This is the easiest, prettiest, and tastiest appetizer you’ll ever make! Blistered sweet peppers are served alongside a creamy goat cheese dip for one delicious bite. It’s great to have a healthy appetizer up your sleeve for any occasion, and this is just perfect.
What’s in Blistered Peppers with Lemon Goat Cheese Dip?
This recipe is made with beautiful, colorful little peppers, and sautéing them really brings out their natural sweetness! Paired with a lemon pepper goat cheese dip, it becomes the most delicious appetizer.
- Peppers: You’ll want to look for mini sweet peppers. They’re the perfect size for dipping! If you can’t find them, opt for bell peppers cut into strips.
- Oil: I used canola oil for its high smoke point, but you could use vegetable oil or avocado oil instead.
- Salt: I like to sprinkle these peppers with a bit of sea salt, but you can leave it off if you prefer.
- Goat Cheese: Plain goat cheese forms the base of this dip. It’s rich, creamy, and tangy!
- Milk: I used skim milk to thin out the dip without adding too many calories. You could use 2%, whole, or plant-based milk instead.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice adds freshness and acidity to the dip. I do not recommend using bottled lemon juice, as the flavor will not be as good.
- Seasoning: Lemon pepper seasoning gives this dip its lemon pepper taste. This is a premade seasoning blend you can buy at the grocery store.
- Garlic: Adds garlicky flavor to the dip. You’ll need one clove. If you don’t have fresh garlic, you can use ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder.
Pro Tip: Goat cheese comes in packages of 4 and 8 ounces, so opt for an 8-ounce package and save the rest for another use, like mashed potatoes.
Spicy Blistered Peppers
For a spicier take, swap the mini sweet peppers for Shishito peppers. Shishitos are generally mild but with a bit of a kick. You can also add crushed red pepper flakes to the goat cheese dip.
In cooking, “blistering” means to briefly cook food on high direct heat until the skin blackens. This is a quick caramelization process, which brings out lots of flavor and natural sweetness.
This is a recipe for sweet peppers, which have a mild sweet flavor, rather than spicy. Bell peppers are one example. You can often find a bag of small, colorful sweet peppers in the produce aisle of your local grocery store, like what I used here.
No, these do not end up spicy. If you want more heat, add a few flakes of red chili flakes after blistering. Or try using a spicier pepper variety, like shishitos!
These are best served warm, straight off the skillet! They only take a matter of minutes to cook up, so no need to prep ahead of time. However, you can make the lemon goat cheese dip 2 or 3 days ahead of time and just keep it covered in the fridge.
How to Store Blistered Mini Peppers
Store leftover peppers and goat cheese dip separately in airtight containers. They will both keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
What to Serve with Sweet Peppers
Every good appetizer includes a bit of dipping. These blistered sweet peppers are perfectly paired with a quick-to-make lemon pepper goat cheese dip! It’s super creamy, and has a balanced flavor that is a little bit acidic, a little bit savory, with a nice bite from the goat cheese.
These would also be great with a simple hummus, pepper jelly dip, white queso, or herb cream cheese dip.
Blistered Sweet Peppers with Lemon Pepper Goat Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 20-25 mini sweet peppers
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- Sea salt to taste
- 5 ounces plain goat cheese crumbled or sliced
- 2 tablespoons skim milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. I used canola oil because it has a high smoke point.1 tablespoon canola oil
- Add the peppers and stir to coat in the oil. Allow to cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until smoking and blistered to your liking. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste.20-25 mini sweet peppers, Sea salt
- While peppers are cooking, combine goat cheese, milk, lemon juice, lemon pepper, and garlic in a food processor or blender. It should be creamy. If too thick, add a bit more milk. If too thin add a bit more goat cheese.5 ounces plain goat cheese, 2 tablespoons skim milk, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning, 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- Serve peppers warm with goat cheese dip. Enjoy!
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Use a high heat neutral oil like canola or vegetable.
- Allow the oil in the skillet to get hot before adding the peppers.
- Let the peppers sit for a minute before moving them in the skillet so that they blister. Turn each one over so they cook on all sides.
Nutrition Information
Can you make the dip and/or peppers a day before serving?
I can’t wait to make these beautiful blistered peppers! You make them look so good!
Aw thank you so much Reese!! Thanks for stopping by!
HAHA goat cheese hot tub! I had goat cheese for the first time not very long ago and fell in love! These look so beautiful and would be a great app to serve this coming football season!!
I’m obsessed with goat cheese and glad I’m not alone :) Thanks Malinda!!
This is a Macedonian’s summer night dinner fantasy! We are literally crazy for roasted/blistered/stuffed/you name it/ peppers. :-D
I really need to visit Macedonia!! And your stuffed peppers are next on my list girl!!!! xo
goats cheese is my best! Loving all the colours here.
Thank you so much!!!
Lookin Good! I’ll take a dip in your goat cheese hot tub!
I would too LOL!!!! Thanks Holly :)
Only you, my dear friend, could make blistered sweet peppers photograph so perfectly. Pinned!
Aw thank you Justine!!!
These are some of your best photos so far. Love this post and love the cooking method!! Great!!!
Thanks mom :) :)
I love those mini sweet peppers. This looks awesome! And I just have to say that your site is always a sight for my sore eyes! It’s just beautiful, design, pictures and all!
Aw thank you Michelle! That is so sweet and means a ton coming from you!
These look perfectly blistered and ready to be eaten.
Thanks Gerry!