Roasted bell peppers are one of my favorite healthy snacks. In this post, I’ve outlined four easy methods for roasting bell peppers with a step-by-step photo tutorial, as well as an instructional video. These methods can actually be used for any pepper, but the amount of roasting time will vary based on the size of the pepper.
How to Roast Bell Peppers – Easy methods for cooking and charring bell peppers for a rich smoky flavor, from stovetop to oven to grill. Recipe & step-by-step video below!
Roasted bell peppers are tender, smoky, and delicious. They add flavor and texture to a variety of dishes and sauces. Once you know how easy the process is, you’ll never spend the money on those jarred roasted peppers again. Detailed instructions for how to roast bell peppers below including a step-by-step how to video. Here are a few of my favorite recipes that include roasted bell peppers:
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Nutritional information is for 6 bell peppers – values and cook times will vary based on how many peppers are prepared and what cooking method is used.
Video by Entice Films
How to Roast Bell Peppers
Four easy methods for roasting bell peppers with a step-by-step photo tutorial and instructional video.
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Email Me RecipesServings: 6 servings (varies)
Ingredients
For All Methods You Will Need
- 6 bell peppers (more or less as needed)
- Large bowl, paper bag, plastic bag or plastic wrap
- Towel or paper towels
For Oven Roasting Method You Will Need
- Oven
- Baking sheet
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For Stovetop Roasting Method – Direct or Grill Pan You Will Need
- Gas stovetop burner
- Oven mitt
- Aluminum foil, for lining the burner to keep it clean
- Tongs
For Flame Grill Roasting Method You Will Need
- Flame grill
- Oven mitt
- Tongs
NOTES
You may also use a grill pan on your stovetop, which makes for a much easier cleanup. A grill pan will protect your stove from the drips of roasted pepper juice. Here is the one I use: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002W2Q4OK/?tag=theshiintheki-20
If you want to store the peppers short term, put them in a sterile glass jar and cover them with olive oil. Cap the jar tightly and refrigerate. If you don’t plan on using them within a few days, pressure can them: https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/pressure-canning/ or freeze the roasted pepper strips in sealing bags (reusable or disposable)… they actually hold up well to freezing and retain much of their flavor when thawed.
Instructions
Oven Roasting Method
- This is my preferred method for roasting peppers, because you can roast several peppers at once. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush a baking sheet lightly with olive oil. Lay peppers on their sides, stems pointing sideways.
- Put baking sheet in oven and allow peppers to roast for 20 minutes.
- Remove baking sheet. Using tongs, give the peppers a half turn, then place back in the oven for another 20 minutes.
- Check to make sure peppers have fully roasted. The skin should be charred and soft, and the peppers should look slightly collapsed. If they don’t look ready, let them roast for a few more minutes. When they’re done, remove baking sheet from oven.
- You can also use your oven broiler to roast the peppers, which is a faster process that chars them more than regular oven roasting. While it goes faster, you also have to watch it carefully, as the peppers will need frequent turning during the process. If you wish to broil the peppers, I suggest placing the rack in the upper third of the oven so there is 8-9 inches between the broiling element and the peppers. That way, the peppers will be able to soften as they char. When they're too close to the broiler, they will char before they're cooked, which means the flesh won't soften and they'll be harder to peel.
- Preheat broiler to high and place the peppers below the broiler.
- Let them roast for 20-25 minutes, giving a quarter-turn every 5 minutes, until the peppers are charred, soft and collapsing. The broiler will char them quite a bit, the skin will be very black and crispy– don’t worry, you’re going to peel it off anyway. Remove from the oven.
- Proceed to instructions for “Steaming Your Peppers.”
Stovetop Roasting Method – Direct or Grill Pan
- I typically use this method when I only have one or two peppers to roast. It’s messier than the oven method, but it produces a very smoky rich flavor. There are a couple of ways to roast peppers on the stovetop – on a gas flame, or on a grill pan. If roasting directly on a gas stovetop, you may wish to cover parts of your heating element with foil to protect it from spills.
- Turn your gas stovetop flame to medium. Place pepper on the grate directly over the top of the gas flame. Let it roast for 20-25 minutes. Use a pair of tongs to give the pepper a quarter turn every 4-5 minutes.After 20 minutes, use tongs to gently squeeze the pepper. If the pepper is soft and easily yields to the tongs, it is ready. If the pepper still feels somewhat firm, let it continue to roast for a few more minutes until it softens.
- Remove pepper from the stovetop. Proceed to instructions for "Steaming your Peppers."Prepare grill pan according to instructions. My pan requires a bit of water to be placed in the circular chamber. Preheat grill pan over medium heat; brush lightly with oil if it is recommended for your pan. Place pepper on the preheated pan.
- Roast the pepper for 20-30 minutes, giving a quarter turn with a pair of tongs every 5 minutes or so, until the pepper is charred and collapsing. Check water level about halfway through cooking if your grill pan requires it. Skip to instructions for "Steaming Your Peppers."
