Feta Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers recipe with caramelized onion and spinach are an incredibly flavorful one-bite appetizer. These wildly impressive delights are easy to make, require only 6 basic ingredients and are sure to be the talk of the party!
Many years ago, I shared my recipe for Cream Cheese Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers and it has been a hit ever since.
Listen, I love anything cheese-like in nature, but I wanted to revisit the topic using one of my favorite cheeses: feta. I also thought it would be fun to take a caramelized onion and spinach approach to bring plenty of flavor and spunk to the healthy appetizer.
The combination of tangy feta with buttery caramelized onions, bold garlic, and fresh spinach just really hits!
Not only are they a flavor explosion for any cocktail party, holiday gathering, or event necessitating food, but they are fun and easy to make.
I brought these feta stuffed peppers to my brother’s house for a family dinner and was instantly showered with questions about them. Let’s just say, they disappeared instantaneously.
Crucial Question:
Are these peppers spicy?
No! Far from it.
Mini sweet peppers are very mild, as they are just baby versions of bell peppers.
You can absolutely make these mini bell peppers spicy by adding hot sauce or red pepper flakes to the stuffing mixture.
Otherwise, these peppers are a safe side dish for anyone to enjoy, regardless of their spice tolerance.
Because these are so easy, they are fun to make as a weeknight appetizer to enjoy before any of your healthy meals.
Let’s discuss the six simple ingredients needed for this cheeky little bite.
Ingredients for Feta Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers:
Mini Sweet Peppers: In case you’ve never seen them, mini sweet peppers are typically pre-packaged in a bag in the produce section of grocery stores, near the bell peppers or chilis. Fresh mini peppers are mild and sweet in flavor and come in vibrant red, orange, and yellow colors, all of which are included in the package.
You will need less than one full bag of little peppers for this recipe, so you can either double or triple the recipe to use the rest, or put them in salads, soups, or serve them raw with dipping sauces like hummus and ranch dressing.
Avocado Oil: A great high-temperature cooking oil, we use avocado oil to pre-roast the peppers to make them nice and soft. Avocado oil is also used to caramelize the onion. Feel free to use olive oil if it is what you have on hand.
Yellow Onion: One yellow onion gets caramelized to perfection in this easy appetizer recipe to ensure the peppers are just jam packed with flavor. While caramelizing onions does require a bit of time, you can perform this step first so that you can prepare the rest of the recipe as the onion is cooking.
Garlic: Fresh garlic brings more well-rounded flavor to the peppers. Scale the amount up or down according to your personal preference!
Baby Spinach: Fresh spinach gets cooked in with the onion, garlic and feta until it’s nice and wilted. It adds bulk to the mixture for great texture and also a boost of vitamins.
Feta Cheese: The star of the show! Creamy feta cheese really makes these mini peppers POP with flavor! It becomes melted yet crispy for a delicious texture. Be sure to use a feta cheese you know you love, as they aren’t all created equal. I choose an organic brand at my local grocery store, which I use in anything necessitating feta.
Salt: Feta contains a decent amount of salt already to be sure to taste test the feta mixture before deciding how much salt to add. Some people may not want to add additional salt, but I add about ½ teaspoon.
Recipe Adaptations:
- If you’d like, you can do a combination of 8 ounces of feta cheese and ⅔ cup of grated cheddar, pepper jack or Colby jack cheese.
- Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of hot sauce in with the feta mixture for some heat. Or add ¼ teaspoon to ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
- For a meat lovers adventure, add in ½ pound of ground meat such as ground beef or Italian sausage and cook it with the onion. If you take this route, you’ll be able to fill 20 to 30 peppers (for 40-60 servings).
- If you’d like, garnish the peppers with green onions when they are fresh out of the oven.
- Swap the feta for goat cheese if you prefer.
- Toss in some fresh herbs like chopped parsley, sage, basil, cilantro, or thyme if you have them.
- Mix 1/2 cup of sour cream in with the feta mixture to make it even creamier.
