In our Whole30 bell pepper taco bowls the bright crunch of bell peppers sings with the cumin, chipotle, and beefiness of taco meat. The cilantro and lime with fresh tomatoes is just the icing on top….or the herbs on top. We use a cast iron to cook the taco meat and then finish them off in the oven. You only need one pan to cook these and cast iron is so easy to clean that this recipe is a summer breeze.
The Flavor of Whole30 Bell Pepper Taco Bowls
Because you can pick up bell peppers and eat them just like you would a taco there’s a delicious level of greasy fingers that comes from these bowls. Everything I love about tacos, from a slight crunch to cumin and spice filling your nose as you eat is alive in bell pepper taco bowls. Not everyone loves the taste of bell peppers and if you fit into that category then leave out the peppers and make sweet potato taco bowls instead or a taco salad.
The bell pepper is a strong flavor and it’s delicious to me. Aun just ate the taco meat and left the peppers on the cutting board. He won’t even eat stir fry with bell peppers. It’s like when a kid picks out the veggies from their salad. At his 30 years of age though I accept it as a legit he knows what he likes thing. Just like how I balk at natto as I slowly accept it as gut food. Since Aun brews beer his fermented mouth game is strong.
Either way, the taco meat is super delicious and instead of taco shells, which aren’t Whole30 you can easily use lettuce and make a salad or just substitute the bell peppers for sweet potatoes. To use sweet potatoes bake them for an hour at 400 then cut them just enough to fill them with the meat. Before adding the meat fluff them up with ghee then bake for another ten minutes.
What is Whole30?
Whole30 or Whole 30 (some people combine the letters and numbers and others don’t so try searching a recipe both ways if you aren’t locating the recipe you’re looking for) is a 30 day reset. During this reset, you eliminate grains, legumes, any sweetener (even honey), additives (except certain ones so you don’t starve when traveling), and dairy. You replace these with whole foods and allow your body to reset. It can take about a month for your body to fully process and eliminate grains and whatever else you’ve been eating.
After the 30 days you reintroduce each eliminated food group one by one then go back on the Whole30 for two days. The reintroduction is meant to teach you, on a personal level, what foods to avoid and which ones are beautiful for you. Instead of saying any food is “bad” or “good” Whole30 is a journey to help you discover that answer yourself. After finishing five rounds I wrote this article: 12 Whole 30 Tips for Thriving. Whole 30 has allowed me to have control over my sugar dragon to where I can eat a cupcake one day then forget about sugar for a month. It heals you from the inside out. Learn more about the program on their website.
Ingredients for Whole30 Bell Pepper Taco Bowls
Bell Peppers – Any color will work. A variety is fun to have for contrasting flavors and textures.
Taco Seasoning – After checking the ingredients in several brands I realized most taco seasoning mixes (even the organic ones) have sugar in them. The three brands that are Whole30 compliant are Siete, Primal Palate (both Whole30 approved) and Riega.
Onions – I love to fry thin onions in the pan after finishing off the peppers. The onions pick up the flavor of the pan and then they aren’t raw. If you like raw onions feel free to add them that way or give them a quick pickle.
Cherry Tomatoes – Cherry tomatoes are grape for taco bowls because they have so much flavor and you want them to be bite sized anyway. You can halve them or quarter them depending on what you like.
Cilantro – Use kitchen shears to cut the cilantro for ease.
Lime Wedges – You can also add lime zest for extra limey flavor. I always do.
Nutritional Yeast (or Nooch) – Nooch is the affectionate word for nutritional yeast. You find it often in vegan communities that aren’t eating cheese. The yeastiness has a strong cheesy flavor and if you’re missing cheese in taco then sprinkle some nutritional yeast on top of the meat. The flavor can get overpowered by meat so use a little then keep tasting and adding nooch until you get that cheesy flavor. You can also add nutritional yeast to the meat seasoning when cooking.
