Have you ever wondered How to Roast Bell Peppers? All you need to make Italian roasted peppers is a source of heat and some peppers. A delicious addition for your antipasto platter.
Use these homemade grilled peppers to make some of the best Italian Appetizers!
Can you smell it?
There is no denying that sweet aroma when roasting bell peppers.
Whether you are using an outdoor grill, the oven, a stove top burner or even an air fryer -roasting peppers not only adds a smoky flavor, but also intensifies the sweetness of the final product.
If you have visited here before, you know that I love to grill or roast both fruits and vegetables.
The flavors are simply incredible!
I’ve shared recipes for Grilled Radicchio, Grilled Vegetables, Grilled Fennel, Grilled Watermelon Steak, Roasted Fennel, Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables …
I could go on, but I think you can appreciate that I love this method of preparing fruits and vegetables. Feel free to refer to my Side Dish Category for more recipes.
Today, the focus is on different methods to roast bell peppers.
What do I need to make roasted bell peppers?
The only ingredient you need to make this “recipe” is peppers.
When purchasing red peppers, choose peppers that are firm, unblemished and glossy looking. The stem end should be green and look fresh.
Store red peppers in a plastic bag, in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Feel free to use a variety of bell peppers -red, orange, or yellow peppers. Roasting green bell peppers is not recommended as they end up being bitter tasting.
As far as the quantity is concerned, you can grill (or roast) as many or as little as you want.
Prepping the Sweet Bell Peppers:
No matter which of the 4 methods you prefer, always wash and dry your peppers.
1-How to Roast Peppers in the Oven:
Place the bell peppers on their sides on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Roast in upper third of oven heated to 400°F (200°C) until skin is completely charred and the flesh is soft.
Turn the peppers over every 10 minutes or so. This allows the sides to get black and blistered. Notice how the peppers will also collapse in on themselves. This process can take up to an 1 hour, depending on the size of your peppers.
2-How to Roast Bell Peppers on the Grill:
Place the peppers on their sides, on the bbq grill. Use tongs to rotate the peppers to ensure even charring.
3-How to Roast Peppers on a Stovetop:
Place the peppers directly on low flames on gas stove burners (grates). With kitchen tongs,rotate the peppers until all the sides are charred.
4-How to Roast Peppers in an Air Fryer:
Place bell peppers on air fryer basket and proceed according to manufacture recommendations.
I highly recommend placing a grill pan at the bottom of the oven to capture the juices that may escape the peppers as they are grilling.
Total roasting time for the air fryer is about 20 minutes.
How to Steam Roasted Peppers:
Carefully transfer the hot peppers to a heatproof bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Another alternative is to place the roasted peppers in a plastic or paper bag and then close it tightly.
Allow to cool for about 30 minutes or until you can easily handle them. The residual heat generated from the roasted peppers will steam the peppers. This in turn makes it easy to remove the skin off the peppers.
How to Peel Roasted Peppers:
When cool enough to handle, the skin of the charred peppers can easily be peeled away. Cut peppers in half and remove the stem and the seeds.
Please note that there is no “right way” to clean the peppers. This can get a little messy but please, promise me you will not run the peppers under water to speed up the process.
Cut in long strips. Place in the bowl along with any juices which have escaped the peppers.
If you do not plan to use your grilled whole peppers right away, the sections can be frozen.
Tips and tricks for Oven Roasted Peppers:
- Begin the roasting process with room temperature peppers.
- Yellow and orange peppers roast faster than the red ones, so keep an eye on them.
- NEVER rinse your roasted peppers under running water.
How long do roasted red peppers last?
- If submerging the roasted peppers in olive oil, they can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.
- Placing them in an airtight container with just a drizzle of olive oil maintains their quality for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
- If there is no addition of olive oil, the roasted peppers should be refrigerated and consumed within 2 days.
Can you freeze roasted red peppers?
Yes. Freezing is the easiest way to preserve roasted bell peppers for long term storage. Once peeled and seeded, simply lay the peppers flat in a freezable container. Separate the layers with wax or parchment paper. Good for up to 6 months.