- For even more tangy, briny flavor, add chopped kalamata olives or sun-dried tomatoes to the feta mixture.
These tasty appetizers are a great option to start any healthy dinner.
Now that we have the basics down, let’s bake this incredible appetizer!
How to Make Feta Stuffed Mini Peppers:
Make the Stuffing Mixture:
Begin by caramelizing the onion, as it will require the most amount of time.
To do so, heat 1 tablespoon of avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to sweat, about 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the chopped onions have turned golden brown, about 30 minutes total.
Pre-roast the sweet peppers while the onion is cooking.
Once the onion is caramelized, add the garlic and spinach. Cover the skillet and cook for a few minutes to help steam the spinach. Stir well and continue cooking until the spinach has completely wilted and much of the liquid has evaporated.
Add in the feta cheese and stir well. Continue cooking and stirring until the cheese is mostly melted.
Prepare the Peppers:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Use a sharp knife to cut the tops off of the peppers, then slice them in half.
Transfer the halved peppers to a large baking sheet in a single layer and drizzle them with avocado oil. Toss the peppers with your hands to be sure all of the flesh is covered with a very light layer of oil. Roast for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the peppers have softened but still maintain their shape.
Remove the peppers from the oven and allow them to cool.
Once cool enough to handle, stuff the roasted peppers with the spinach feta stuffing and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake the stuffed peppers at 400 degrees F for 8 minutes. Place the oven on the High broil setting and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the feta is showing a little golden-brown color.
For best results, serve the spinach and feta stuffed mini peppers fresh out of the oven. You can also make this as a make ahead appetizer and simply reheat the peppers in the oven when you’re ready to serve.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Before eating, reheat the peppers in the microwave or in an air fryer.
And that’s it! A delicious, easy, memorable appetizer that the whole family will love! Make these for any of your upcoming holiday celebrations or gatherings down the road.
So for your next party, whip up this low carb great appetizer and watch your guests swoon! It can easily be made last minute for an epic crowd pleasing finger food.
If you’re looking for more delicious appetizers, check out these options!
Healthy Appetizer Recipes:
- Hummus Flatbread with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Pesto
- Sweet Potato Rounds with Herbed Ricotta and Walnuts
- The Best Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Air Fryer Steak Bites
- Gluten-Free Crispy Cheesy Flatbread
- Ground Beef and Feta Stuffed Mushrooms
Enjoy these delicious creamy feta stuffed mini peppers for the perfect bite!
Feta Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers
Ingredients
- 15 mini sweet peppers sliced in half lengthwise*
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil divided
- 1 medium-sized yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- 12 ounces feta cheese crumbles
- Sea salt to taste
Instructions
Make the Stuffing Mixture:
- Begin by caramelizing the onion, as it will require the most amount of time. Heat 1 tablespoon of avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to sweat, about 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the chopped onions have turned golden brown, about 30 minutes total.
- Pre-roast the sweet peppers while the onion is cooking (instructions below).
- Once the onion is caramelized, add the garlic and spinach. Cover the skillet and cook for a few minutes to help steam the spinach. Stir well and continue cooking until the spinach has completely wilted and much of the liquid has evaporated.
- Add in the feta cheese and stir well. Continue cooking and stirring until the cheese is mostly melted.
Prepare the Peppers:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the tops off of the peppers, then slice them in half.
- Transfer the halved peppers to a large baking sheet in a single layer and drizzle them with avocado oil. Toss the peppers with your hands to be sure all of the flesh is covered with a very light layer of oil. Roast for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the peppers have softened but still maintain their shape.
- Remove the peppers from the oven and allow them to cool.
- Once cool enough to handle, stuff the roasted peppers with the spinach feta stuffing and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake the stuffed peppers at 400 degrees F for 8 minutes. Place the oven on the High broil setting and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the feta is showing a little golden-brown color.
- For best results, serve the spinach and feta stuffed mini peppers fresh out of the oven. You can also make this as a make ahead appetizer and simply reheat the peppers in the oven when you're ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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