Taco stuffed bell peppers are a high protein, low carb way to do taco night when you want something easy and family-approved. These baked bell peppers skip the rice and are filled with seasoned ground beef, melty cheese, and salsa for a keto-friendly, naturally gluten-free dinner that still feels fun and satisfying.
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The backstory.
This recipe for taco stuffed peppers started as one of my "I want tacos, but I also want to feel good after dinner" experiments. I had bell peppers in the fridge, ground beef on the counter, and taco seasoning in the pantry - but zero desire to fuss with rice or extra sides. I turned the peppers into little taco boats, packed them with a creamy, cheesy, high protein taco filling, baked everything until the cheese melted, and realized I'd just made a low carb, keto-friendly version of taco night that my family actually loved and I felt good about serving again and again.
xoxo Kori
Taco stuffed peppers are a must-make.
Taco stuffed bell peppers have become a regular in my house because they're simple, healthy, and still feel like comfort food - and my family loves them.
- High protein. Built around seasoned ground beef (or ground turkey or ground chicken), these stuffed bell peppers keep you full and satisfied long after dinner.
- Low carb and keto-friendly. There's no rice in this peppers recipe - just bell pepper, taco meat, cheese, and a few smart mix-ins for big taco flavor without the extra carbs.
- Easy weeknight dinner. From prep to table, this taco stuffed bell peppers recipe comes together in around 40 minutes, with straightforward steps and familiar ingredients.
These taco stuffed peppers are my kind of weeknight win - big taco flavor, high protein, low carb, and zero extra fuss.
Let's talk texture and flavor.
Every bite is cozy, cheesy, and full of classic taco flavor. The bell peppers soften in the oven and pick up a slight sweetness, while the filling stays rich and savory from the taco-seasoned ground beef, salsa, and sour cream. You get creamy, melty cheese throughout, plus a little freshness and crunch if you add toppings like shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, jalapeños, or avocado over the top. It's that "taco night" comfort, just in a lighter, high protein package.
What you'll need.
You don't need anything fancy to make this taco stuffed peppers recipe - just a few pantry staples and fresh peppers:
- Bell peppers: Any color works here - green, red, yellow, or orange. Choose peppers that are large enough to hold a generous scoop of filling and sit flat in your baking dish.
- Ground beef: Lean ground beef is the high protein base for these stuffed bell peppers. If you prefer, you can swap in ground turkey or ground chicken and keep everything just as flavorful.
- Taco seasoning: Use a good taco seasoning you already love. Homemade taco seasoning or a quality packet both work - this is where a lot of the taco flavor and seasoning comes from.
- Cheese: Shredded cheddar cheese melts into the filling and over the top. A Mexican blend, Monterey Jack, or pepper jack also work if that's what you have in your fridge.
- Sour cream: Sour cream adds creaminess and richness, turning the taco meat into a scoopable, slightly saucy filling. It also helps keep the peppers moist as they bake.
- Salsa: Salsa brings tomato flavor, a bit of heat, and extra moisture. Choose mild, medium, or hot depending on how spicy you like your taco stuffed peppers.
- Optional toppings: This is where you can get creative - shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced black olives, jalapeños or green chiles, avocado or guacamole, cilantro, extra salsa, and a squeeze of lime all work beautifully over each stuffed bell pepper.
If you love this lighter spin on taco night, be sure to check out my other low carb stuffed pepper favorites, too - Lasagna Stuffed Peppers for a cozy, Italian-inspired twist and Cheeseburger Stuffed Peppers when you're craving classic comfort in a high protein, low carb way.
Customize them your way.
Taco stuffed bell peppers are one of those "use what you've got" dinners - easy to riff on so you can spin them toward whatever your family's craving and whatever's hanging out in your fridge.
- Swap the ground beef for ground turkey or chicken. Use ground turkey or ground chicken in place of ground beef for a leaner but still high protein version.
- Add black beans for extra fiber. If you're not keeping it strictly low carb, stir black beans into the taco meat in place of part of the ground beef, or sprinkle a spoonful of black beans over each pepper before baking.
- Stir in diced tomatoes or green chiles. Add canned diced tomatoes, diced green chiles, or a mix of both to the filling to boost flavor and give the peppers a little extra texture and color.
- Switch up the cheese. Swap some or all of the cheddar with a Mexican blend, Monterey Jack, or pepper jack if you want a creamier melt or a bit more heat.
