Roasted Sweet Peppers Recipe

This roasted sweet peppers recipe is sure to be a hit at your next cookout or meal. Roasting fresh sweet peppers caramelizes the natural sugars and brings out the natural sweetness. They work great sliced up on a salad or served alongside meats, poultry, and fish dishes. Give it a try!

Roasted Peppers (Two Ways!)

How to roast peppers two easy ways (in the oven or on the stovetop), plus how to marinate them for later use! Italian marinated peppers will last in the fridge for 1 to 2 weeks, and they are great as an appetizer, on sandwiches, pasta, soups and more!

I’m a big fan of colorful bell peppers in any form they come. But roasted peppers, whatever their color, are a different level of delicious–tender, sweet, and appropriately charred. If you’ve tried them in a Pasta Primavera, or blitzed them in your food processor to make some kicked-up hummus, you know what I’m talking about!

Lately, I’ve been on a kick of roasting and marinate my bell peppers, Italian-style. That way, they can be in my fridge to use at a moment’s notice. And once you do the same, you’ll find so many ways to use roasted peppers to jazz up any meal!

Easy bell peppers recipe

Making roasted bell peppers at home is easy, no need to buy expensive jars!

Some recipe call for slicing the peppers before roasting, but my preference is to roast them whole–it easy to remove the skin once the peppers are roasted.

For this recipe, you can use any bell peppers you like, although red, orange, and yellow peppers are sweeter than the green variety. Once roasted, you’ll steam the peppers to remove the skin. From there, you can use them immediately or marinate them in good extra virgin olive oil to use for later! They’ll keep well in the fridge for a good couple of weeks.

How to roast bell peppers in the oven (baked or broiled)

Roasting bell peppers in the oven is super easy and you can even broil them if you’re in a bit of a rush.

• Roast on the center rack. Lightly brush a sheet pan with olive oil and arrange the peppers on the pan. Roast in a 450 degrees F heated oven for about 25 to 40 minutes, turning occasionally to make sure they soften and char well on all sides.
• Or, broil the peppers. If you’re in a hurry, you put the baking sheet under the broiler and watch carefully to avoid burning the peppers. Rotate the peppers more frequently so that each side chars as well.

How long to roast bell peppers in the oven

The amount of time needed to roast bell peppers in the oven will greatly depend on the size of the peppers. Smaller peppers can be ready in as little as 25 minutes while larger peppers can take up to 40 minutes. You’ll want to keep an eye on them and rotate every 7-10 minutes to allow each side to cook and char evenly!

Roasted bell peppers on the stovetop (my preferred method)

While roasting peppers in the oven is the go-to method for many, my preferred method is actually roasting them directly on the gas burner! This is similar to the method I use for my grilled corn on the cob, and I think it produces a great smoky flavor. You do need a gas burner to follow this method:

• Roast directly over the flame. Turn a gas burner to medium and place the pepper directly over the flame. Turn regularly with a pair of tons, until charred and soft. This can take about 15 minutes or so. You can roast peppers on multiple burners to speed up the process.

To peel roasted peppers

Regardless of which method you choose to roast your peppers, you’ll follow two simple steps to peel them:

• Cover and steam. Transfer the peppers immediately from the heat to a heat-safe bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. This must be done immediately to trap the steam inside the bowl, which is what helps release the charred skin off. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes until cool enough to handle.
• Seed and peel. When cool enough to handle, uncover the bowl and peel the skins off the peppers (skin should peel off easily). Poke a whole in the peppers to release any liquid. Slice the pepper open to scrape out the seeds. Discard the seeds.

Ways to use roasted peppers

There are so many ways to use these roasted peppers! They can be a topping, an ingredient or the star of the show themselves. Here are a few of my favorite ways to serve this bell peppers recipe.

• In sandwiches and wraps. Sliced or chopped into smaller pieces, these roasted peppers are a great addition to any salad or wrap.
• Add them to salads. You can also chop them up and add them to salads, including pasta-based salads like my Italian-style pasta salad or Mediterranean orzo salad.
• Serve on an appetizer platter. You can also serve them in a bowl as part of a bigger mezze spread or cheese board.
• Make them the star appetizer. One of my favorite ways to serve these roasted bell peppers is as their own appetizer, like I show you here. Simply assemble them on a plate, add some freshly minced garlic, Kosher salt and your favorite spices. I used crushed red pepper flakes and some tangy sumac. For a little something indulgent, add some fresh burrata and a loaf of your favorite crusty bread.

HOW TO ROAST RED PEPPERS (OR ANY PEPPER REALLY!)

Roasted Red Peppers – Learn how to roast bell peppers, whole or sliced, on the oven, in the oven, or on the grill – plus how to steam, peel and store your freshly roasted peppers.

Roasting peppers enhances their sweetness, and adds a wonderful smoky char depth and silky texture. This is your guide to the different methods roasting peppers. Whether making a few or a large batch, this guide will make your roasting experience a good one!

