Roasted peppers are one of my favorite things in the world. Nothing beats that smell for me! Today I will show you how to roast peppers in three different ways: whole peppers in the oven, sliced peppers on the grill and then my quick way of roasting peppers in a pan on the stove.
I’ll also share some of my favorite ways to use roasted peppers. And yes, you can roast all colors: red peppers, yellow or even green will work with these roasting methods.
Why Roast Peppers?
Peppers are delicious, packed with vitamin C and have so much flavor. But once roasted…it doesn’t get any better.
Recently I got a big bucket of red peppers from my garden and the obvious choice on what to do with so many of them was to roast most. Not a bad choice, I’m telling you.
Roasting deepens the flavor and sweetness of peppers and makes them simply irresistible. Some roasted peppers can elevate any dish and are such a great addition to:
- salads and power bowls
- pasta
- sauces
- dips
Roasting Peppers As A Tradition
Growing up in Bulgaria, roasting peppers was such a HUGE deal every September that we had a special device for doing it. The device is called chushkopek, which can be translated as something like pepper roaster. Everyone I knew had one at home. And as I just found out, it is a special kitchen appliance that is specific to my home country and isn’t available anywhere else in the world. Probably. Never been more proud to be Bulgarian.
Chushkopek works like this: You turn it on, put the peppers inside and then they get evenly roasted on all sides. Kinda has the mystery and magic of an air fryer, but better because it’s only used to roast peppers (and sometimes eggplant).
I assume not everyone has a chushkopek at home, I don’t have one either right now, so we’re going to be roasting peppers differently. I’m going to share 3 of the ways I roast my peppers, depending on the equipment I have available.
Remove Stems And Seeds First
Before you start roasting the peppers, you wanna remove the stems and seeds.
For bell peppers / lager peppers: Cut around the top where the stem is, then pull on the stem and twist. This way you will take out most, if not all of the seeds. You can watch a short video on how to do this here.
For smaller peppers, cut the top off, then cut around the inside of the pepper and twist, and pull out the core with the seeds using your knife. You can watch a good video on this method for jalapenos here.
If you feel there might be some seeds left in your peppers, you can tap the peppers a few times on a cutting board with the hole you just cut out facing down. This should remove most of the seeds.
If you like growing your own vegetables you can collect these pepper seeds and use them in your garden to grow peppers during summer.
How To Roast Peppers In The Oven
Now that you have your peppers washed and cored, it’s time to roast them.
Spread the peppers that you want to roast directly on the oven rack. Put a large baking pan filled with water on the bottom. This will help to cook the peppers toroughly and will catch any juices and keep your oven clean.
Bake at 200C or 400F for about 30 to 40 minutes or until you get some black spots on the skin of your peppers.
If you’re roasting very small peppers, I recommend lining the oven rack with some parchment paper.
…Or Oven Roasted In Halves
Another way to roast peppers in the oven is of course, to cut them in halves, rub each with salt and oil and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Bake at 200C or 400F for about 30 minutes turning halfway through. Roast until the peppers have become soft and are nicely browned.
How To Roast Peppers On The Grill
To roast peppers on the grill, start by cutting the cored peppers in halves.
Rub the peppers with some olive oil and a little bit of salt. I do this by putting the peppers into a bowl and giving them a good rub with the oil. You can also brush each pepper individually.
Place the peppers on the grill, the skin should be facing down at first.
Grill for 2-3 minutes, then flip on the other side and continue this process for about 15 minutes.
The skin on your peppers can get really dark here, but don’t worry about it, because we’re going to pull it off later.
How To Roast Peppers In The Pan / On The Stove
This is how I usually roast peppers, because it’s the fastest method.
Cut the peppers in larger pieces and place in a nonstick pan with olive oil and if you want some salt, garlic and dried herbs.
Cook at medium-high, first covered with a lid for about 5 minutes.
Then remove the lid, and cook for additional 3-5 minutes, stirring from time to time.
For this method, I don’t let the peppers get too black and don’t remove the skins after.
How To Remove The Skin Off Roasted Peppers
Once your roasted peppers are done, transfer them to a bowl and cover the bowl with a lid or with a cloth. Let the peppers cool off for about 30 minutes to an hour. Peel the peppers, by simply pulling on the skin – it should easily come off.
Can you eat the skin of roasted peppers?
Yes, you can, but it can be irritating and too hard to digest for some people.
I usually don’t remove the skins on my pan-roasted peppers, but I always do it for the oven-roasted and grilled peppers. Removing the skin also makes for a smoother texture if you’d like to use the peppers in dips or sauces.
Can You Roast Green Peppers
Yes! In fact, using these methods, you can roast any type of pepper you want. Small, spicy, pointed, yellow, green, purple, bell, whatever shape, size or color. Do not discriminate peppers!
How To Store Roasted Peppers
In The Fridge: Once roasted and peeled, place the peppers in an airtight container and refrigerate. Roasted peppers will last in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: If you want to have your roasted peppers longer, you can also freeze them. Portion out, and freeze them in smaller freezer bags for up to 3 months. To use after freezing – let the peppers thaw for about 30 minutes, they should be good to go!
Another option would be to can roasted peppers. This takes a bit longer, but you can preserve them for a year. You can use this guide to learn how to can roasted peppers.
how to use roasted peppers
My favorite way to use roasted peppers is in salads or in dips and sauces. Roasted peppers are delicious in combination with garlic, feta cheese, fresh herbs and walnuts. Here are some roasted pepper recipes to inspire you, so you can create your own dish:
- Quinoa, Feta and Roasted Veg Salad
- Roasted Red Pepper & Feta Dip
- Big Healthy Dinner Salad
- Mediterranean Salmon Salad
- Roasted Green Peppers Dip
- Summer Roasted Vegetable Spread
- Mediterranean Black Bean Salad
I hope you learned something new and useful and I hope you have fun roasting peppers!
Roasted peppers: How To Roast Peppers
Learn how to roast peppers three different ways: in the oven, on the grill or on the stove! This recipe for roasted peppers works for all types of peppers of every size and color!
Ingredients
- 6 peppers (or as many as you can fit in)
- olive oil (optional)
Instructions
- Wash, core and deseed your peppers.
- Put them on the a baking rack in your oven, place a large baking tray filled with water on the bottom.
- Bake at 400F or 200C for about 30-40 minutes, turning your peppers around halfway through.
- Once you see black spots on the peppers (after about 30-40 minutes), take them out and cover with a cloth. I prefer to transfer them to a bowl to give them a good steam bath, but this would work too.
- Wait for the peppers to cool off and pull down the skins to peel them.
- Use your roasted peppers in dips, salads or as a side with some garlic and feta cheese.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 32Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 2mgCarbohydrates 7gFiber 1gSugar 3gProtein 1g
