
Picture this: you are craving nachos (because who doesn’t on the daily?), but you don’t necessarily want to load up on a bunch of fried tortilla chips and make yourself feel less than awesome for the rest of the evening. So instead, you cook up a delicious nacho filling with ground turkey, black beans, and taco seasoning. And then you take that heavenly mixture and load it into some lightly roasted bell pepper slices, top with cheese, bake in the oven, and then throw on some other goodies.
And then you devour half the sheet pan and don’t feel one bit guilty about it – but we’re talking hypothetically, of course.
Nacho craving cured without all those tortilla chips. LIFE CHANGING.

Real talk though – I was surprised by how much I enjoyed these. They have been on my list to make for a while, but I was thinking they would only be slightly satisfying and probs not good enough to make the cut for the blog.
BUT – man, they are seriously one of my favorite things! Nachos are one of my all time fave meals. We used to grow up eating them all the time – they are my dad’s signature meal that he would make. Which sounds super basic and simple, but something about his nachos…my mouth is currently watering just thinking about them!
So when the nacho craving hits, which is OFTEN, these bell pepper nachos are a much healthier way to satisfy that craving!

Speaking of satisfying things – you know what is super fun and satisfying? When my dog escapes the fence TWO times within two days. Backstory: I love my dog, and he’s such a sweet, adorable boy, BUT – he is quite possibly the worst trained dog on the planet when it comes to coming to you when you call his name. Like….THE. WORST.
It’s obviously Seth and I’s bad for not training him well with that, but we’ve almost always had a fence or had him on a leash, so we didn’t feel the super strong “need” to train him to come really well when we’re outside. Anyway, when he gets out, he is like GONE. And it is next to impossible to get him back.
So this week, my friend and I have started running together. And twice in a row – TWO DAYS IN A ROW – Boone got out right when we were leaving the house. One day he zoomed past me in the front door, and the next day, I left the gate open when I was mowing the lawn. On the second day, we were like one stop sign down from our house when I saw a huge black dog fly past us, and I was thinking “Man, whose dog is that?!” before realizing oh wait…it’s mine. Coolcoolcoolcoolcool. Cooooool.
Anyway, we got him back both days, but it was heinous. Should I take this as a sign that I shouldn’t be running? It seems to only happen when we’re going for a run. So that’s what I’m going to deduce from this. Ohhhh wellll – no more running! Will stay home and eat bell pepper nachos instead 🙂.

Turkey and Black Bean Bell Pepper “Nachos”

- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 5 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 20 ounces ground turkey (I used 93% lean)
- 1 can black beans, drained
- 1 packet of taco seasoning
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 5 bell peppers, sides sliced off into 4 pieces total per pepper
- 1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Toppings can include: cilantro, onion, Greek yogurt/sour cream (or anything else you love on your nachos!)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place your bell pepper slices on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and bake in the oven for ten minutes, just so they are slightly softened. If any moisture has collected in the pepper cups when they finish baking, pour that out before stuffing.
- Meanwhile, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil into a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add your ground turkey, season with salt and pepper, and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until the turkey is browned
- Add the black beans, 1/3 cup of water, lime juice, and your taco seasoning. Cook until the liquid has reduced and has become saucy
- Stuff your meat and bean filling evenly into each bell pepper, sprinkle the cheese evenly over all of them, and throw them back into the oven just until the cheese is super melty
- Top with whatever toppings you desire, and you’re done!
Notes
This recipe is 8 Freestyle SmartPoints per serving! It would be less if you used 99% lean turkey.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 whole bell pepper (4 nacho cups)
- Calories: 345
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 324 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 34 g

If you make this or any of my other recipes, be sure to Instagram it and hashtag #thegarlicdiaries so I can see!
In the mood for more yummy gluten free recipes? Check these out:
Instant Pot Green Chili Chicken
Chicken Marinara Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
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