I’ve used bell peppers, but you can easily adapt these methods for all kinds of peppers. The only adjustment you may need to make is watching the time, smaller peppers like jalapenos and mini-sweet peppers will cook faster.

Over the last week, I’ve had the opportunity to try a few ways of prepping and roasting red peppers and in the end all the peppers were equally delicious, but the methods of prepping vary greatly. I hope this guide will help you decide which way is best for you.

How To Roast Whole Peppers – Oven Method

For my first try, I roasted them whole in the oven. This is how I’ve always done it in the past. I like this method of roasting and think it’s great if you are planing on making a whole bunch of roasted peppers and saving some for later.

First, wash and dry the peppers, and place them on rimmed baking sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper, as shown above. Lining the baking sheet will make clean up a lot easier!

Next, place in the center of the oven and roast for about 40 minutes, or until soft, puffy and charred.

When done, your peppers will be puffy from the air inside, but once removed and cooled a bit they will deflate and become wrinkly, as shown below.

THE PROS: You can get 8 whole peppers on a standard size baking sheet (maybe more depending on the shape and size), and when steaming you’ll get a lot more pepper juice at the bottom of the bowl to use for storing in mason jars.

THE CONS: You’ll still need to remove the seeds. It’s not a terrible thing but it puts this method as my 2nd favorite way to roast peppers.

How To Roast Sliced Red Peppers – Oven Method

The next method I tried was to slice the peppers in half, remove the seeds and stem, and place cut-side down on the baking sheet. This is my first try with this method and I’m in love with it. Where have I been? It is so easy with much less mess!

Start with washing and drying the peppers. Slice them in half lengthwise, and remove the core and seeds, shown above.

Next, place the peppers, cut side down, on a lined rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat, as shown above.

Place in preheated oven set at 475 degrees for 40 minutes, until soft and nicely charred, as shown below.

THE PROS: You can do at least 4 peppers, maybe more depending on the shape, no need to flip while roasting, and you only have to remove the skins making the next step so much easier. This is an efficient method and great for most home cooks. It is my new favorite way to roast peppers when not storing for long-term.

THE CONS:  You will not get much pepper juice for storing and you can’t fit as many peppers at one time.

How To Roast Peppers On The Stove

The method of charring peppers on a gas stovetop is simple, but you do need to keep an eye on them.

STOVE TOP: If roasting just 1 or 2 peppers, you can roast it over the gas burner of your stove (I suppose you could do 4 peppers utilizing each burner). Place pepper on its side and adjust the flame so it just ‘licks’ the peppers. Keep an eye on it and turn it as needed to blacken and char, about 15 – 20. This tends to be a more time consuming method since you have to be so watchful.

PROS: One less dish to wash.

CONS: You have to be very watchful and juices may drip all over.

The oven method is more to my liking, but I’ve added instructions for these methods in the recipe card as well because I want this to be a fairly complete guide to roasting peppers. I encourage you to try whatever sounds best for you and your situation.

How To Roast Peppers On The Grill

Using a gas grill to roast your peppers is simple and easy. Since I don’t have an outdoor grill I couldn’t try this method, but here are instructions for the grill.

OPEN GRILL: Place whole peppers on their sides over an open flame on the grill, turning every now and then until nicely charred all over. Depending on how big your grill is will determine how many you can do at one time.

PROS: One less dish to wash.

CONS: Can’t think of any.

How To Steam Roasted Red Peppers

Once you’ve roasted or grilled your peppers, the next step is to cover and steam them while they are still hot for 30 minutes or so. This step is optional, but it really helps the skin peel away easily!

No matter how you roast them this step will greatly help with the skin removal. You can do this process a few different ways, fitting into whatever works best.

1. In the scenario above, I placed my freshly whole roasted peppers in a pot to steam with the lid on. Since I was going to cook pasta for the same recipe I was using roasted peppers it made sense. I could simply rinse the pot and use it without creating more dirty dishes.
2. As shown below, you can also place the warm roasted peppers in a bowl and cover it with a plate, or use a small container with a lid, to seal in the moisture.

You get the idea. However you choose, let them steam for about 30 minutes. But if you’re really in a hurry, you can still peel your peppers without steaming, it just may take a little more effort. Just be sure to let your peppers cool down before peeling so you don’t burn yourself.

How To Peel Roasted Red Peppers

The last step is peeling your roasted peppers. Here I’ll share with you how I peeled whole and halved red peppers.

Above the peppers were roasted whole. They have had the stem, seeds and skin removed. Once steamed, I brought them back to the baking sheet to finish the final steps (again saving a dish to wash).

This is a fairly easy and juicy process. Do refrain from cleaning your peppers under running water to clean or you’ll remove much of the wonderful roasted flavor you’ve worked so hard to get. If you don’t remove all of the seeds, it’s ok.

Here you see the peppers that were halved and roasted. I’ve used the plate that I covered the bowl with to steam. This was the easiest of all, not a lot of juices and no seeds to deal with. Just peel the skin and you’re done. It’s ok to sneak in a few bites too. 🙂

Once peeled, cut the peppers into sections, maybe 4 – 6 sections per pepper depending on what you’ll be using it for. If canning, save the pepper juices.

