Roasted Red Peppers taste so much more vibrant, sweet, and smoky when you make them at home—and lucky for us, making them is EASY and takes just 30 minutes from start to finish!
Email Me the Recipe!
From time to time, we'll send you Well Plated emails. You can unsubscribe anytime. Have an account? Log In.
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Roasted Red Peppers Recipe
- One-Ingredient Recipe. Just red bell peppers! One simple ingredient that, when roasted, enhances your meal with a complexity that will make you wonder what other depths our vegetables have been hiding from you all along. (Roasted Garlic accomplishes the same.)
- A Staple to Jazz Up Almost Anything. Since roasted red peppers keep well in the fridge like Roasted Tomatoes, you can roast a large batch of them in your oven to have on hand for sprucing up pizzas and pastas, sandwiches and salads.
- Completely Different From Store-Bought. Seriously, homemade roasted red peppers taste infinitely better than the ones in jars, with fabulous caramelization and a hint of smokiness from the light charring.
Tip!
To roast a medley of vegetables, and for more tips and seasoning suggestions, check out my ultimate guide to Oven Roasted Vegetables.
5 Star Review
“Thanks for these easy tips! Way better than in a can.”
— Matt —
How to Make Roasted Red Peppers in the Oven
- Prep. Cut the peppers into halves, removing the stem, membrane, and seeds.
- Arrange. Lay them cut-sides down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Char. Roast the peppers at 450 degrees F for about 25 minutes.
- Steam. Place the hot roasted peppers in a mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap to trap the steam, and let the peppers cool completely.
- Remove the Skins. They will slip right off.
- Finish. Cut the peppers into strips (or any size or shape you like). Use immediately, or store them in the refrigerator. ENJOY!
How to Use Roasted Red Peppers
Roasted red peppers are my favorite when they’re added as a sweetening ingredient to enhance the flavor of a main dish. Consider all these possibilities!
- Snacking. Place an oven roasted bell pepper strip on a cracker, sprinkle with salt and a dash of olive oil for a delightful midday snack. (Roasted Red Pepper Dip is excellent too!)
- Salads. Add them to tossed salads or pasta salads, like this Antipasto Salad or Orzo Pasta Salad.
- Sandwiches. They’re a great addition to paninis, tartines, and even cold sandwiches with sliced meat and cheese.
- Pizza. As oven roasted bell pepper strips, they bring sweetness to a pizza topping. My favorite is pairing them with goat cheese on a Flatbread Pizza.
- Pesto or Hummus. Make a roasted red pepper pesto with the typical pesto ingredients. Or add them to (or puree them with chickpeas for) your next bowl of hummus.
- Tacos. Scrambles. Frittatas. Hashes. Casseroles. The lists go on!
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Get a Good Char. More char = more flavor. Even though you peel those bits off before using roasted red peppers, they infuse so much smokiness into every bite! It’s what sets homemade apart from store-bought. Since ovens can cook differently, you may need to leave your bell peppers in a bit longer for lots of charred spots.
- Tightly Seal the Mixing Bowl. This traps the heat from the oven-roasted red peppers inside, creating steam. The steam is what helps soften the peppers and loosen the skins.
- Try It With Another Pepper. Yellow or orange peppers have almost the same flavor as red peppers, so those can be used interchangeably. Or, for something different, try using this roasting method with poblano peppers.
Roasted Red Peppers
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 bell peppers
Homemade roasted red peppers taste so much better than store-bought! Here's how to make them in the oven, stovetop, or grill. So easy!
email me the recipe!
From time to time, we’ll send you Well Plated emails. You can unsubscribe anytime. Have an account? Log In.
Ingredients
- 4 red bell peppers around 2 pounds—or as few or as many as you like
- Kosher salt or sea salt optional
- extra-virgin olive oil optional
Instructions
- TO ROAST IN THE OVEN: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the bell peppers in half from stem down through the end. Remove the stem, membrane and seeds.
- Arrange the peppers, cut-sides down on the baking sheet, making sure to leave a little space around each one so that the peppers are not crowded. If they are, divide them between two baking sheets.