How to Make Whole30 Bell Pepper Taco Bowls Using One Pan
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Slice the bell peppers in half and then take out the seeds. Once I take out the bulk of seeds I pat the peppers to get the rest of the seeds to fall out. If you want extra spice leave some of the seeds in.
Cook the taco meat according to the packet instructions. If making your own taco spice or using a jar mix then brown the beef. The only two Whole30 compliant taco seasoning packets we found were Siete and Riega Organic.
Once the meat is brown add in 1/3 cup of water and two tablespoons of seasoning. Stir and let it all simmer for 2-3 minutes. Get your face close to the pan and deeply inhale those delicious flavors. It’s like a taco sauna.
Fill the bell peppers with the taco meat and set them to the side. Once all the peppers are filled add a drizzle of avocado oil to the pan and lay them back into the pan. You can also remove the taco meat to a plate then fill the peppers in the pan.
Pop the peppers into the oven for 10 minutes.
Serve the peppers with chopped tomatoes and lime juice and zest. You can also drizzle them with our homemade salsa verde or whatever salsa you like.
For an added cheesy flavor try using nutritional yeast. Use about a teaspoon because the taste can be overpowered easily.
Cut cilantro with kitchen shears for easier life times.
If you’re not a fan of raw onions try searing the onions with some oil in the pan you used to cook the peppers for a few minutes.
Enjoy! You can use your hands and eat these Whole30 bell pepper taco bowls like you would a regular taco.
Other Delicious Whole30 Summer Recipes
Whole30 Addictive Sheet Pan Tilapia with Salsa Verde
Whole30 Oven Baked BBQ Chicken
Easy as Bread Lettuce Wrapped Sandwiches
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Ingredients
4 Bell Peppers
1 Pound of Beef (High Fat is Most Delicious)
1 Tablespoon of Avocado Oil
1/2 Cup Tomato Sauce (or 1/3 cup water) - see notes
1 Packet of Taco Mix or 2 Tablespoons of Primal Palet Taco Seasoning or
Make Your Own Seasoning:
1 Tablespoon Chile Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1Â teaspoon Paprika
1Â teaspoon Cumin Powder
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/2 teaspoon Coriander Powder
1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 teaspoon Nutritional Yeast (optional)
Add-Ons:
Lime Wedges
Cherry Tomatoes
1/4 Onion -sliced
Homemade Salsa Verde or Whole30 Compliant Salsa (most fresh ones are, just check for sugar or additives)
Nutritional Yeast -(for a cheesy flavor, add to meat before other toppings or add to taco seasoning mix)
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
2. Cut four bell peppers in half lengthwise (cut the stem in half) and set aside.
3. Add a tablespoon of avocado oil or animal fat to a cast iron pan. If not using a cast iron pan take out a sheet pan and add foil or Silpat and cook the beef in whatever pan you enjoy.Â
4. Once the beef is browned add two tablespoons or a packet of taco seasoning, smelling the spices before adding, with 1/2 a cup of tomato sauce or 1/3 cup of water and stir. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes, taking deep inhales of the spicy flavor as your stir, then turn off the heat and grab your bell peppers and the board you cut them on.Â
5. Spoon the taco meat into the bell pepper shells, filling them as much as possible. All of it should fit into the shells but if there's any extra meat remove it so it doesn't get overcooked in the pan. Any extra can be used in a small salad later.Â
6. Add a little more oil to the pan if there is not already enough in it and place the bell peppers back into the pan.Â
7. Bake for ten minutes and then remove from the oven. If you're going to cook your onions go ahead and thinly slice them then cook them in the pan after removing the peppers. If you don't want the pan flavors feel free to cook them separately.
Add any toppings you love and bliss out over taco bowls.
Notes
Tomato sauce simmered into the meat is how I grew up and it is delicious. You get an extra tomato flavor infused into the meat and it thickens the sauce
Let us know in the comments how you liked these or what you added to your bell pepper taco bowls!
These dairy free Whole30 bell pepper taco bowls are also keto and paleo.
1 comment
Looks so good! Thank you for sharing!