- Sneak in more veggies. Sauté chopped onion, extra bell pepper, or finely diced zucchini with the ground meat, then follow the recipe as written. This is an easy way to add more veggies without changing the core recipe.
- Adjust the heat level. Use mild salsa and skip jalapeños for a kid-friendly version, or add crushed red pepper, extra taco seasoning, or hot salsa for a spicier take.
Flexible dietary swaps.
If you love the idea of taco stuffed peppers but need them to bend a little with your goals, here are some smart, healthy swaps that keep all the flavor while tailoring the dish to your way of eating.
- Lean protein swap. Replace regular ground beef with lean ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken to reduce the overall fat while keeping it high protein.
- Lighter dairy option. Use light sour cream, or swap some (or all) of the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt to lighten things up and add extra protein.
- Dairy-free option. Use a dairy-free sour cream alternative and your favorite dairy-free shredded cheese in place of the regular cheese and sour cream. Make sure they melt well for the best texture.
- Lower sodium approach. Choose a low-sodium taco seasoning, pick a salsa labeled "no salt added," and salt the taco filling to taste so you're fully in control of the seasoning.
- Family-flexible carbs. Keep the peppers recipe low carb and keto-friendly as written, then serve black beans, rice, or tortilla chips on the side for family members who want a few extra carbs without changing the main recipe.
How to make this recipe for taco stuffed peppers.
Here's a quick rundown of how this recipe comes together - then you can hop down to the recipe card for all the step-by-step details.
- Slice and seed the bell peppers, place them cut-side up in a microwave-safe dish with a little water, cover, and microwave until just starting to soften. Transfer them to a baking dish.
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet, drain any excess grease, then add taco seasoning and water and simmer until thickened and well coated.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in sour cream, salsa, and most of the cheese until the mixture is creamy and combined.
- Spoon the filling into each pepper half, top with the remaining cheese, and bake until the peppers are tender and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
How to serve them.
This stuffed bell peppers recipe is hearty enough to stand on its own, but there are lots of fun ways to serve it and build out the meal.
- Fresh out of the oven with a spoonful of salsa or sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro.
- Topped with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and black olives so it feels like a stuffed taco salad in a bell pepper.
- Paired with a simple green salad, roasted vegetables, or cauliflower rice to keep everything low carb and keto-friendly.
- Served alongside black beans, Mexican rice, or tortilla chips for anyone who wants a little extra on their plate.
- Reheated in the air fryer for a few minutes to warm the center and re-melt the cheese if you're enjoying leftovers.
Kori's tips.
- Give the peppers a quick head start. Microwave the bell pepper halves in a covered dish with a little water until they're just starting to soften-start checking around 3 to 4 minutes, and don't panic if the edges look a bit shriveled. That's normal, and they'll finish softening (and look much better) once they're stuffed and baked with the filling.
- Drain the meat well. After browning the ground beef, drain off any extra grease so the filling isn't oily. It keeps the texture lighter and lets the taco seasoning and salsa shine.
- Pick seasoning and salsa you actually love. Most of the flavor comes from the taco seasoning and salsa, so use ones you already enjoy on regular tacos. If they taste great there, they'll taste great in these peppers.
FAQ's
Let the peppers cool completely, then place them in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. You can keep them together in a larger container or portion them into individual containers for easy high protein lunches.
The best way to reheat stuffed peppers is in the oven so everything warms evenly-place them in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake at 350°F until hot in the center. For a faster option, you can reheat one pepper at a time in the microwave: put it on a microwave-safe plate, cover, and heat in short bursts at about 50-70% power until warmed through.
Yes, these stuffed bell peppers freeze well. Once cooled, place them in a freezer-safe container or wrap them individually. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in the oven at 350°F until heated through, or use the microwave or air fryer.
Absolutely. You can swap the ground beef for ground turkey or ground chicken in the same amount. It keeps the recipe high protein and delicious, just with a slightly different flavor and a leaner nutrition profile.
If you're not following a strict low carb or keto-friendly plan, you can stir black beans or a small amount of cooked rice into the filling. Just know this will increase the carbs compared to the base no-rice version. For a flexible approach, keep the peppers low carb and offer black beans or rice on the side.
Yes. You can assemble the peppers (with the filling) ahead of time, cover the baking dish, and refrigerate for up to a day. When you're ready to eat, bake until the peppers are tender and the filling is hot, adding a few extra minutes since they'll be starting cold.
Top with your favorite taco toppings (shredded lettuce, olives, onions), homemade guacamole, salsa, and sour cream. Really, this taco stuffed bell pepper recipe is a meal in one, though.