Flame Grill Roasting Method
- I tend to use this method during the summer when we’re using our gas grill a lot. Roasting over an open flame produces a great smoky flavor. Be sure to wear a protective oven mitt. Place peppers on the open grill over a medium flame. Let them roast for 15-20 minutes, using tongs to give them a quarter turn every few minutes, until the peppers are charred, soft and collapsing.
- You can also use a kitchen/bruleé torch to char your peppers, but it’s a slow process. Using a grill or gas flame is more efficient.
Steaming Your Peppers
- Once you have roasted your peppers, you will need to steam them. This process will help you peel the tough skin from them more easily. There are a few ways to steam the peppers. I like to place the roasted peppers on a flat, smooth surface like a cutting board, then invert a large bowl over the top of them. The bowl traps the steam inside. Steam for 15 minutes.Alternatively, you can place the peppers in a paper bag and seal the top by rolling it closed. I prefer using the bowl method. Whichever method you choose, steam the peppers for about 15 minutes.
Seeding and Peeling Your Peppers
- Once you have roasted your peppers, you will need to seed and peel them. This is kind of a messy process, but it’s well worth the effort. Note that some people like to seed their peppers before roasting. When I have tried this in the past, the results are never as good as when I keep the whole pepper intact during roasting– I recommend roasting the peppers whole and seeding after the roast.
- Slice the pepper vertically from top to bottom and lay the pepper open so it becomes one long strip. Pull the stem from the top of the pepper. The stem and a clump of seeds should loosen easily. Use a towel or paper towel to wipe off any loose seeds that remain inside the pepper.
- Flip the pepper over to reveal the skin side. Strip off the charred skin. If you want a more charred flavor, you can leave a few small blackened bits on the skin.
- Alternatively, you can seed and skin the pepper under running water, which will make it easier to get the pepper flesh clean. I prefer not to do this, because I feel the pepper loses some flavor in the process– but if you're in a hurry and don't want to mess up your hands too much, it will speed things up.Once you've peeled and seeded your peppers, you'll end up with soft, sweet, tasty pepper flesh.
- Roasted peppers can be used in a variety of recipes, or snacked on as-is dressed with salt and pepper. They can be added to stews and pasta sauces or chopped into salsa. They can even be mixed with fresh basil and olive oil to create a peppery bruschetta. I have many recipe ideas on my website, just search Roasted Bell Peppers for ideas. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
How to Roast Bell Peppers
Amount Per Serving
Calories 36
% Daily Value*
Sodium 4mg0%
Potassium 251mg7%
Carbohydrates 7g2%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 3725IU75%
Vitamin C 152mg184%
Calcium 8mg1%
Iron 0.5mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
oven rosted pepper recipe was very easy. will use it more often.
I made the oven roasted peppers and the process was remarkably easy. (NOTE: the charring happens on the BOTTOM of the pepper when you’re using this method! Don’t make my mistake and keep it in longer than the 20 minutes on the first side waiting for the tops to char! They were over-roasted by the time the second side was done.) The green bell peppers didn’t have the same sweet and smoky flavor that the red and orange ones developed, so in the future I”ll just use those. I’m interested in seeing how they hold up to freezing. It was a great way to use the excess peppers from the garden!
First time I ever roasted peppers, follow your recipe for oven roasting and they came out magnificent. They taste awesome and I thank you so much for this recipe.
My goodness they were wonderful and so easy.
Sounds great. My garden produced an abundance of peppers this year. Do the peppers freeze well after roasting? Is there a way I can freeze them so I can just pull out a few pieces when I need them?
The peeled peppers should freeze well, yes. You can pre-portion them in freezer bags and thaw as needed.
Yummy! I roasted 5 organic California Wonder peppers from my garden, and had them at the mixed green-red stage just before they ripen. Peeling was incredibly easy after steaming. I put the juicy smoky slices in a bowl in the fridge and there was plenty of liquid from the peppers themselves. No need for oil, so they make a very low calorie delicious and sweet snack!
This is the first time I oven roasted peppers, and how steaming them, helps remove the skin. I enjoyed how tasty the peppers were using this simple recipe. Thank you Torie, I will definitely make peppers this way again!
Great and easy way to make roasted peppers- using oven method- the house smells delicious!!
Great recipe!! Thank you so much for sharing the ‘steam trick’ to remove the skins. I love roasted peppers but the chore of removing the skin after roasting relegated them into ‘special occasions only’ dish – it will be different now!
Why would you remove the skins?! 🤷🏻♂️
Because the texture is not desirable in many recipes, especially after roasting. It becomes stringy.
Roasted in the oven just as described. steamed them using the glass bowl…yes a little messy, but delicious and easy…an my yellow peppers were more reluctant to shed their skins, but all very yummy.
Thanks Tori, I roasted 1 poblano pepper and three bells. They’re all going into chili.
I just tried this and I am so excited to share! Thank you Tori.
I originally bought green, red, and yellow peppers for a different recipe which never happened. The skin on the peppers was wrinkling, but the meat was still good so I figured wth I’ll roast them. Turns out it made them very easy to peel.
Easy peasy. Very nice.
