Sure you can buy a jar of roasted peppers, but when you know how to roast red peppers, you’ve got better tasting peppers for all your favorite recipes. Roasted red peppers are delicious on salads, in sandwiches, and atop baguette with oil and herbs.
Whether you tuck them into a Picnic Sandwich, add them to an array of salad toppings, or serve them simply on crostini, red peppers you’ve roasted yourself will take your dish over the top for taste as well as affordability.
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Have you ever ordered a salad or pasta dish at a restaurant and wondered how they made the bell peppers so tasty?
Likely, those are roasted peppers. And they truly take something delicious and make it amazing.
While fresh bell peppers are crispy crunchy, roasted peppers are mellow. Unlike sautéed peppers, they have no skin, leaving behind a tender, sweet and smoky pepper.
Roasted Red Peppers are one of those things that seem difficult but are actually incredibly easy to do. Whether in the oven, on the stovetop burner, or on the backyard grill, knowing how to roast a red pepper (and spicy poblano chiles, too) is a kitchen skill worth knowing.
Why Roast Red Peppers Yourself
They are delicious. Homemade Roasted Red Peppers taste delicious layered in sandwiches, stirred into chicken pasta dishes, or simply served on toasted bread with some cheese and fresh herbs. They are sweet and tender, perfect for leveling up your recipes to gourmet heights.
It tastes better when you roast a red pepper yourself. While you can buy roasted peppers in a jar, the ones you roast yourself taste so much better! The process is so simple and requires very little from you, you will love roasted peppers and want to keep them on hand all summer long.
You avoid waste. I don’t know about you, but using up an entire jar of roasted red peppers is hard to do. Ineveitably, there’s some waste. When roasting bell peppers yourself, you can make just enough for your purpose — or make extras to freeze for another time.
It’s a good cheap eat. When you roast peppers at home, the cost is the price of a pepper plus a little energy. Currently, bell peppers have been on super sale in my neck of the woods, as low as a dollar a piece. That makes them excellent candidates for roasting.
Ingredients
All you need are red bell peppers! You can roast other colored peppers if you like, but red tends to be classic for roasting.
Choose bell peppers that are large (especially if you’re paying the cost per pepper), smooth, and shiny. While you might typically avoid peppers that are wrinkly for fresh eating, you can get away with roasting those red peppers, a great way to avoid food waste.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how to roast peppers at home in the oven:
- Preheat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. This makes it easier to clean the pan.
- Wash the peppers and place them on the prepared baking sheet and broil until black and blistered, about five to ten minutes. Turn the peppers with cooking tongs and continue broiling and turning until the skins on all sides are blackened.
- Alternatively, you can blister the peppers on an open flame, either on the stovetop or on an outdoor grill.
- Remove the pan from the oven and wrap in the aluminum foil or place in a paper bag to steam them. Let the peppers cool this way.
- After about ten minutes, the peppers should be cool enough to handle. Remove the skins. Core the peppers and remove the seeds and membrane. Slice the peppers into strips.
- Serve warm or at room temperature or chill until ready to use.
Ways to Serve Roasted Red Peppers
Roasted Red Peppers are superb summertime fare. They go great on salads, in sandwiches, and all kinds of cool summer recipes. Try them:
- marinated in extra virgin olive oil and fresh or dried herbs
- diced and tossed into salads
- layered in sandwiches or wraps
- sliced and placed atop cheeses on crostini appetizers
- stirred into pasta dishes
- blended into soups and sauces
FAQs
To truly roast a red pepper, you’ll need high heat to blacken the skins, making them easy to remove. Under the skin will be the tender meat of the bell pepper. The char that comes from a gas grill or stovetop adds flavor to the pepper. You can also broil the pepper in the oven’s broiler.
Whether you roast the red pepper yourself or open a jar of peppers, you can freeze them for later, a great thing to do when you can’t use them up within a few days. Place the peppers in an airtight, freezer-safe container. If the peppers are still warm, allow them to chill completely in the fridge prior to storing in the freezer.
Ways to Serve Bell Peppers
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How to Roast a Red Pepper
Roasted Red Peppers are superb summertime fare. They go great on salads, in sandwiches, and all kinds of cool summer recipes.
Servings: 4
Calories: 37kcal
Cost: $4
Instructions
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Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. This makes it easier to clean the pan.
-
Wash the peppers and place them on the prepared baking sheet and broil until black and blistered, about five to ten minutes. Turn the peppers with cooking tongs and continue broiling and turning until the skins on all sides are blackened.
-
Alternatively, you can blister the peppers on an open flame, either on the stovetop or on a BBQ.
-
Remove from the oven and wrap in the aluminum foil or place in a paper bag to steam them.
-
After about ten minutes, the peppers should be cool enough to handle. Remove the skins. Core the peppers and remove the seeds and membrane. Slice the peppers into strips.
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Serve warm or at room temperature or chill until ready to use.
Notes
Promptly store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days. Freeze excess peppers for longer storage.
Nutritional values are approximate and based on 1 pepper.
Nutrition
Calories: 37kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 251mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3726IU | Vitamin C: 152mg | Iron: 1mg
This post was originally published on June 22, 2016. It has been updated for content and clarity.
