Peppers are delicious and I enjoy them all, from mild bell peppers to hot jalapenos and serranos. Banana peppers are no exception. They’re fantastic. However, I never know how to use them while cooking. They aren’t sweet like bell peppers, and they don’t add a ton of heat like their hotter cousins. They have that strange, sweet-n-sour flavor that puts them in a category all their own. This year, though, I had a banana pepper surplus, so I decided to learn to use them. Here are the 10 best banana pepper recipes I now have in my repertoire.
1. Pickled Banana Peppers
Although you can certainly enjoy raw banana peppers, many people choose to pickle them, especially when they have plenty to spare. Luckily, pickling them is super simple. All you’ll need is white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, and about a pound of banana peppers. It takes less than 30 minutes to preserve two pints, and pickling them plays to their strengths. It enhances their natural tanginess and keeps them fresh for 2 or more years.
2. Stuffed Banana Peppers
Between chile rellenos, cheese-filled jalapeno poppers, and stuffed bell peppers, you probably already know that stuffed peppers are a thing, but did you know you can stuff banana peppers, too? Well, you can. Their unique, tangy taste lends itself nicely to stuffed snacks, and preparing and cooking them takes less than 30 minutes. I generally follow the recipe pretty closely, stuffing them with finely chopped steak, paprika, garlic powder, cheese, salt, and pepper – but you can fill them with anything you like. I would recommend gouda or Monterey Jack cheese, though. Those seem to taste best.
3. Buffalo Chicken Banana Peppers
This recipe is just another version of stuffed banana peppers. But this time, you’ll stuff them with chopped chicken, cream cheese, parmesan, hot wing sauce, and salt. You can also add more hot wing sauce to the top of each one if you like. It’s a tangy, spicy treat, and if you enjoy buffalo chicken, you’ll love it.
4. Bacon-Wrapped Banana Peppers Stuffed With Sweet Potato
I’ll admit, this stuffed pepper variety was one that I really had to force myself to try. I just didn’t see how banana peppers and sweet potatoes could work together. Once I tried it, though, I was pleasantly surprised. The sweet-n-sour taste of the peppers isn’t as much of a contrast with the sweet potatoes as you might think. The smokiness of the paprika helps pull both ingredients together, and bacon is just bacon. It tastes fantastic on anything.
5. Three-Meat-Stuffed Banana Peppers
Thanks to the banana peppers’ yellow skins, these stuffed peppers look remarkably like tamales. Depending on what you put in your tamales, they taste similar to them, as well. The texture is totally different, though. While tamales are soft and tender, banana peppers are thick, waxy, and retain a bit of crunch even after being cooked. You’ll probably like these stuffed peppers if you love meat since they contain pork, ground beef, and Italian hot sausage. There are also plenty of herbs and spices and lots of cheese. The full-flavored tomato sauce does a great job anchoring all those disparate flavors and turning them into a cohesive whole.
6. Beer-Battered Banana Peppers
All you’ll need to make these crunchy, deep-fried banana peppers is flour, beer, an egg, and a jar of banana peppers. They’re crispy and have a rich, tangy, earthy flavor that’s a little hard to describe. They make excellent appetizers, especially when served with garlic lemon sauce or sriracha.
7. Slow Cooker Pulled Banana Pepper Roast Beef
If you want to indulge yourself or wow your guests, try this slow cooker pulled banana pepper roast beef recipe. It’s juicy, flavorful, and unbelievably melt-in-your-mouth tender. The spices and add-ins in this dish are spot-on, too. There are green chiles, bell peppers, banana peppers, and onions in the pot. However, you’ll also season the meat and tomato paste/beef stock sauce with olive oil, garlic, cumin, oregano, paprika, cayenne, lime juice, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and cilantro! I can practically smell that cooking right now.
8. Garden-Fresh Banana Pepper Salsa
If you like salsa that’s fresh, tangy, and spicy, this garden-fresh banana pepper salsa is the one for you. You’ll make the base from cherry tomatoes and whatever large tomato you like best. To that, you’ll add red and white onions, garlic cloves, jalapenos, banana peppers, and cilantro. Season it with salt, pepper, and some lime juice, and it’s ready to serve. Of course, it tastes great with tortilla chips, but I also like to use cucumber slices and zucchini chips to dip it.
9. Banana Pepper Pepperoni Pizza
If you’ve never had banana peppers on pizza, you’re missing out. This recipe is for a banana pepper and pepperoni pizza, but banana peppers taste good on just about any pizza. I like to pile them high on my veggie supremes, but they’re also great on meat and Hawaiian pizzas. Because they aren’t super spicy and have that interesting, sweet, and tangy taste, they fit well with just about anything – at least as far as pizzas are concerned.
10. Hot Stuffed Banana Pepper Pasta
If you’re looking for a complete, all-in-one meal using banana peppers, look no further than this hot stuffed banana pepper pasta. It’s incredible, especially if you serve it alongside a few buttery, fresh-from-the-oven garlic breadsticks. The pasta is tender and mild in flavor. (You can use zoodles if you need a gluten-free or low-carb pasta alternative.) The sausage-stuffed peppers are well-seasoned and filling, and the cheese is delicious because cheese is always delicious. The whole thing takes about 40 minutes to make, and besides the pasta, sausage-stuffed peppers, and cheese, all you’ll need is olive oil, grape tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and garlic. It’s an incredible Italian meal that’s absolutely overflowing with flavor. Click on a star to rate it!
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