I used the roasting method. It was so easy! Thank you!
I made these by the roasting method. Super easy and came out perfectly, easy to peel. I did the prep work for Creamy Mediterranean Chicken while I was going the the roasting and then the steaming process.
This is the first time I see this recipe for roasted peppers. It’s just like prepping poblano peppers for chiles rellenos (stuffed peppers). Thanks, it’s super easy.
The question I have is when put the peppers in the jar with the olive oil, how long will they keep? Do they need to be treated like for canning? Thank you. I really love Mediterranean food, minus the fish part. (I don’t care for fish.) I would love to be able to eat it in a daily basis to help with weight loss. (But it does become a bit pricy). I love all the veggies,colors and aromatics they use. I need to loose about 90-100 pounds. My problem is, I can’t lay off the breads. I LOVE breads! I just discovered nan bread. Also portion control. If there’s something I really like, I eat lots of it. Even if I’m already full. I admit to you, I have no self control. Well thank you for your time. Looking forward to your answer. Thanks for all your precious time. Here’s hoping for a better New Year. Cheers.
They’ll last about a week or two in the olive oil. For longer shelf life I recommend freezing. Enjoy!
Lupe, I understand exactly how you feel. Bread. Yum. Naan. Yum. Scales. Yikes!
Btw, these roasted peppers in olive oil are great to eat on fresh, homemade bread. 😀
Being home so much lately and baking a lot more has not helped matters. But I try to stay as active as I can no matter what my scale says. Chair yoga / Beginner yoga plus Qi Gong and Bollywood dancing videos have been making me feel so much better lately.
Also including Keefer in my diet now for probiotics, but mostly because…
It tastes like bread. 😀
Oh, and did I mention you can get “mini” naan at the grocery store now? They come in 4-packs and conveniently fit in the toaster. Keep them frozen. Only take out one at a time per person. Toast frozen on longest setting. Add ghee or butter while hot. Eat as soon as possible. OmG, how divine.
Cheers! 😀
PS – Ty, for the roasted pepper info! Love the olive oil tip.
Yes, very difficult to lose weight. Cut down on bread, pasta . Increase all vegetables. You can make very satisfying meals with lots if vegetables as a base, and you can eat more of them which will be filling but less calories. Try roasting all types of veggie in the oven with just a little olive oil and keeping them in the fridge when you are hungry….zucchini, eggplant, carrots, cauliflower, etc, will all be delicious. Look up ‘vegetarian meals’. Good luck.!
The oven method worked great for me, and it was super easy and super simple.
Found a new way to incorporate healthy veggies into my meals. Love the spicy, but not hot, and tangy flavor the peppers bring to a dish. The oven roasted method worked for me.
Thanks for the easy and thorough step-by step, Tori. I have a question and some additional tips.
I roasted red, yellow and green peppers over the last two days. I tried both the whole and cut pepper method and while they’re both moist, the whole pepper retains far more juice which is packed with flavor and can be used to jazz up other recipes, such as rice, noodles, salad dressing, really almost recipe that calls for and can handle savory liquid with a touch of smoky-sweet.
Here’s my question: Do you find the yellow pepper is much more difficult to peel? I cooked yellow peppers for almost an hour to make sure they were roasted though and through but not burned, then covered and steamed as you suggested. The peeling was a real chore compared to red and green peppers. The yellow skin seemed much thinner and more delicate than the other color peppers. Red peppers were the easiest and fastest to peel. Do you find the same when roasting yellow peppers?
Here’s are the tips:
1. Set the peeled skin aside and don’t discard immediately. There’s a surprising amount of flesh and juicy remnants attached. Lay the peeled skins together on a flat surface, say a large plate, and with the edge of a spoon, gently press and scrape them until they appear more clear and transparent; you can see the scrapings come off. You can roll or fold the skins on top of each other to prevent them from breaking apart. You can also press down on the skins with the rounded bottom of the spoon as that will also separate skin from goodies. It doesn’t yield a whole lot but enough juicy bits to convince you that the flavor intensity is much higher closer to the skin than otherwise. I think it’s worth the effort and I like the Zen moment of peeling. I find the joy of cooking is as much in the preparation as in any other part; I don’t think I’m alone in that.
2. Before discarding the skin and seeds, bunch them in your hands and squeeze out every bit of juice you can. Again, you’d be surprised how much juice is left in those skins and how packed with flavor that juice really is. Takes only a moment and it’s worth the effort.
3. If you don’t need to use the roasted peppers immediately, after they’ve cooled a bit and without peeling them, freeze them in zip lock bags. When they thaw, the skin should slip off more easily than the steamed, plastic wrap or paper bag method.
4. Another peeling method, which is decidedly wasteful but works well enough, is to tightly wrap each pepper in plastic wrap before they’ve completely cooled. When they’re cool enough to touch, remove the plastic and the skin will come off with it pretty easily.
Thanks again and I’ve got your site bookmarked.
I have found yellow peppers to be a little harder to peel, now that you mention it! Not sure why that is. Red is always the easiest. Green depends on the batch. Go figure. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your tips!