Have you ever wondered about how to roast bell peppers? All you need is a source of heat to make this delicious addition to your tray of 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 stovetop 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, vegetables, fennel, watermelon steak, and roasted fennel, and Mediterranean vegetables to name but a few.
I could go on, but 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 of roasting 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 in a plastic bag, in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Feel free to use a variety -red, orange, or yellow. 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.
Mise en place
No matter which of the 4 methods you prefer, begin by rinsing and drying your peppers.
1-Oven roasted
Place on their sides on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper.
Roast in the upper third of the oven heated to 400°F (200°C) until the 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 one hour, depending on the size of your peppers.
2-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 bell peppers on a gas stove
Place them directly on low flames on gas stove burners (grates). With kitchen tongs, rotate the peppers until all the sides are charred.
4-Air Fryer
Place them on an air fryer basket and proceed according to manufacturer 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.
The 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 them. This, in turn, makes it very easy to peel off the skin.
How to peel
When cool enough to handle, the charred skin can easily be peeled away. Cut in half and remove the stem and the seeds.
Please note that there is no “right way” to clean peppers. Although it can get a little messy, promise me you will not rinse them under running water to speed up the process. We want to keep all those wonderful flavors.
Cut in long strips. Place in the bowl along with any juices which have escaped.
If you do not plan to use your grilled vegetable right away, the sections can be frozen.
Tips
- Begin the roasting process with room temperature peppers.
- The yellow and orange variety roast faster than the red ones, so keep an eye on them.
- NEVER rinse them under running water.
How long can I refrigerate them?
- They can last up to 3 weeks if completely submerging them in olive oil.
- Refrigerate for up to 1 week by placing them in an airtight container with just a drizzle of olive oil.
- If there is no addition of olive oil, consume within 2 days.
Can I freeze them?
Yes. Freezing is the easiest way to preserve for long-term storage. Once peeled and seeded, simply lay them flat in a freezable container. Separate the layers with wax or parchment paper. Good for up to 6 months.
How to use
Roasted bell peppers are a great way to add flavor and texture to your dishes. They can be used as an appetizer, a side dish, or even as a main course. Here are a few examples:
- in scrambled eggs, frittatas or even a quiche;
- to top off pizzas or bruschetta;
- in soups, pasta 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
Roasted bell red peppers are a great way to add flavor and texture to any dish. Try these recipes for inspiration:
- Fregola Salad
- Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Recipe
- Bell Pepper Stew
- Roasted Bell Pepper Goat Cheese Bites
- Marinated Roasted Bell Peppers
Recipe origins
During my youth, grilling peppers was an end-of-summer family activity.
Although my dad did have a few varieties growing in his backyard, those were mostly used to make Italian fried peppers, peppers and potatoes and this recipe for sausage, peppers and potatoes.
He would always buy bushels of red bell peppers from the market. I don’t remember him ever purchasing the yellow or orange variety.
Grilling them was always a lot of fun.
The sweet aroma that permeated the air was undeniable that of roasting peppers. I can still smell it…
My mom would set up “working stations” so that once they 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 pasta or sandwiched in a classic Italian panini. My mom was always prepared for family parties and use them as an ingredient for her to make ahead Italian appetizers.
Naturally, they were part of the Italian antipasto on all holidays.
The simple process of roasting intensifies the sweetness making it an ideal base for so many other dishes.
Such an easy recipe with so much flavor!
I 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.
If you haven’t already joined, here is the link where you can sign up for my weekly e-mail newsletter. This way, you won’t miss any of my new recipes and it’s free!
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
- water
- olive oil
Instructions
- Properly rinse all the peppers with running water. Dry with a tea towel.
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 the upper third of the oven heated to 400°F (200°C) until the skin is completely charred and the flesh is soft.Turn them 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 one hour, depending on the size of your peppers.
HOW TO ROAST BELL PEPPERS ON THE GRILL:
- Place them 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 them 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 them on the air fryer basket and proceed according to manufacturer 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 them. 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.
- They can last up to 3 weeks if completely submerging them in olive oil.
- Refrigerate for up to 1 week by placing them in an airtight container with just a drizzle of olive oil.
- If there is no addition of olive oil, consume within 2 days.
Terry
Thanks for all of your delicious recipes and ideas. I’m always looking for tasty food that is also healthy.
Learned a trick from my mother-in-law many years ago that she learned from her mother-in-law which applies to roasting the peppers in the oven or on a grill. After washing and drying the peppers, cut them in half (from top to bottom through the stem) and remove the stem and seeds. If roasting in the oven, place them on the rimmed baking sheet cut side down and give them a little press to flatten slightly. (I roast them at 425 or 450 degrees, and sometimes broil them with the sheet pan on the middle rack in the oven.) If grilling, place them cut side up. There is no turning necessary since only charring on one side. They roast faster so the flesh doesn’t turn to mush and the delicious juices don’t escape. One of the best parts is that after steaming them as in the recipe directions, there is no mess of removing seeds from the wilted peppers. I like to freeze my excess by putting four halves, or however many will fit, into a snack bag and then putting the small bags into a quart-size freezer bag. Then I can defrost only as many as I need. Love them as is on a sandwich. Also like them fixed with salt, pepper, quartered or sliced garlic cloves, olive oil, and dry oregano. Sometimes add canned ripe loves or the crinkled, salty cured Italian black olives. As an alternative, they are also good with fresh basil or thinly sliced onions. So delicious with a loaf of dense, crusty bread to sop up the flavored oil and pepper juice.
Maria
Thanks so much for sharing Terry! It is so great to have them in the middle of the winter!
roberta raphael
Every year we would gather in my mother’s kitchen to roast a couple of bushels of red peppers. She would always can them in pint jars. Then we would enjoy them all year long. We always did them under the broiler. They are the best. Especially in a sandwich with my grandfather’s home made sausage.
Maria
So many wonderful memories! Thanks for sharing Roberta!
Mary Stacey
I have been making roasted peppers for years. Just bought a bussell at the farmers market getting ready to roast them. They freeze well and I eat them all winter . So delicious with olive oil and garlic.
Maria
Thanks so much for sharing Mary! They really are so delicious!
Tina Faranda-Brown
After cutting in strips dress ,them in olive oil and lemon juice and lots of garlic.. don’t forget to season with salt and pepper . Great as side dish with meat or on a sandwich Delish
Maria
Thanks Tina! Thanks so much for sharing!
Paula Barbarito-Levitt
A smell like no other, always take me back…
Maria
Thanks Paula. Me too… nothing like the sweet smoky smell of roasting bell peppers… Thanks so much for stopping by ♥