Roasted red peppers have to be one of my favorite foods and right now the farmers market is filled with perfectly field ripened red peppers that are just waiting to be roasted. Roasting the red peppers makes them nice and tender and it intensifies their flavour and sweetness along with imparting them with a touch of smokiness. Although you could easily buy jarred roasted red peppers, they are so easy to make at home and always good! There are several ways of roasting tried peppers and I find the easiest way is to broil them in the oven one large baking sheet at a time. You can easily use this method to roast other peppers like poblanos or even jalapeños.
Roasted red peppers keep really well in the freezer so every year around this time I pick up a large basket full of those red peppers from the farmers market and I spend a weekend roasting them all up. I like to freeze the roasted red peppers individually in zip-lock sandwich bags so that I can quickly grab them as needed throughout the rest of the year. Although you can peel the skins off before freezing them I tend to leave them on as it would take a bit of time to peel them all up front whereas it only takes a moment to peel the one you are using when you thaw it.
Some of the tricks to roasting red peppers is to let the skin fully char and blacken. As it does it blisters up of of the flesh making it easier to peel. Another trick is placing the charred red peppers in a sealed container while they are still hot. This created a kind of steaming effect while they cool that also makes them easier to peel. You can use any type of sealable container or even a plate on top of a bowl would work. Just let them sit in the container until they are cool enough to handle and then the skin should easily pinch off. When I am freezing the peppers the zip-lock bags that I will store them in are perfect but if I am making them to use right away I prefer to use a reusable container.
How to Roast Red Peppers
ingredients
- red peppers
directions
- Cut the red peppers in half, remove the stem and seeds.
- Place the red peppers on a baking sheet with the cut side facing down.
- Preheat the oven to 450F/230C and then change it to broil.
- Place the baking sheet on the top shelf in the oven and broil until the outer layer of the skin has blackened, about 10-20 minutes.
- Place the peppers in a zip-lock bag or other sealable container, seal and let them cool until you can handle them, about 20 minutes.
- Remove the skins from the peppers. The skins should easily “pinch” off.
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great site–lost you in a computer transfer and am so glad to be back here. i so appreciate all the love and hard work shown here…
and of course, simple tricks like this make all the difference. THANKS!
I have tried it on the barbecue also, brushed with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. It is superb!!
Hello,
I just happened on your blog and it's wonderful! I will be back often to view your recipes!
Laura
Sounds yummy!
Why do you put the just-roasted peppers in plastic zip-lock bags while they are still hot?
I`ve done this before but I think that is time to try 🙂
Joan: Placing the peppers in a sealed container while still warm creates a kind of steaming effect that help make it easier to remove the charred outer skin.
Another favorite way of mine to roast red peppers is to hold them over a burner on the stove. It's almost like you're camping!
Great post, I like roasting my own peppers.
Have just discovered your blog and WOW! You are my new go to place for fabulous recipes. The pictures are just as yummy as your delicious concoctions. Many thanks
Your directions how to prepare roasted peppers is verry helpful!!
Thank you. Terrible to try to get rid of stem and seeds after the peppers are roasted.
Greetings from Germany.
Kevin! So glad to read that the roasted peppers freeze well. One question: when using right away, I understand putting in something with a top on etc, making it easier to peel. But do you do that if you are going to freeze them? Or just let them cool then put into a bag to freeze?
fleur: The steaming effect still helps make the skin easier to peel even when you plan on freezing them first. I put them into the bags right after pulling them out of the oven and then toss them in the freezer when they have cooled.
En españa se utiliza mucho los pimientos asados con pescado frito (chanquetes), me gusta tus recetas y te visitare mas amenudo. saludos
Nothing can beat your own roasted peppers, beats preserved variety!!!
here in greece. we bake, same way, the peppers whole. yes, it is harder to get rid of seeds, but the juice that's inside them after your process is amazing.
add a little balsamic vinegr and a drop (10!) of olive oil, and you have the perfect hor's d'ouvre.
I love the aroma of the roasted red peppers. And it can really be useful in your cooking.
Kevin, thank you for this handy post on how to roast red peppers. I just referenced it in my recipe for Italian Roast Beef sandwiches with red peppers, and this is the same way I do it. Thanks again!
tysvm for letting me know that roasted red peppers freeze well! living in calif's central valley with our abundance of produce, colored peppers (dislike green but love all the others) are often 3/$1. Will have to pick some up this week, char on the bbq grill as still 100 degree days here, and have a lovely stash for the year. Love your blog!
had no idea this is all you had to do to get that wonderful roasted red pepper flavor.. this takes zero skill at all but tastes four million times better than jarred roasted red peppers! ( and yes that is an exact calculation lol)
Steph at {Halfway} a Grown-Up: Yes, I love how easy roasting your own peppers is and how amazing the results are!
LOVE LOVE LOVE roasted red peppers.
I do mine on the charcoal grill. lay the peppers skin side down on the charcoal. watching so they turn black, put in a paper bag so the skin comes right off. smokey flavor. yum yum. store them in jars in my fridge with o.oil for the winter months. nothing better. think of the money u save and always have them on hand
HI, can I mix red and yellow bell pepper?
Shruti Jain: Yes you can and roasted yellow peppers are also amazing!
I found a recipe that calls for two 12 oz jars of roasted yellow peppers. If I wanted to roast my own peppers would I purchase 24 oz of yellow peppers in the store or farmers market?
Bradley Mirth: That will work, though it might be a bit more than required.