Air Fryer Mini Peppers with Balsamic & Thyme (Adapted Ina Garten Recipe)

Name: Air Fryer Mini Peppers with Balsamic & Thyme (Adapted Ina Garten Recipe)
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1/2 pound (8 ounces) mini peppers; 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme; A few pinches of kosher salt

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In this quick and simple side dish, mini peppers are roasted in the air fryer and lightly topped with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and fresh thyme.

Air fryer mini peppers charred and wilted with balsamic vinegar and thyme.

These sweet mini peppers only take 10 minutes in the air fryer until they're roasted, lightly charred and tender. When roasted, they're deliciously sweet and the balsamic vinegar and fresh thyme enhance and compliment the flavor.

This recipe is inspired by Ina Garten and appears in her Go-To Dinners cookbook. In it, she pairs oven-roasted mini peppers with balsamic vinegar and fresh thyme. Her preparation is different, but the results are just as delicious.

This simple and tasty side dish can accompany any meat or fish main dish. It also serves as a beautiful and simple appetizer for casual get togethers.

There are a number of ways to change up this recipe, too. You can add chunks of fresh burrata or crumbled goat cheese or season with different herbs like basil, oregano, chives or rosemary.

What are Mini Peppers?

Mini peppers are smaller and sweeter than regular bell peppers. Like bell peppers, you can get them in red, orange and yellow colors. Since they're sweeter, they're slightly higher in carbs at roughly 5 grams of net carbs for 85 grams (about 3 mini peppers).

Ingredients

Mini peppers: These are typically sold in a bag by the pound in the produce section. There is no need to chop or deseed the peppers before air frying. Simply rinse and thoroughly dry.

Extra-virgin olive oil: Just a half tablespoon of olive oil is tossed with a half pound of mini peppers before air frying.

Balsamic vinegar: We recommend getting a high-quality balsamic vinegar, which may be a little more expensive, but it's worth it.

Fresh thyme: We love fresh thyme with the peppers, but you could use dried thyme in a pinch. You could also consider basil, oregano or other herbs of preference.

Kosher salt: Just a few pinches to taste.

How to Make

STEP 1: Pre-heat air fryer to 400 degree F. Rinse and thoroughly dry peppers. Toss with olive oil and arrange in the air fryer with a little space between each. Cook for 10 minutes. When done, peppers should be tender, wilted and lightly charred. For more char, cook for an additional 2 minutes.

STEP 2: Remove from air fryer and plate. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar, fresh thyme and a few pinches of kosher salt. (to taste) Serve immediately.

Note: No need to serve with utensils. Simply pick up mini peppers by stem to eat.

Mini pepper tossed with olive oil and arranged in air fryer basket

Finished mini peppers topped with balsamic vinegar, thyme and kosher salt.

Recipe FAQ

Are mini peppers low in carbs or keto-friendly?

Mini peppers are low in carbs at 5 grams of net carbs for 85 grams (about 3 mini peppers). However, you may want to limit the amount you eat when on a keto diet. Mini peppers are a little higher in net carbs than regular bell peppers.

Is it okay to have balsamic vinegar on a low-carb or keto diet?

Although balsamic vinegar is higher in carbs due to its sugar content, it's typically used in smaller amounts so it may not add that many grams of carbs to a recipe. For example, this recipe uses a half tablespoon, which is roughly 1 gram of carbohydrates, so when divided among 4 people it's rather minimal.

Can I skip the balsamic vinegar?

Yes, you can skip the balsamic vinegar and simply season with salt and thyme (or other preferred seasonings). However, we love how the balsamic vinegar enhances the sweet mini peppers and you don't need much of it for a pop in flavor.

If you try this recipe, we would love to hear your feedback! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag @lowcarbsimplified on your photo of this recipe on Instagram or Facebook. We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!