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📖 The recipe.
Stuffed Taco Peppers (Low Carb + High Protein)
Ingredients
- 4 medium bell peppers, any color (seeded and halved)
- 1½ pounds lean ground beef
- 1 recipe or packet taco seasoning mix (use gluten free if needed)
- ¾ cup water
- 1½ cup cheddar cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup salsa
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Wash peppers, slice lengthwise in half, and remove seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves cut-side up in a microwave-safe casserole dish with ¼ cup water. Cover and microwave 5 to 6 minutes, or until peppers are just starting to soften. Carefully drain any excess water.
- While the peppers cook, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until cooked through, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain excess grease if needed. Add taco seasoning and ¾ cup water to the skillet. Stir and simmer according to the recipe or packet directions, until the mixture thickens.
- Remove skillet from heat. Stir in sour cream, salsa, and 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese until fully combined.
- Arrange peppers in the dish and fill each half generously with the beef mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup cheddar cheese.
- Bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until peppers are soft, heated through, and the cheese is melted. Serve warm and top with your favorite taco toppings.
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Kori's Tips
Nutrition
© 2025 Seeking Good Eats™
Traci
My husband made his usual homemade taco seasoning and added red pepper flakes and onions. Yum! We used red bell peppers. We also had a fresh, sliced avocado. We will definitely make these again!
seekinggoodeats
Thank you and so glad you loved the recipe! Love your ideas with the red pepper flakes and onions. I have 2 other stuffed pepper recipes you might like too - cheeseburger stuffed peppers and lasagna stuffed peppers 🙂 The result of a lot of peppers coming out of my garden LOL
Robyn
Do you think skipping the microwave part and putting them all together and then in a crock pot would work ? For 4-6 hrs on low ?
seekinggoodeats
YES - absolutely. I do it all the time and it allows the flavors to blend really well. 🙂
Robin
If you do this, do you still add the water inside or just the peppers and stuffing?
Lee martin
This came out great, I made a couple of changes , one let the mixture cool before adding the cheese , two I didn’t cook the peppers in the microwave,, I stuffed them raw then I poped them in a 350 oven for 30minutes they were perfect.
Odessa Wilson
This is very good. Delish! I did not microwave too long, only 3 mins & I added 2 tbs of cream cheese. I will definitely will make again.
seekinggoodeats
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed the taco stuffed peppers! I will give cream cheese a try next time I make these. Great idea!
Melanie
For just my husband and myself, I was wondering about making and freezing half of this recipe. Would you suggest I do everything but bake the peppers and freeze them, or just the meat mixture in a bag?
seekinggoodeats
Hi Melanie! I would go ahead and cook them first, then freeze. Let me know how you like them. Enjoy! 🙂
Monet Printz
I substituted orange and yellow peppers for a bit of color and I like the flavor better
seekinggoodeats
Yes! Great idea! You can use any color pepper - they taste great and look so pretty! 🙂
Danielle Brown
Hi,
Can I substitute plain Greek yogurt for the sourcreme?
seekinggoodeats
Yes you can! There is a slight difference in taste but not much! Let me know how you like it with Greek yogurt!
Kshav6
Could you add how much water and how much taco seasoning to use into the recipe? I made my taco seasoning home made and had to wing it on how much to use of both.
seekinggoodeats
Hi! 🙂 If you are using my Copycat Taco Seasoning Mix or a packet of taco seasoning you would use 3/4 cup of water. You would brown the ground beef, add the seasoning and water and cook until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the meat mixture becomes "saucy". Since I'm not sure what ingredients you are using I can't say for certain how much of the taco seasoning to use or how much water you may need. You may not need water at all. I would recommend you add some of your seasonings to the ground beef and do a taste test then add more if needed. The recipe I created has a little thickener in it so as the liquid evaporates you end up with a slightly saucy meat mixture.
Jessica
Are the nutritional facts based on a serving? How many equal a serving?
seekinggoodeats
Hi! A serving size is half a pepper with filling. Sorry for the confusion. I added the serving size to the recipe card now - enjoy! 🙂
Robyn
Do you think they can be prepared the day before and then refrigerated over night ? If so, would do you believe the bake time and degree should be ? Just looking for an idea. Thanks! Recipe sounds amazing. Can not wait to try them.
seekinggoodeats
Since the peppers are cooked they really just need to be heated in the oven. So maybe 350 for 35 to 45 minutes? I hope you enjoy them! We make them A LOT in our house.
