Keto Feta & Olive Stuffed Red Peppers

These keto feta and olive stuffed red peppers are one of those recipes that looks like you have made a real effort, when in truth it is ten minutes of assembly and the oven does everything else.

Sweet pointed red peppers are slit open, filled with salty cubes of feta, briny green olives and capers, then baked until the peppers soften and the feta turns golden at the edges. It is Mediterranean flavour at its simplest, and it happens to be naturally low carb, gluten free and grain free too.

If you are following a keto diet or a low carb diet and you are bored of the same rotation of dinners, this is the recipe to shake things up. It works as a light main, a keto friendly lunch, or a stunning low carb side dish alongside grilled chicken, lamb chops or a piece of baked fish.

Why I Love This Recipe (And Why You Will Too)

There is almost no prep. Slit, scoop, stuff, bake. That’s basically it. It is SUPER easy.

The flavours do the heavy lifting. Feta, olives and capers are all big, salty, punchy ingredients, so you do not need a long list of extras to make this taste special.

It is naturally keto friendly. No swaps, no substitutes, no specialist ingredients. Everything should be easy to pick up in your local supermarket.

The glossy red peppers with white feta and green olives make a genuinely beautiful plate, which makes it brilliant for entertaining or a low carb dinner party spread.

It is vegetarian keto. Meat-free keto recipes that actually satisfy can be hard to find, and this one delivers on both flavour and fats.

Are Sweet Pointed Peppers Keto?

Yes, and they are one of my favourite low carb vegetables to cook with.

Sweet pointed peppers, often sold as romano peppers, have around 5 to 6 grams of net carbs each, which fits comfortably into a ketogenic diet when they are the centrepiece of the meal like this.

They are sweeter and thinner-walled than bell peppers, which means they roast faster, collapse into silky softness and concentrate their flavour beautifully in the oven.

They are also a good source of vitamin C and fibre, so you are getting proper nutrition alongside the indulgent feta.

Red bell peppers work here too if that is what you have, though the carb count per pepper is slightly higher simply because they are bigger.

How to Make Keto Stuffed Peppers with Feta and Olives

Start by preheating your oven and lining a baking tray with baking paper.

Take each pepper and slit it lengthways from just below the stalk down to the tip, keeping the stalk attached so the pepper holds its boat shape.

Gently open each one and scoop out the seeds and membranes. Next, make the filling. Cube your feta and toss it in a bowl with halved green olives, drained capers, a tablespoon of olive oil, dried oregano and a good grind of black pepper.

You will not need extra salt at this stage, the feta, olives and capers bring plenty. Spoon the filling generously into each pepper, letting it mound up slightly. Drizzle over the remaining olive oil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the peppers have softened and wrinkled and the feta is tinged golden at the edges.

To serve, transfer the peppers to a board or platter, scatter over finely sliced spring onions (also known as green onions), a pinch of flaky sea salt and a little more oregano or a few chilli flakes if you like some heat.

My Top Tips

• Keep the stalks on. They stop the peppers flattening out in the oven and they look wonderful on the plate.
• Use a block of feta, not pre-crumbled. Block feta packed in brine holds its shape in cubes and bakes to that lovely golden edge.
• Crumbled feta tends to melt into the pepper and disappear.
• Do not skip the capers. They are tiny but they lift the whole dish with little bursts of sharpness against the creamy feta.
• Let the peppers rest for five minutes after baking. The juices settle and the peppers are easier to lift without splitting.
• You can prep them ahead of time. You can stuff the peppers a few hours in advance, keep them covered in the fridge, and bake when you are ready to eat.

Substitutions and Variations

Another good thing about this recipe is its easy to swap ingredients around. Don’t like feta? no worries, swap it out. Here’s some suggestions:

• Feta: goat’s cheese works beautifully and bakes in a similar way. Halloumi cubes are another lovely option, though the texture is chewier.
• Green olives: swap for black olives or Kalamata olives, or use a mix of both.
• Capers: leave them out if you are not a fan, or replace with finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil (check the jar for added sugar).
• Sweet pointed peppers: red bell peppers, halved lengthways, work well. Add 5 minutes to the baking time as they are thicker-walled.
• Increase portion sizes: scatter over toasted pine nuts before serving, or serve on a bed of rocket (also known as arugula in the USA), dressed with olive oil and lemon.
• Make it more spicy: a pinch of chilli flakes in the filling turns this into a lovely spicy version.
• Add a taste of Japan: Use Japanese shichimi spices to add a slight Japanese twist to the dish (plus some extra spice).
• Top with diced bacon: cook up some bacon, cut it into small peices and sprinkle on top. Adds some extra flavour and protein without too many extra carbs.