How To Store Roasted Red Pepper

Your freshly roasted and prepped bell peppers can be store in the refrigerator, freezer, or canned. This guide to storing roasted peppers will break it all down for you, and you can use whatever method best suits your needs!

Refrigerator

Storing roasted peppers in the refrigerator is great for short term storage, depending on the way you store them they will stay fresh up to 2 weeks.

• Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a 5 – 6 days.
• If you coat them with a little oil they will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks. You can even add some of the pepper juices to the container.
• To always be safe, at the first sign of mold or spoilage, throw away immediately.

Freezing

Freezing is my favorite method of storing roasted peppers for long term storage, as it’s super easy to do and they thaw out amazingly well! This method of storing is a neutral way of keeping the full roasted flavor intact as they won’t be tainted with any other flavors.

• Freeze your peppers in a tightly sealed, freezer safe container. I would suggest cutting and placing a small piece of parchment paper between the peppers for easy removal.
• To thaw, leave on the counter for a few minutes or let thaw in the refrigerator. They thaw out pretty fast once removed from the freezer.
• Peppers can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Vinegar Method

This method requires storing your peppers in a jar with a pinch of salt, vinegar and pepper juices. The result will leave your peppers with a little bit of tang from the vinegar, in some cases it may overpower them, but it’s a great way to store roasted bell peppers for long periods. Use these peppers for sauces, dips, and soups.

• To do this you’ll want to sprinkle your peppers with a generous pinch of mineral salt and mix well.
• Place 1/2 inch of vinegar at the bottom of your pint sized mason jar, add peppers leaving about 1 1/2 inches headspace.
• Using the handle of a spoon or fork, poke along the inside edges of the jar to release air bubbles (this is important), pour reserved pepper juices over top so peppers are completely covered, leaving 3/4 inch room. If you don’t have a lot of pepper juices, use vinegar.
• Add about 1/8 inch of olive oil over top to keep air out, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
• Seal and place towards the back of the refrigerator. Peppers will be good for up to 2 months, maybe even a little longer.
• If you see any sign of mold or spoilage, throw away immediately!

ROASTED BELL PEPPERS

Roasted bell peppers are seasoned with olive oil, garlic, oregano, and crushed red peppers.

Oven–roasting really highlights and brings out their unique flavor. And leftovers are very good too.

Look at these gorgeous, colorful peppers! They are as flavorful as they are pretty. Plus, they are so easy to make. They’re one of the easiest vegetable recipes on this website, and leftovers are great too – which is why I make them quite often for my family.

I love raw peppers. It’s one of my favorite snacks! I slice them thinly and sprinkle them with sea salt and oregano. Or I dip them in Geek yogurt dip. But as much as I love them raw, I find that they are even better when roasted. Oven baking really brings out their unique flavor.

INGREDIENTS

You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make roasted peppers. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need:

Bell peppers: Red, orange, green, or yellow (whatever color combination you want). I like to use several different colors – it makes for a pretty presentation, as you can see in the photos.

Olive oil: I love cooking with this delicious oil. But if you’d rather use an oil with a higher smoke point, you can use avocado oil instead. It has a higher smoke point.

Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the dish could end up too salty.

Spices: I like to use garlic powder, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes. Make sure the spices you use are fresh! A stale spice can easily ruin a dish.

INSTRUCTIONS

Roasting bell peppers is easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:

Your first step is to cut the peppers into quarters, then remove the seeds and membranes.

Now, arrange them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.

Drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle them with spices. You can also spray them with olive oil spray if that’s more convenient.

Bake until tender, about 20 minutes at 450F. That’s it! See? I told you this was an easy recipe!

EXPERT TIP

Using different pepper colors makes for a pretty presentation, pretty enough to serve to guests if you’re so inclined. There are also subtle flavor differences, so it makes for a more interesting dish all around, not just visually.

VARIATIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But in case you’d like to vary the basic recipe, here are a few ideas for you:

• Instead of olive oil, coat the peppers with melted butter.
• Use fresh minched garlic (about 1 teaspoon) instead of garlic powder.
• After 10 minutes in the oven, sprinkle the peppers with dry-grated parmesan, then return them to the oven to finish cooking.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

These tasty peppers make a wonderful side dish for meat, poultry, or fish. As mentioned above, I make this dish often, because it’s so easy to make, and because I almost always have bell peppers in the fridge. They keep well and don’t spoil as quickly as other types of produce.

I often serve them with baked chicken breast, because they both require the same oven temperature and the same roasting time. Can you say EASY? It’s the perfect weeknight meal!

And another easy and tasty option is to serve them with these flavorful oven chicken kabobs.

STORING LEFTOVERS

Ah, that’s the best part! These peppers keep really well in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3-4 days. Gently reheat them in the microwave on 50% power.

Or do as I do and eat them cold the next day for lunch, with cold cuts, cheese, and hard-boiled eggs. They make a great antipasti plate!