Inside: These cute jack-o’-lantern stuffed bell peppers are an easy way to make a Halloween meal as festive and fun as the sweet treats!

Stuffed orange bell peppers with jack o lantern faces

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What vegetable is orange, hollow, and can be carved in a minute?

No, it’s not a pumpkin (unless you have mad pumpkin carving skills that I don’t).

Orange bell peppers carved with little jack o’ lantern faces are so stinking adorable. This Halloween food idea goes viral on TikTok every October and it always gets my attention, so I finally gave these little cuties a try with some leftover jambalaya. And I was shocked at how fast and easy it was!

What You’ll Need to Carve Jack o Lantern Faces in Bell Peppers.

Orange bell peppers (that stand up and have one good side)
Small sharp paring knife
Larger kitchen knife to cut the tops off
Dry erase marker
Baking dish

How to Make Jack-o’-Lantern Bell Peppers.

1. Pick the right peppers.

Make sure the peppers have at least one flat-ish side suitable for the face.
Choose peppers with a nice stem to serve as a cute handle for the lid.
Look for bell peppers that stand up on their own, Female bell peppers have four lobes on the bottom which makes them much more stable than their male counterparts (I’m sure there’s a joke in there somewhere), which only have three lobes

2. Cut the top and clean.

Wash the bell peppers. Then slice off the top of each pepper with a medium kitchen knife, making sure to leave enough area for the face. Clean any seeds out of the lid and set it aside. Remove the membranes and clean out all of the seeds from inside of the peppers.

3. Draw the jack-o-lantern face.

Plan the face on the most even and flattest side of the pepper by drawing or making marks with a dry erase marker. (I made dots on the first one but by the last I found it easier to draw the whole face because it cleaned off so easily.)

Have fun with different faces! Try a combination of triangle eyes, angry eyes, round eyes, pointed teeth, or an “o” mouth.

Drawing a pumpkin face on an orange bell pepper

4. Cut out the face.

Slowly and carefully, cut out the eyes, nose, and mouth with a paring knife. Unlike real pumpkins, bell peppers slice effortlessly with a sharp knife and a line can get away from you before you know it! Wash off any remaining dry erase marker.

Cutting out a jack o' lantern face on a bell pepper

5. Steam the peppers.

Add 1/4 inch of water to a large baking dish. Place the carved bell peppers and the lids cut side down in the water in the bottom of the dish. Microwave on high for 4-6 minutes, depending on how tender or firm you want the peppers. If you cook them too long, your pumpkin faces will wrinkle, shrivel, and cave in (I feel your pain, overcooked peppers 😭).

Cut bell peppers in water ready for steaming

Roasting Option: Many stuffed bell pepper recipes roast the peppers, I find steaming an easier way (plus the skin doesn’t shrivel as much). But if you’d prefer that roasted flavor, place the peppers in a large baking dish, drizzle them with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.

Steamed bell peppers with jack-o'-lantern faces before stuffing

6. Stuff the peppers.

Jambalaya jack o'lantern stuffed peppers

Fill the pumpkin peppers up with the stuffing of your choice. I made mine into Jambalaya Jack O’Lanterns loaded with chicken, sausage, and rice. See that easy recipe here:

Easy One Pot Cajun Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

This easy jambalaya recipe is packed with tender chicken, spicy andouille sausage, and Cajun flavor. It’s a filling one-pot meal perfect for potlucks, tailgates, or cozy dinners in!

See the Recipe

Other Ideas to Stuff Jack o’ Lantern Peppers:

Be creative and remember stuffed peppers are a great way to use leftover cooked rice!

Traditional stuffed bell peppers with ground beef, rice, diced tomatoes, onion, and cheese
Tex Mex taco peppers with ground beef or chicken, taco seasoning, black beans, Rotel tomatoes, and Mexican blend cheese
Italian peppers with ground turkey, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and mozzarella cheese
Dirty Rice
Meatloaf
Philly cheese steak
Goulash

SH&H Tip: Jack-O’Lantern peppers also make fun holders for dips or raw veggies for a Halloween party!

FAQ’s for Jack O’ Lantern Stuffed Peppers.

Obviously orange peppers look most like jack o’ lanterns, but a mix of green bell peppers, red bell peppers, and yellow bell peppers make a colorful display! The red, yellow, and orange peppers will be slightly sweeter than the green.

You can carve, steam, and even stuff them ahead of time. Cover the prepped peppers and store in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.

Feel free to change up to brown rice, quinoa, couscous, or chef’s choice!

Printable Recipe:

Halloween Jack-o’-Lantern Bell Peppers

These cute jack-o’-lantern stuffed bell peppers are an easy and fun way to make a Halloween meal as festive as the sweet treats!

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Course Main Course

Equipment

Small sharp paring knife
Larger kitchen knife to cut the tops off
Dry erase marker
Baking dish

Ingredients

Orange bell peppers that stand up and have one good side

Instructions

Pick the right peppers.
Make sure the peppers have at least one side flat enough for the face.
Choose peppers with a nice stem to serve as a cute handle for the lid.
Look for bell peppers that stand up on their own. Female bell peppers are much more stable with four lobes on the bottom than their male counterparts, which only have three lobes.
Cut the top and clean.
Wash the bell peppers. Then slice off the top of each pepper with a medium kitchen knife, making sure to leave enough area for the face. Clean any seeds out of the lid and set it aside. Clean out all of the seeds and remove the membranes.
Draw the jack-o-lantern face.
Plan the face on the most even and flattest side of the pepper by drawing or making marks with a dry erase marker.
Cut out the face.
Slowly and carefully, cut out the eyes, nose, and mouth with a paring knife. Unlike real pumpkins, bell peppers slice effortlessly with a sharp knife and a line can get away from you before you know it! Wash off any remaining dry erase marker.
Steam the peppers.
Add 1/4 inch of water to a baking dish and place the carved bell peppers and the lids cut side down in the water. Microwave on high for 4-6 minutes, depending on how tender or firm you want the peppers. (If you cook them too long, your pumpkin faces will start to shrivel.)
Stuff the bell peppers with your chosen filling.

Notes

Roasting Option: If you’d prefer a roasted flavor, skip the water and steaming in the microwave. Place the peppers in a large baking dish, drizzle them with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

more fun Halloween ideas

If you make this for Halloween dinner or any of my recipes, please share a photo and tag @southernhomeandhospitalityblog on Instagram so that I can share your inspiration in my stories!!

Happy Halloween,

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How to Make Jack-o’-Lantern Stuffed Peppers for Halloween

What You’ll Need to Carve Jack o Lantern Faces in Bell Peppers.