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These air fryer mini pepper nachos are a simple and easy appetizer or dinner that combines mini peppers, ground turkey, black beans, and more. Air frying creates that perfect light crisp with a melty topping that’s both simple and appetizing.
These high-protein mini pepper nachos are low-carb, gluten-free, and they take less than 30 minutes of cook time. You can have these nachos ready to go in no time, just like these cream cheese stuffed mini peppers.
These high-protein nachos can serve 4, and that means getting around 50 grams of protein per serving.
Once you try them, you are going to find reasons to make them on a regular rotation. These mini pepper nachos are in high demand at our house, and will be one of your new favorite recipes.
Quick Look At This Recipe
✨ Flavor: Cheesy, savory Tex-Mex with fresh toppings
⏱️ Prep time: 10 minutes
🔥 Cook time: 20 minutes
⏲️ Total time: 30 minutes
👥 Servings: 4
🥄 Tools: Air fryer
❄️ Freezer friendly: No
👩🏻🍳 Tip: Don’t skip the cottage cheese drizzle! Mixing cottage cheese with taco seasoning adds extra protein and gives these pepper nachos a creamy, taco-inspired finish.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- These mini pepper nachos are packed with over 50 grams of protein per serving, making them a satisfying lunch or easy weeknight dinner.
- They’re naturally low-carb and gluten-free (just use gluten-free taco seasoning), so everyone can enjoy them.
- Ready in less than 30 minutes, they’re loaded with seasoned turkey, melty cheese, fresh toppings, and a creamy cottage cheese taco drizzle.
Table of Contents
Recipe Ingredients
- Mini sweet peppers: These replace traditional tortilla chips for a colorful, crunchy, low-carb base that’s perfect and sturdy for holding all of the toppings.
- Lean ground turkey: A great source of lean protein that makes these pepper nachos filling enough for lunch or dinner.
- Black beans: Add fiber, plant-based protein, and classic Tex-Mex flavor.
- Taco seasoning: Use a gluten-free blend if needed.
- Cheddar cheese: Adds that classic nacho flavor.
- Mozzarella cheese: Helps make these nachos extra gooey.
Toppings
- Cherry tomatoes: Add fresh sweetness and color
- Avocado: Helps balance the savory flavors and adds healthy fats and fiber.
- Fresh cilantro: Another pop of flavor, and adds a touch of bright color.
- Cottage cheese: A creamy high-protein alternative to sour cream.
- Lime wedges: A fresh squeeze of lime brings it all together with a citrus pop.
See the recipe card for exact measurements.
Variations
- Swap the protein. Ground chicken, lean ground beef, or shredded rotisserie chicken all work well.
- Make them vegetarian. Skip the turkey and double the black beans.
- Turn up the heat. Add diced jalapenos, pepper jack cheese, or your favorite hot sauce.
- Try a different drizzle. Greek yogurt mixed with taco seasoning works just as well if you don’t have cottage cheese.
- PRO TIP. Cook the taco meat ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 4 days. When you’re ready to eat, simply assemble the peppers, top with cheese, air fry, and finish with fresh toppings.
How to Make Mini Pepper Nachos in the Air Fryer
Before you start, preheat the air fryer for about 3 minutes at 380°F to give the nachos a quick start at cooking. Slice the mini peppers, scoop out the seeds, rinse with water, and then dry completely.
1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and cook for 8-10 minutes, breaking it into crumbles with a wooden spoon until it is fully cooked and no longer pink. Drain any excess liquid.
2. Stir taco seasoning and black beans into the ground turkey, and cook everything together for 2-3 minutes so the beans heat through and absorb the seasoning.
3. Place a liner into the preheated air fryer basket. Arrange the sliced mini peppers in rows.
4. Scoop the turkey mixture over the peppers.
5. Top the mini pepper nachos with the cheddar cheese and mozzarella mixture, and air fry at 380°F for 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and gooey.
6. While the nachos are cooking, blend the cottage cheese and taco seasoning with a splash of lime juice using an immersion blender until smooth.
7. Slice the toppings while the nachos are cooking.
8. Remove the nachos from the air fryer.
9. Top with all of your favorite toppings, and then drizzle the cottage cheese mixture on top before serving. Slice into 1/4ths and serve.
Expert Tips
- Don’t overcook the peppers. Air fry them just until they are tender crisp. They should still have a little bite so they can hold all of the toppings without becoming mushy.
- Blend the cottage cheese until smooth. For the creamiest drizzle, blend the cottage cheese with the taco seasoning until completely smooth. It created a protein-packed topping that’s similar to a lighter sour cream.
- Use freshly shredded cheese. Freshly shredded is much better than pre-shredded cheese, which contains anti-caking agents.
- Add fresh toppings after cooking. Wait until the peppers come out of the air fryer before adding the tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, and cottage cheese drizzle fort he freshest flavor and the best texture.
- Serve immediately. These mini pepper nachos are the best when they are still hot and melty.
FAQs
Sort of. You can cook the taco meat up to 4 days in advance. When you’re ready to eat, simply fill the peppers, top with cheese, air fry, and then finish with the fresh toppings and cottage cheese drizzle.
Absolutely. Lean ground beef, ground chicken, or even shredded rotisserie chicken all work well in this recipe. Just make sure to cook the meat all the way through before assembling the nachos.
These mini pepper nachos are naturally lower in carbs than traditional nachos because mini sweet peppers replace tortilla chips. You can reduce the carbs even further by omitting the black beans and replacing them with additional seasoned ground turkey.
Store leftover pepper nachos in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For the best texture, keep the fresh toppings and drizzle of cottage cheese separate until serving. Reheat the peppers in the air fryer at 350°F for 3-4 minutes or until heated through.
More Air Fryer Recipes with Peppers
Air Fryer Mini Pepper Nachos
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 7 mini peppers , sliced in half and de-seeded
- 15 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 pound lean ground turkey, browned and drained
- 3 Tablespoons taco seasoning, gluten-free
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, freshly shredded
Cottage Cheese Taco Drizzle
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese, small curd, blended smooth
- 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning
Toppings
- 4 cherry tomatoes, sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, freshly diced
- 1/2 medium avocado, diced
- 1/2 medium lime, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer at 380°F. Slice the mini peppers, scoop out the seeds, rinse with water, and then dry completely.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and cook for 8-10 minutes, breaking it into crumbles with a wooden spoon until it is fully cooked and no longer pink. Drain any excess liquid.
- Stir taco seasoning and black beans into the ground turkey, and cook everything together for 2-3 minutes so the beans heat through and absorb the seasoning.
- Place a liner into the preheated air fryer basket. Arrange the sliced mini peppers in rows. Scoop the turkey mixture over the peppers.
- Top the mini pepper nachos with the cheddar cheese and mozzarella mixture, and air fry at 380°F for 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and gooey.
- While the nachos are cooking, blend the cottage cheese and taco seasoning with a splash of lime juice using an immersion blender until smooth.
- Remove the basket from the air fryer and top with all of your favorite toppings, and then drizzle the cottage cheese mixture on top before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
