mini peppers are sold in bags in the produce section. They’re not the same as small hot peppers or jalapeño peppers. The sweet peppers aren’t spicy at all. Their flavor is similar to a bell pepper. They’ve been specially bred for sweetness, size, and crunch.
• Cream Cheese: Soften the cheese at room temperature so it’s easier to mix in the taco seasoning and to spread. Cut the brick up into little pieces if you want to hurry up the softening process. Use either full-fat or reduced fat. Nonfat cream cheese doesn’t taste as good and isn’t as creamy. It can also be more watery.
• Sharp Cheddar: I use white cheddar for these stuffed mini peppers. Regular cheddar is fine or a Mexican blend. For extra heat, you can swap in pepper jack.
• Taco Seasoning: Using a seasoning blend is an easy way to get lots of flavor without opening 10 different jars of spices.
• Panko Bread Crumbs: For the perfect crispy-crunchy topping, I like panko bread crumbs. They’re coarser and more airy than regular bread crumbs which makes them crispier.
• Unsalted Butter: This helps the panko get brown and extra-crispy.

How To Make Mini Stuffed Peppers

Prep peppers. Wash and halve each pepper. Stem on or off, it’s totally up to you. (I think the stem looks kind of cute.) Scrape out the seeds and ribs.

Make the filling. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, and taco seasoning until well-blended.

Fill the pepper halves. You can use a spoon to fill the peppers, a pastry bag, or a plastic bag with a corner cut off. Don’t stress too much if the filling isn’t perfectly even. It settles into the corners as the peppers bake and the cheese melts.

Add panko topping. Top the peppers with a mixture of panko breadcrumbs and melted butter. Lightly pat the crumbs onto the filling so it sticks on.

Bake. Put the pan of mini stuffed peppers into the oven and bake them for 15 minutes. If you like, turn the broiler on and broil the stuffed peppers for a couple of minutes to brown the bread crumbs.

Serve. You’ll want to let the stuffed mini peppers cool slightly before you serve them. The cheese filling is very hot. The stuffed peppers are tasty served hot or cooled down to room temperature.

Recipe Variation Ideas

• Switch up the seasoning: Season the filling with whatever spice mixture you enjoy or happen to have. They don’t have to be southwestern. Instead of taco seasoning, try ranch seasoning mix, Italian seasoning, or homemade mild curry powder. Cajun seasoning or my southwest spice blend work well. Fresh chopped herbs are so good, too!
• Try another cheese: Instead of sharp cheddar, substitute blue cheese, pepper jack, Swiss, or any cheese you like in these stuffed mini peppers
• Make jalapeño poppers instead: Simply replace the sweet peppers with jalapeño peppers and continue with the recipe. Note: Wear gloves when prepping the peppers to protect your fingers.
• Looking for entrée-sized stuffed peppers? Try vegetarian stuffed peppers, pepperoni pizza quinoa stuffed peppers, or this easy stuffed pepper casserole. If you don’t care for peppers all that much, try these Caprese couscous stuffed tomatoes or chicken fajita stuffed spaghetti squash.

Make Ahead Ideas

Prep the peppers ahead. It takes a little while to halve the peppers and remove the seeds and ribs. This step can be done a few of days in advance. Refrigerate the prepped peppers until ready to use.

Prep the cheese filling ahead. To avoid last minute prep, prepare the filling in advance, cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. Allow it to soften an hour at room temperature before filling the peppers.

Make and bake later. Stuff the peppers, cover and refrigerate them up to a day in advance. Bake the stuffed mini peppers when it’s party time.

Freeze stuffed mini peppers. Place the filled peppers (baked or unbaked) on a tray in the freezer until firm. Place in a freezer container or bag for up to a month. They can be frozen for up to a month. Bake frozen peppers (don’t thaw) as directed, adding a couple of minutes to the baking time.

Storing & Reheating Leftovers

Leftover stuffed mini peppers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Reheat in the air fryer or oven for best results. They can be reheated in the microwave but the topping won’t be as crisp.

Leftover Love

If you have some of the cheesy filling left over after stuffing the peppers, serve it as a spread for crackers or make stuffed celery sticks. You may even want to make a double batch of the filling just for this purpose!