Switch things up with this easy stuffed banana pepper recipe! The cheesy banana pepper stuffing comes together quickly for a great weeknight family dinner.
I know banana pepper recipes aren’t in high demand, but my banana plants don’t seem to care! They are overproducing like crazy, so we’ve pickled them, eaten them fresh with hummus, and roasted them with tomatoes for plenty of salsa. This surplus led to my new favorite thing to do with banana peppers… Stuffed Banana Peppers! It’s just like the popular stuffed bell peppers, but they’re smaller (easier for portion control) and super easy to work with. We’ve tried this with both hot and sweet banana peppers, so just choose the version you enjoy best!
Want a spicier snack? Try our 4-ingredient jalapeno poppers!
Why you will love this banana pepper recipe
- It’s inexpensive — Our banana peppers have grown quicker and more abundantly than our bell peppers, so it’s cheaper for us to eat these.
- You can customize it — While I love these most with ground beef, it works beautifully with Italian sausage, breakfast sausage, ground turkey, ground chicken, etc.
- Everybody loves these flavors — While you might not be used to banana peppers, you will find the classic stuffing flavor perfect for your stuffed pepper craving.
Ingredients for Stuffed Banana Peppers
- Banana Peppers – Choose hot or sweet depending on your preferences. Try to pick ones relatively the same size and shape as those tend to cook at the same pace.
- Ground Beef – Feel free to replace with ground turkey, sausage, or chicken if you prefer.
- White Onion and Garlic – Chopped and minced. The smaller the chop, the better the flavor melds into the banana pepper stuffing.
- Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Paprika, and Italian Seasoning – This all-purpose blend goes with everything and brings out great flavor in the meat.
- Worcestershire Sauce – This tasty punch boosts that umami for well-balanced flavor.
- Cream Cheese, Blue Cheese Crumbles, and Cheddar Cheese – These give a great creamy texture with a tangy flavor that complements the peppers perfectly.
How to Make Stuffed Banana Peppers
- Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat, crumbling it with a wooden spoon as you go. Once cooked, drain off excess grease.
- Add your chopped onion and minced garlic to the skillet and sauté for 3 minutes. Stir occasionally for even cooking.
- Stir in spices, cream cheese, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until the cream cheese is smooth. If the mixture seems a bit dry, add in a tablespoon of water at a time until it looks satisfactory.
- Stir in your blue cheese crumbles and remove the skillet from the heat. Taste, then add in salt or pepper as needed (don’t go overboard… We will be adding cheddar cheese on top, so that will add some salt, too). Set it aside for now.
- Remove the stems from your banana peppers, slice them in half, and remove the seeds. Place them (cut side up) on a baking sheet.
- Spoon the creamy ground beef mixture into the hollowed out banana pepper halves. Top with shredded cheese, then bake in a preheated oven for 18-20 minutes.
What to Serve with Stuffed Banana Peppers
Storage and Reheating
- Fridge – Store up to 3-4 days in an airtight container lined with paper towels to absorb excess moisture.
- Freezer – Flash freeze on a baking sheet for 2-4 hours, then store in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months for the best taste and texture.
- Reheating – Bake (350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes) or air fry (350 degrees F for 2-4 minutes). You can also microwave (50% power, 1-minute increments), but this does make them more soggy and less appetizing to me.
Banana Peppers FAQs
Banana Peppers vs. Pepperoncini
Pepperoncini and Banana Peppers are frequently confused for one another. They look similar, have the same general level of heat, and are a part of the same family. They can be used interchangeably when pickled, but you’ll notice a much bigger difference in taste when they’re fresh. Pepperoncini tends to be more bitter, more fiery, are greener, have a more wrinkly exterior, and tend to have rounded ends.
Are banana peppers good for you?
Yes, banana peppers tend to have a high amount of fiber and Vitamins A, C, and B6. It’s believed that the low calories and high mineral content in banana peppers can help prevent inflammation, improve digestion, and potentially help our bodies in many other ways.
Are banana peppers spicy?
There are multiple types of banana peppers, and they can vary from sweet to mildly spicy, but most people consider the heat so mild it’s just “tangy.” If the plant you’re growing produces peppers a bit too spicy for you, just let them ripen longer on the vine for a sweeter bite.
What do banana peppers taste like?
Banana peppers range from sweet to MILDLY spicy. They’ve got a refreshing flavor and taste a bit nuttier than bell peppers. Generally they top out at 500 on the Scoville scale and are considered mild. For comparison, bell peppers usually measure around 0, ancho poblanos at 1,000-1,500, jalapenos at 2,500-8,000, and habaneros at 100,000-350,000.
More Great Recipes:
Stuffed Banana Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small white onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
- 12 banana peppers
- 1 1/2 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large skillet over medium brown the grown beef, crumbling as you go. Drain off or use paper towels to soak up most of the grease.
- Add the onion and garlic and sauté 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the spices, cream cheese, worcestershire sauce and stir until smooth. (If you find the mixture is a little dry add 1 tablespoon of water at a time as needed)
- Once the cream cheese is smooth stir in the blue cheese crumbles and remove from heat.
- Remove the stem from the banana peppers, slice in half and remove the seeds.
- Taste the ground beef mixture and as salt and pepper as needed. Spoon the mixture into the banana pepper halves. Top with shredded cheese
- Bake 18-20 minutes.
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