Grilled Mini Sweet Peppers with Goat Cheese + Jalapeño Cilantro Pistachio Pesto

During the summer, Tony and I love nothing more then enjoying most of our meals on the grill. Frankly, it’s easy and I don’t mind eating simpler meals so I can avoid turning on the oven and blasting the AC.

A few years back I created these grilled mini peppers and stuffed them with a mixture of goat cheese and jalapeño. Consider this your lucky day, because I just majorly upgraded this recipe to be even easier to make and added a flavorful jalapeño cilantro pistachio pesto. WOW. These peppers are just as fun to make as they are to eat.

I’ve included tons of ideas for main dishes to pair with these peppers, so check them all out in the post! Not gonna lie, usually Tony has a bag of potato chips on the side too because he claims that “baked beans, chips and ketchup together are delicious'”and then proceeds to mix them all together. #MEN

Ingredients in these grilled mini peppers

These little peppers are tangy, sweet, creamy, and even a little spicy. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:

• Mini sweet peppers: the star of the show! You’ll toss them in a little olive oil or avocado oil, salt, and pepper, and grill them up whole.
• Goat cheese: get a lovely tangy flavor when you sprinkle the peppers with goat cheese crumbles.
• Pesto: we’re making my favorite homemade pesto with cilantro, roasted pistachios, lime juice, jalapeño, garlic, olive oil, salt & pepper. You’ll want to add it to everything this summer.

Can I keep this dish dairy-free?

Absolutely! Feel free to omit the goat cheese and simply serve them with the pesto. Alternatively, you could serve them with your favorite dairy-free cheese crumbles.

Try a new sauce

Looking for different toppings? Skip the goat cheese and pesto and pair these in my Homemade Tzatziki Sauce Recipe!

How to make these grilled mini peppers

1. Prep the peppers. Start by tossing the mini peppers in a little oil, salt, and pepper.
2. Grill them up. Place them in a single layer on your preheated grill, close the lid, and cook, flipping halfway through so that both sides get a lovely char.
3. Make the pesto. While the peppers are grilling, blend all of the pesto ingredients in a food processor or high-powered blender.
4. Serve them up. Add the grilled mini peppers to a serving platter, crumble goat cheese on top, then drizzle or dollop them with the pesto and serve.

Can I roast them instead?

Yes! If you don’t have a grill, you can roast them in your oven before topping them:

1. Add peppers to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and toss with oil, salt, and pepper. Spread out on the pan in a single layer.
2. Roast the peppers for 10 to 15 minutes on 450 degrees F, then flip and continue roasting until slightly softened and charred, 10 to 15 minutes more. Be sure to not overcook them, otherwise they will become mushy.

Our favorite ways to serve these peppers

Add them to a platter to serve guests at your next BBQ, or enjoy them with some of our go-to main dishes:

• Grilled steak or shrimp
• Tender orzo or rice (get extra herbs in with my Green Rice!)
• Baked or Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken
• Sazon Grilled Chicken Thighs
• Grilled Jalapeño Cilantro Chicken
• Seriously Good Sweet Potato Cheddar BBQ Chicken Burgers
• Grilled Tahini Chicken Caesar Sandwiches
• Honey Lemon Garlic Salmon

Get even more grilling recipes here!

Learn to grill your favorite vegetables

I have a whole post dedicated to grilling your favorite vegetables like corn, zucchini, brussels sprouts, and more. Learn four ways to to grill vegetables here!

Storing tips

Store any leftover grilled mini peppers with goat cheese and pesto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Enjoy them straight from the fridge!

More side dishes you’ll love

• Grilled Corn Salad with Avocado, Goat Cheese & Hot Honey Vinaigrette
• Homemade Slow Cooker Baked Beans
• Tony’s Melt-In-Your-Mouth Grilled Brussels Sprouts
• Vegan Caesar Pasta Salad
• Best Healthy Coleslaw Ever (no mayo!)

Get all of my side dish recipes here!

If you make these grilled mini peppers be sure to tag #ambitiouskitchen on Instagram or rate the recipe and leave a comment below to let us know how you liked them. xo!

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Grilled Mini Sweet Peppers with Goat Cheese & Pesto

5 from 5 votes

byby :Monique Volz of AmbitiousKitchen.com

Leave A Review Print Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

ServesServes 8 servings

Easy and delicious grilled mini peppers topped with creamy goat cheese and flavorful jalapeño cilantro pistachio pesto. These beautiful mini peppers make the perfect side dish with your favorite proteins and grains, plus a unique appetizer to share during the summer!

Ingredients

• For the peppers:
• 1 pound mini sweet peppers
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• For the pesto:
• 1 cup cilantro leaves
• ½ cup shelled roasted pistachios
• 1 small lime, juiced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1-2 tablespoons water, if necessary to thin the pesto

Instructions

• Preheat the grill to 425 degrees F. Add peppers to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Use your hands to toss the peppers in the oil so that they are evenly coated.
• Add the peppers in a single layer to the grill, close the lid, and cook, until they begin to soften and are charred on the skin, about 6 to 8 minutes. Flip and cook until charred on the other side, 6 to 8 more minutes.
• While the peppers cook, make the pesto: add cilantro, pistachios, lime juice, jalapeño, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth, add water if necessary to help thin the pesto and make it easier to process. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times and process again. Once done, set aside.
• Add peppers to a large bowl or a platter and top with goat cheese. I like to break up the goat cheese myself into big and small chunks, but goat cheese crumbles will also work. Drizzle the peppers with the beautiful pesto and serve!

Recipe Notes

See the full post for serving suggestions and instructions for roasting the peppers!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (based on 8)Calories: 171calCarbohydrates: 4.9gProtein: 4.7gFat: 15.5gSaturated Fat: 3.7gFiber: 1.8gSugar: 1.9g

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats

This post was originally published on June 14th, 2018, and republished with a new recipe and photos on May 20th, 2025.