How to Roast Bell Peppers

Overhead photo of four roasted bell peppers on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Beautifully sweet and smoky, perfectly charred, and deliciously rich in taste, roasted red peppers are flawlessly flavorful and super simple to make at home! Master the art of roasting and learn how to roast bell peppers four different ways with this detailed step-by-step tutorial.

Author: Cheyanne Holzworth

Total Time: 35

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 30

Servings: serving

Equipment

1 Paring Knife - with cutting board

Ingredients

As Needed Bell Peppers – any color and as many as you’d like; rinsed and dried (SEE NOTES)
As Needed Neutral, High Heat Oil – such as vegetable or canola

Instructions

Prepare Bell Peppers: Use a sharp paring knife to cut around the stem of the pepper.
Then, gently pull the stem from the pepper, discarding the stem.
Next, use your fingers to remove the core from the inside of the pepper, discarding the core.
Finally, flip the pepper over and gently tap on the bottom of the pepper to remove and discard the seeds.
Then, using a pastry brush or paper towel, apply a very thin coating of oil to the outside of the pepper.
After, select one of the cooking methods below to roast the peppers.
(Note: If you prefer, you can simply leave the bell peppers whole, coat them in oil and roast them that way. However, you’ll need to remove the stem, core, and seeds after steaming and roasting, which is much messier than simply doing it now.)
Oven Roasting Bell Peppers Instructions: Arrange oven rack to the center position and then preheat the oven to 450-Fahrenheit Convection or 475-Fahrenheit Regular. And, line a rimmed sheet pan with aluminum foil, parchment paper, or a silicone mat for easy clean up.
Next, add the peppers to the baking pan, arranging them so they’re lying flat on one side.
Place the peppers into the oven and roast for 16-18 minutes, or until the bottom side is blistered and charred.
Use tongs to rotate the peppers a quarter turn and continue to roast for an additional 6-8 minutes.
Use tongs to turn the peppers another quarter of a turn, and continue to roast for 4-8 minutes, or until the peppers are soft and the skin is blistered and charred all over.
Once roasted, skip to step 6 and steam the peppers.
Oven Broiling Instructions: Arrange oven rack to the upper third position and then preheat the oven to broil. Line a rimmed sheet pan with aluminum foil for easy clean up.
Then add the peppers to the pan, arranging them so they’re lying flat on one side.
Place the peppers into the oven and broil for 4-6 minutes, or until the top side is blistered and charred.
Use tongs to turn the peppers a quarter turn and continue to broil an additional 1 ½ to 2 ½ minutes.
Continue broiling and turning the peppers a quarter turn 2 more times, or until the peppers are charred all over – the entire process should take 8 to 12 minutes.
Once roasted, skip to step 6 and steam the peppers.
Gas Stovetop Cooking Instructions: Light the flame on your gas cooktop and then turn the burner down to medium.
Place the pepper on its side directly onto the grate over the flame and let the pepper roast for 2-4 minutes, or until the bottom side is charred and blistered.
Then use tongs to rotate the pepper a quarter turn and roast until the bottom side is charred, about 2 minutes, before rotating a quarter turn again.
Continue this process 2 more times, or until the pepper is charred and blistered all over, about 7-10 minutes total.
Once roasted, skip to step 6 and steam the pepper.
Grilling Bell Peppers Instructions: Heat a grill to medium high heat (about 450-degrees Fahrenheit) and oil the grates.
Add the peppers to the grill, arranging them so they’re lying on one side.
Cover the grill and let the peppers cook for 5-7 minutes.
Use tongs to rotate the peppers a quarter turn and close grill. Continue to grill, turning as necessary, for 20-30 minutes, or until the peppers are charred and blistered all over.
Once roasted, skip to step 6 and steam the pepper.
After Roasting, Steam Peppers: Immediately after roasting, add the peppers to a large bowl or pot and cover with plastic wrap or a lid.
Set the peppers aside and let them steam for 15-20 minutes, or until the charred skin has loosened away from the pepper.
Peel Off Charred Skin: Use your fingers to remove and discard the charred, blistered skin from the outside of all the peppers.
Use or Store Homemade Roasted Bell Peppers: Cut roasted bell peppers into quarters, strips, dice, or slice as needed for a recipe and enjoy. Or store the homemade roasted peppers for later.

Notes

Bell peppers: You can roast any color bell pepper you’d like using these methods. However, please note that yellow and red peppers roast faster than orange ones and green peppers will take slightly longer than red ones to roast.
Cooking times will vary, so be sure to watch the peppers carefully as they roast.
Storage instructions: Let the roasted bell peppers cool completely and then transfer them to an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 to 6 days.
Need to Scale the Recipe? Hover your mouse over the number of servings in the recipe card. You'll see a sliding scale pop up, you can use that to scale the recipe up or down as needed.
Got questions? I've got answers! If you ever run into an issue, have a question, or need any clarification - please feel free to drop them in the comments section. I'm happy to help when I can!

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and the nutrition facts are an estimate based upon 1 roasted bell pepper. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.

Nutrition

Calories: 10kcal Carbohydrates: 0.1g Protein: 0.01g Fat: 1g Saturated Fat: 0.2g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g Trans Fat: 0.01g Sodium: 0.04mg Potassium: 2mg Fiber: 0.02g Sugar: 0.04g Vitamin A: 31IU Vitamin C: 1mg Calcium: 0.1mg