Add a spin on your Halloween dinner with Air Fryer Stuffed Pumpkin Peppers. These tasty peppers are shaped like Jack-O-Lanterns and can be stuffed with your favorite filling!
One of my favorite go-to recipes in the air fryer is air fryer stuffed peppers, but I also love that you can make them festive for Halloween with Air Fryer Stuffed Pumpkin Peppers. These peppers are naturally gluten-free, easy to customize with your favorite stuffing, and perfect for a festive meal during the Halloween season.
What you’ll love about Air Fryer Stuffed Pumpkin Peppers:
- Easy to Make – These are quick and easy with pantry ingredients.
- Naturally Gluten-Free – Simple to make gluten-free, use gluten-free taco seasoning!
- Kid-Friendly – These are fun for both kids and adults!
Ingredients for Stuffed Pumpkin Peppers:
- Orange Bell Peppers
- Ground Beef or Ground Turkey
- Gluten-Free Taco Seasoning
- Cooked Rice
- Green Onions
- Shredded Mexican Cheese
- Olive Oil Cooking Spray
Step-by-Step Instructions for Stuffed Pumpkin Peppers:
- In a skillet or in the pot of a Ninja Foodi, brown the ground beef and add in the taco seasoning as instructed.
- Mix in the green onions and cooked rice. Set aside.
- Spray the air fryer basket with olive oil cooking spray.
- Cut the top off each bell pepper and clean out the inside.
- Using a very small, sharp knife, carefully carve a pumpkin face in the side of the pepper.
- Stuff each pepper with the mixture.
- Place the peppers in the air fryer basket. Leave the top of the pepper off for now. My air fryer basket fits 4 peppers.
- Cook at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes in the air fryer.
- Open the air fryer, spray each pepper with olive oil cooking spray.
- Top with cheese and put the top of the pepper back on.
- Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or until the cheese melts.
- Remove and serve.
- Repeat the steps for the additional 2 peppers if needed.
- Serve with salsa!
Tips for Carving the Stuffed Pumpkin Peppers:
- Orange Bell Peppers will be the pepper of choice for these; choose orange bell peppers that are long and wide to fit the face on them.
Remember, do not worry if you have to get smaller peppers because that’s all the store has, trust me when I say that your family will love that you made these more than the perfection of the face on the pepper. I promise.
- Once you have the peppers ready, cut the top off the pepper and take the seeds out. Then, carefully carve a small pumpkin-inspired face on the side.
If the pepper is a little uneven, just trim the bottom so it sits right.
- A small knife works the best for these; carve any type of face and mouth that you want on the pepper.
Can you freeze stuffed peppers?
This recipe can be made in advance and stored in the freezer until you are ready to serve, which makes it great for freezer meal prep recipes.
Shop my Amazon Store for my favorites for the Air Fryer.
Fill the peppers with the stuffing that includes cooked meat. Once they are filled, pack them in freezer-safe storage containers until you are ready to eat them. Once you are ready to eat them, defrost the peppers and cook them in the air fryer as instructed in this recipe.
Tips and Variations of Stuffed Pumpkin Peppers:
- Mix up the Protein – These can be made with ground beef, ground turkey, chicken, or sausage.
- Low-Carb – Use cauliflower rice to make this a low-carb recipe.
- Spicy – Make these spicy by adding cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
How do you store leftovers?
Fully cool the peppers, then store them in airtight storage containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When ready to eat, heat them in the air fryer for 5 minutes at 350 degrees F or on a microwave-safe plate in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
They can also be stored in a freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, defrost them and cook at 350 degrees F in the air fryer for 5-7 minutes.
Air Fryer Stuffed Pumpkin Peppers will make all the kids excited for dinner during the Halloween season, plus they use readily available pantry ingredients!
Air Fryer Stuffed Pumpkin Peppers
Ingredients
- 6 Orange Bell Peppers
- 1 Lb Ground Beef or Ground Turkey
- 1 Package Gluten-Free Taco Seasoning
- 3 Green Onions Sliced
- 2 Cups White Rice Cooked
- 2 Tbsp Shredded Mexican Cheese
- Salsa
Instructions
- In a skillet or in the pot of a Ninja Foodi, brown the ground beef and add in the taco seasoning as instructed.
- Mix in the green onions and cooked rice. Set aside.
- Spray the air fryer basket with olive oil cooking spray.
- Cut the top off each bell pepper and clean the inside out.
- Using a very small sharp knife, carefully carve a pumpkin face in the side of the pepper.
- Stuff each pepper with the mixture.
- Place the peppers in the air fryer basket. Leave the top of the pepper off for now. My air fryer basket fits 4 peppers.
- Cook at 350°F for 10 minutes in the air fryer.
- Open the air fryer, spray each pepper with olive oil cooking spray.
- Top with cheese and put the top of the pepper back on.
- Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or until the cheese melts.
- Remove and serve.
- Repeat the steps for the additional 2 peppers if needed.
- Serve with salsa!
Notes
Nutrition
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