L
I absolutely loved it. I used ground turkey instead of ground beef and it was amazing. Thank you for posting.
seekinggoodeats
Great, thanks so much! So happy you loved them. If you like stuffed peppers I have 2 more recipes you might like - Lasagna Stuffed Peppers and Cheeseburger Stuffed Peppers 🙂
Greta Kothakota
What is the equivalent is the homemade taco seasoning to the packaged type?
seekinggoodeats
I use 1 recipe is equivalent to 1 taco packet. 1 recipe works with 1 lb ground beef. 🙂
Shannon
What do you serve as a side? Can’t wait to try them, they look delicious.
seekinggoodeats
I love them with a green salad! They're almost a meal on their own! 🙂
Allison
Hi! What is the serving size for this nutritional info? Thanks!
seekinggoodeats
Hello! 1 pepper is 1 serving. Enjoy! 🙂
Pam
1 whole pepper (2 halves) or just 1 half of a pepper for?
seekinggoodeats
Hi! A serving size is 1 half of a pepper. 4 peppers total are used in the recipe and they are cut in half. Hope this answers your question. I added the serving size to the recipe card. I can see where it was confusing! 🙂 Enjoy and have a great day
Michele B
Made this tonight and it was so GOOD! Cooked the peppers for 6 minutes only and they were perfect. Wow is this a delicious meal! Thanks so much for the recipe.
seekinggoodeats
Thank you so much! 🙂 I'm so happy you loved the recipe!! I just published a new recipe for cheeseburger stuffed peppers yesterday too! LOL. I tested on my kids and husband and they loved them!
ABrendle
Would this recipe also work with chicken instead of ground beef?
seekinggoodeats
Yes! 🙂 Ground chicken or even diced cooked chicken would work great! Enjoy!
Maria
I over cooked the peppers in the microwave. They seemed soggy, I’ll use less water next time. I was out of cheddar so substituted velveeta. I’ll reduce the amount of salsa and sour cream because it seems a little runny. The taste test was amazing!
seekinggoodeats
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed the peppers! I've overcooked my papers before too so don't worry! I somehow added 4 minutes and even though mine came out wilted looking They still ended up tasting good though! 🙂 Velveeta is a much more "melty" cheese so that might have contributed to your runnier texture too. Have a good day!
Sandra
Absolutely love this recipe. It is a family favorite. Thank you for sharing the recipe. 🙂
seekinggoodeats
Yay! Thanks so much for letting me know. Glad you loved it! My family loves it too 🙂
Olivia Lemus
I did 8 minutes little shriveled but not bad maybe 5-6 minutes next time, I cut recipe in half though. Still delicious! Thanks =)
Jo Wells
How did you half the seasoning packet?
seekinggoodeats
I will do this sometimes, but I just eyeball it and approximate. Most of the time I use my own taco seasoning recipe so if I want to make half the peppers I half the recipe! Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Jenn
I dont pre cook my peppers. just fill and bake . I love them with a little crunch.
Kori
Yes, absolutely that works great. For those that like them softer it adds to the baking time so microwaving speeds up the process. If you like them crunchy (such as yourself) then baking without microwaving is a great option! Enjoy! 🙂
Jess
So I cooked the peppers in the microwave for 10 minutes following your instructions, and they came out a bit shriveled.. should they be microwaved for a shorter amount of time or is that okay that they ended up shriveled?
seekinggoodeats
Hi, as long as they are soft and you can still stuff them you are okay! 🙂 My peppers were slightly shriveled too. It's hard to be exact because microwaves can be different wattage, and peppers can be different sizes. The intent is just to get them soft so that they don't take as long to bake as the ingredients you are stuffing them with are already cooked. I am going to make a note in the recipe about this - thank you!!
Susan
I put my peppers covered in aluminum foil in cold oven set at 375 degrees when it gets to 375 I set timer for 10 minutes.
William W. Johnson Jr.
fixed just two servings. microwave for 3 minutes is enough. sauteed onions red bell pepper,onions and garlic with ground chuck. full fat sour cream and medium salsa. used mexican blend shredded cheese. wonderful result, nearly perfect keto diet meal.
Kori
I love how you made this work for two — and the microwave shortcut is such a smart idea! Sautéing the onions and garlic with ground chuck adds so much flavor, and I’m all about full-fat sour cream and a good Mexican cheese blend. Sounds like you nailed it. So glad it turned out to be a nearly perfect keto meal for you!