Bell Pepper Nachos (Whole30)

Crisp slices of bell pepper loaded with traditional nacho toppings like seasoned ground beef, guacamole, and chipotle aioli. Totally Whole30 compliant and paleo, too. Top with my vegan queso if you’re feeling extra!

Why These Nachos Are So Good

• These nachos are so quick and easy to make, they are ready to eat in 30 minutes.
• They totally satisfy that Mexican food craving when you’re on a Whole30 or are eating paleo or low carb.
• You can easily customize these nachos to your taste with your favorite toppings.

How to Make This Recipe

1. Prepare your bell peppers: cut them in half and deseed, tearing out and discarding the white pith inside. Cut in half width-wise then slice into 3/4″ slices. They should be “chip size” – not too narrow or they won’t hold enough toppings.
2. Heat your oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add your ground meat and seasonings: taco seasoning, salt, chili powder. If you use a prepackaged taco seasoning, check it for salt before you add much of your own. Brown and crumble the meat, incorporating the seasonings well.
3. In a medium bowl, mash together avocado, pico de gallo, lime juice, salt, and cilantro until desired texture.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, chipotle powder, lime juice, and hot sauce.
5. Arrange your bell pepper slices with the insides facing up. Top with ground meat then guacamole. Drizzle with chipotle sauce and finish by topping with remaining garnishes, like more pico de gallo, cilantro, red onion, or black olives.

Topping Suggestions

I love that these bell pepper nachos are super customizable with endless topping options! You can use any ground meat you prefer like bison, beef, turkey or chicken, or try them with my slow cooker Mexican chicken.

Other toppings include sliced fresh or pickled jalapeños, my vegan queso, lime slices, diced avocado, or anything else you can think of.

Including my vegan queso here might be a “food with no brakes” for you. In this case, this topping could be considered SWYPO. Err on the side of caution and use your best judgment here. Without queso, this recipe is totally Whole30!

An Incredibly Easy Low Carb Recipe

By substituting the traditional tortilla chips with bell peppers, one of your favorite Mexican dishes is now low carb, whole30 and paleo. I actually love the freshness that the bell peppers bring to each bite and you don’t loose that crunch texture. The finished dish is really bright and colorful too!

Chef’s Tips

• Don’t cut the bell peppers too thinly. They should be chip sized so that they can hold the toppings.
• You can use your favorite store bought taco seasoning for this recipe, or use this recipe to make your own that is Whole30 compliant.
• You can prep the diffrent components for these nachos ahead of time and keep covered in the fridge, and then build them just before serving.

More Mexican Recipes

• Instant Pot Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
• Healthy Mexican Chicken Meal Prep
• Sheet Pan Fajitas
• Chicken Taco Lettuce Wraps

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5 from 4 votes

Bell Pepper Nachos (Whole30)

Prep:15 minutes minutes

Cook:15 minutes minutes

Total:30 minutes minutes

Slices of bell pepper loaded with traditional nacho toppings like ground beef, salsa, guacamole, and more. Made in about 30 minutes, Whole30, paleo.

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4 people

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 cups sliced red bell pepper about 2-3 big bell peppers. See Note
• ▢ 1 pound ground beef bison, chicken, or turkey
• ▢ 1 tablespoon avocado oil or refined coconut oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon chili powder

Quick Guacamole

• ▢ 3 avocados peeled and pitted
• ▢ ¼ cup pico de gallo or fresh salsa
• ▢ juice of 1 lime
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped (Optional but encouraged)

Chipotle Sauce

• ▢ ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ▢ 1 teaspoon chipotle pepper powder
• ▢ juice of 1/2 lime
• ▢ Couple dashes hot sauce for color

Toppings

• ▢ ½ cup pico de gallo
• ▢ cilantro chopped
• ▢ ¼ cup red onion chopped
• ▢ black olives sliced

Instructions 

• Prepare your bell peppers: cut them in half and deseed, tearing out and discarding the white pith inside. Cut in half width-wise then slice into 3/4″ slices. They should be “chip size” – not too narrow or they won’t hold enough toppings.
• Heat your oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add your ground meat and seasonings: taco seasoning, salt, chili powder. If you use a prepackaged taco seasoning, check it for salt before you add much of your own. Brown and crumble the meat, incorporating the seasonings well.
• In a medium bowl, mash together avocado, pico de gallo, lime juice, salt, and cilantro until desired texture.
• In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, chipotle powder, lime juice, and hot sauce.
• Arrange your bell pepper slices with the insides facing up. Top with ground meat then guacamole. Drizzle with chipotle sauce and finish by topping with remaining garnishes, like more pico de gallo, cilantro, red onion, or black olives.

Notes

Other toppings include sliced fresh or pickled jalapeños, my vegan queso, lime slices, diced avocado, or anything else you can think of.

Including my vegan queso here might be a “food with no brakes” for you. In this case, this topping could be considered SWYPO. Err on the side of caution and use your best judgment here. Without queso, this recipe is totally Whole30!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 717kcal, Protein: 24g, Fat: 59g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 86mg, Sodium: 1774mg, Potassium: 1354mg, Total Carbs: 27g, Fiber: 13g, Sugar: 10g, Net Carbs: 14g, Vitamin A: 4344IU, Vitamin C: 161mg, Calcium: 51mg, Iron: 4mg

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

 

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

 

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

© Author: Cheryl Malik