If you have a bunch of bell pepper and don’t know what to do with all those peppers, roast them! Roasting deepens the flavor and sweetness of peppers and makes them such a great addition to salads, pasta or really anything. Here we’re going to learn how to roast peppers in the oven, on the grill or in a pan on the stove and then look at how to store and use those roasted peppers!
With these roasting methods you’ll learn how to roast red peppers, green peppers, bell peppers, sweet pointed peppers, but also any other variety of peppers (for example jalapenos) – whether they’re spicy or not.
Roasting Peppers
Peppers. They’re delicious, they’re packed with vitamin C and have so much flavor! Recently I got a big bucket of red peppers from my garden and roasted most of them.
Growing up in Bulgaria, we had a special device for roasting peppers. In fact, everyone I knew had one at home. It’s called chushkopek, which can be translated as something like pepper roaster. 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.
It works like this: You turn it on, put the pepper inside and then it gets evenly roasted on all sides. Kinda has the mystery and magic of an air fryer, but better. This just shows you how big of a deal roasting peppers is for the entire country when September rolls around. I mean, you’ve got to love roasted peppers if you’re going to invent a special household appliance for it.
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.
How To Deseed Peppers
Before you start roasting your peppers, you wanna remove the the stems and seeds.
To do this for a bell pepper or any other larger variety of 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 (3 Ways)
Now that you have your peppers washed and cored, it’s time to roast them.
In the Oven
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.
On The Grill
Cut your cored peppers in 1/2. Put some olive oil on them, I do this by putting them 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 10-15 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.
In The Pan / On The Stove
This is how I usually do my peppers, because I feel like 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 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 Of Roasted Peppers
Once your peppers are done, transfer them to a bowl and cover the bowl with a lid or with a cloth. Let your peppers cool off for about 30 minutes to an hour. Peel your 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 the grilled peppers. Removing the skin also makes for 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
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.
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
Now you’ve got you’re done roasting, you most likely need some ideas on what to do with your roasted peppers.
Well, my favorite way to use up 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
- 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 your peppers!
How To Roast Peppers
Learn how to roast peppers in the oven, on the grill or in the pan! This method works for all kinds of peppers - red, green, bell pepper, sweet pointed peppers or small spicy peppers like jalapeños!
Ingredients
- 6 peppers (or as many as you can fit in)
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