Roasted Red Peppers can be used:
- in scrambled eggs or frittatas;
- as a pizza or bruschetta topping;
- in soups, pastas and salads;
- snuggled in a sandwich (for example in a piadina);
- as a side dish for roasted meats;
- in appetizers;
- as the main ingredient in a dip, hummus or pesto;
- marinated and used as part of your antipasto platter.
Roasted Red Pepper Recipes we love:
- Fregola Salad
- Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Recipe
- Bell Pepper Stew
- Roasted Bell Pepper Goat Cheese Bites
- Marinated Roasted Bell Peppers
Origin of grilled bell peppers:
During my youth, grilling peppers was an end of summer family activity.
My dad would always buy bushels of bell red peppers at the market. I don’t remember him ever purchasing yellow or orange peppers.
Grilling the bushels of red bell peppers on the barbecue was always a lot of fun.
The sweet aroma that permeated the air was undeniably that of roasting peppers. I can still smell it…
My mom would set up “working stations” so that once the peppers were grilled, they were steamed, cleaned and packed into bags.
No i-phones to capture these moments, but those afternoons are still, to this day, very vivid in my mind.
These bags would disappear in the freezer, next to the frozen packets of Swiss Chard and Rapini.
These roasted sweet peppers would reappear on my mom’s slab pizza, in pastas or sandwiched in a classic Italian panini. My mom was always prepared for family parties and use them as an ingredient for her make ahead Italian appetizers.
Naturally, they were part of the Italian antipasto at all holidays.
The simple process of roasting red peppers intensifies its’ sweetness making it an ideal base for so many other dishes
Such an easy recipe with so much flavor!
Hope you get a chance to try it!
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made this Roasted Bell Pepper Recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
How to Roast Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 bell pepper (red, orange or yellow) as many as you want
Instructions
- Wash and dry your pepper(s).
HOW TO ROAST PEPPERS IN THE OVEN:
- Place the bell peppers on their sides on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.Roast in upper third of oven heated to 400°F (200°C) until skin is completely charred and the flesh is soft.Turn the peppers over every 10 minutes or so. This allows the sides to get black and blistered. Notice how the peppers will also collapse in on themselves. This process can take up to an 1 hour, depending on the size of your peppers.
HOW TO ROAST BELL PEPPERS ON THE GRILL:
- Place the peppers on their sides, on the bbq grill. Use tongs to rotate the peppers to ensure even charring.
HOW TO ROAST PEPPERS ON A STOVETOP:
- Place the peppers directly on low flames on gas stove burners (grates). With kitchen tongs, rotate the peppers until all the sides are charred.
HOW TO ROAST PEPPERS IN AN AIR FRYER:
- Place bell peppers on air fryer basket and proceed according to manufacture recommendations.
I highly recommend placing a grill pan at the bottom of the oven to capture the juices that may escape the peppers as they are grilling. Total roasting time for the air fryer is about 20 minutes.
HOW TO STEAM ROASTED PEPPERS:
- Carefully transfer the hot peppers to a heatproof bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Another alternative is to place the roasted peppers in a plastic or paper bag and then close it tightly.
- Allow to cool for about 30 minutes or until you can easily handle them. The residual heat generated from the roasted peppers will steam the peppers. This in turn makes it easy to remove the skin off the peppers.
- When cool enough to handle, remove the charred skin, cut peppers in half and remove the stem and the seeds. Please note that there is no “right way” to clean the peppers.
- Cut in long strips. Place in the bowl along with any juices which have escaped the peppers.
- Use immediately, refrigerate or freeze until needed.
Notes
- Begin the roasting process with room temperature peppers.
- Yellow and orange peppers roast faster than the red ones, so keep an eye on them.
- NEVER rinse your roasted peppers under running water.
- If submerging the roasted peppers in olive oil, they can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.
- Placing them in an airtight container with just a drizzle of olive oil maintains their quality for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
- If there is no addition of olive oil, the roasted peppers should be refrigerated and consumed within 2 days.
Nutrition
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Paula Barbarito-Levitt says
A smell like no other, always take me back…
Maria says
Thanks Paula. Me too… nothing like the sweet smoky smell of roasting bell peppers… Thanks so much for stopping by ♥