Keto Pizza Stuffed Peppers (Printable Version)

Bell peppers loaded with marinara, melted mozzarella, and pepperoni for a keto-friendly pizza-inspired meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Peppers

01 - 4 large bell peppers, any color, halved and seeded

→ Filling

02 - 1 cup sugar-free marinara sauce
03 - 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
04 - 0.5 cup mini pepperoni slices
05 - 0.5 cup cooked Italian sausage, crumbled, optional
06 - 0.25 cup grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
08 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
09 - 0.25 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
10 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

11 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley

# Steps:

01 - Set oven temperature to 400°F and allow to fully preheat.
02 - Drizzle bell pepper halves with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Arrange cut-side up in baking dish.
03 - In a mixing bowl, combine marinara sauce, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, cooked Italian sausage if using, half the pepperoni, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Blend until evenly combined.
04 - Distribute filling evenly among pepper halves using a spoon.
05 - Cover each stuffed pepper with remaining mozzarella, remaining pepperoni, and Parmesan cheese.
06 - Cover baking dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
07 - Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden and peppers are tender.
08 - Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You get all that melty, gooey pizza satisfaction while staying completely in ketosis, which honestly felt like a small miracle the first time I tasted it.
  • The prep is genuinely quick—no complicated techniques, just chopping and mixing and letting your oven do the heavy lifting.
  • Everyone at the table gets excited about vegetable-based mains when they look and taste this indulgent.
02 -
  • I learned the hard way that not seeding your peppers thoroughly leaves you with unexpected liquid during cooking; take an extra 10 seconds to scoop out every last seed and white membrane.
  • The difference between bubbly cheese and separated, oily cheese is about 2 minutes of baking time, so don't walk away during that final stretch—staying nearby means you catch it at its peak.
03 -
  • Choose peppers that all seem roughly the same size so they finish cooking at the same time; I've had one end up tender while another still had a slight crunch to the walls.
  • Don't skip the 5-minute rest after baking—it lets the cheese set and the flavors settle, and it keeps your mouth from being immediately scalded by molten mozzarella.
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