- Roast the peppers on the upper rack (or upper and lower racks if you have two sheets) until the tops are black and the peppers are very tender, about 25 minutes. Halfway through, rotate the pans 180 degrees (if using two pans, switch their positions on the upper and lower racks halfway through as well).
- Remove the pan from the oven. With tongs or a large spatula, carefully transfer the peppers to a large mixing bowl.
- TO COOK OVER A GAS STOVE TOP OR GRILL: Leave the peppers whole. Char them on all sides either directly over the gas flame, on a grill pan placed on the stove, or on an outdoor grill, until they are black all over. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap to allow the peppers to steam.
- Let the peppers cool completely in the bowl. They’ll become slippery and even more tender.
- With your fingers, slip off and discard the skins. If you charred whole peppers, slice off the stems and remove the seeds/membranes.
- Slice the peppers into strips. If desired, sprinkle with a little salt, to taste.
- Use the peppers right away, or transfer to a jar or similar airtight container. Store in the refrigerator as-is for up to 5 days or cover with olive oil, seal and store in oil for 2 to 3 weeks.
Notes
- TO STORE: Roasted red peppers will last for about 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 4)Calories: 37kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPotassium: 251mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 3726IUVitamin C: 152mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 1mg
Join today and start saving your favorite recipes
Create an account to easily save your favorite recipes and access FREE meal plans.
Sign Me UpRelated Recipes
Roasting brings out the best of so many vegetables! Here are some more of my favorites.
Thanks for these easy tips! Way better than in a can. I love adding these to sandwiches.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Matt! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I have hated peppers my whole life. Couldn’t even stand the smell, raw or cooked. I had a slice of veggie pizza a while ago which had roasted red peppers on it. I was surprised how sweet and tasty they were! I made them per your recipe and loved them. Researching them I found how healthy they are for you. The 2nd time I made them, I wanted to save all the chopping so I put them in my juicer. It liquified them immediately. Now I do this all the time and use it instead of ketchup on and in everything. I poached boneless skinless chicken breasts in it (which I never eat because they are so dry and tasteless). They were so juicy and flavorful! I eat lots of chicken. This is now my healthy go-to way of preparing chicken, and takes a fraction of the time compared to baking it. I also mix it with mayo to make a delicious salad dressing, or with sour cream for an excellent dip. It is even good as a soup, instead of salty canned tomato soup.
I’m so happy that you’ve enjoyed the recipe, Sue! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Sue Glut……brilliant ideas. I’m inspired
Erin, you said “Roasted red peppers will last for about 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container”. The roasted peppers in airtight jars you buy in the store last at least 1 year. What makes the home made roasted peppers in airtight jar so sensitive they go off in4-5 days?
Hi George, it’s homemade and not “canned” like you find at the grocery store. If you pressure can them then they would last longer. Enjoy!
Chili. Put roasted red peppers in chili, the flavor sort of spreads out and carries the other chili flavors. Its my chili secret! That and jalepenos, to give some spice at the “front” to mix the chili power spice at the “back”.
Great idea!
Is there a trick to removing the skin on the part where the stem was? When I use your method, the blistered skin comes off most of the pepper but the skin doesn’t get charred where the stem was and the skin wants to stay there.
Hi Johnny, hmmm, this isn’t a problem I’ve had before. Maybe you could try rotating your pan in the oven, not just from one rack to another but turning them and see if that helps get that part of the pepper.
These turned out great! We usually roast chilis on the grill but roasted these in the oven just as the recipe was written and they turned out perfectly. We are garnishing our grilled steaks with these peppers tonight! Thanks.
Great to hear, Ellie! Thank you!
Just made these tonight and they’re fantastic! Love your page, thanks so much! I added bay leaves and some sliced garlic to the jar, covering them in good olive oil.
Great to hear, thank you Meredith!
How long do they last in a jar in fridge? I want to make 3x the recipe .
Hi Maria, Step 11 in the recipe covers the storage: Use the peppers right away, or transfer to a jar or similar airtight container. Store in the refrigerator as-is for up to 5 days or cover with olive oil, seal and store in oil for 2 to 3 weeks. Hope this helps!