How to Roast Peppers (4 Ways)

Roasted peppers, especially the red ones are a delight in the many cuisines, and may be most known in the Mediterranean. Roasted peppers are silky and sweet and delicious in salads, on sandwiches, in pasta, on pizza, etc.

Peppers are vibrant in color, low in calories and high in vitamins, antioxidants, minerals and fiber. Red peppers are one of the highest vegetables in lycopene, a natural pigment called carotenoid which might help protect cells from damage like, cancer.

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

• Bell peppers – yellow, orange, red or green (not in picture)

How to Roast Peppers in the Oven

• Step 5 – Slit each whole pepper lengthwise and lay flat. Cut out stem, remove seeds and membranes, and slice or chop as needed.

How to Roast Peppers under a Broiler

• Step 1 – Arrange an oven rack as close to the broiler as possible and preheat on high. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (preferred over parchment paper, as the latter may catch fire).
• Step 2 – Cut peppers in half or keep whole and place in a single layer on the baking sheet.
• Step 3 – Broil the peppers until the skin is charred and blistered, turning often, about every 5 to 10 minutes. When you first cut the peppers in half, you don’t need to turn them.
• Step 4 – Place the pepper (halves) in a bowl and seal with plastic wrap or place a fitting plate on top. Let sit for at least 20 minutes. They will sweat in the airtight space and the skin will start to loosen.
• Step 5 – When cool enough to handle, remove the skin and discard.
• Step 6 – Slit each whole pepper lengthwise and lay flat. Cut out stem, remove seeds and membranes, and slice or chop as needed.

How to Roast Peppers on a Direct Flame (Stove or Grill)

• Step 2 – Place the peppers in a bowl and seal with plastic wrap or place a fitting plate on top. Let sit for at least 20 minutes. They will sweat in the airtight space and the skin will start to loosen.
• Step 3 – When cool enough to handle, remove the skin and discard.
• Step 4 – Slit each pepper lengthwise and lay flat. Cut out stem, remove seeds and membranes, and slice or chop as desired.

How to Roast Peppers in a Grill Pan

• Step 1– Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat.
• Step 2 – Cut the pepper in half and remove seeds and white veins or keep them whole. Place the pepper (halves) skin down in the grill pan and turn them until all sides are blackened and blistered.
• Step 3 – Place the pepper (halves) in a bowl and seal with plastic wrap or place a fitting plate on top. Let sit for at least 20 minutes. They will sweat in the airtight space and the skin will start to loosen.
• Step 4 – When cool enough to handle, remove the skin and discard.
• Step 5 – Slit each whole pepper lengthwise and lay flat. Cut out stem, remove seeds and membranes, and slice or chop as desired.

Whether you roast one pepper or 10, the process and time is the same. It will depend on how much you’ll need for your recipe today and in the near future and how many mouths you’ll have to feed.

How to Store Roasted Peppers

1. Store roasted peppers in the refrigerator. This is a short-term solution. Keep them in an airtight container and they will stay fresh for up to 5 days. If you want to keep them a little longer, coat them with some oil. You may extend their shelf life to up to 2 weeks.
2. Store roasted peppers in the freezer. This is a long-term solution. Keep them in a tightly sealed, freezer-safe container. If you envision you will not thaw them all at once, place parchment paper between the peppers for easy removal. To thaw, leave on the counter for a few minutes or let thaw in the refrigerator, which is obviously slower. Frozen pepper can be kept for max. 2 months.

Please always be safe, at the first sign of mold or spoilage, throw it away immediately.