Making roasted red peppers at home couldn’t be simpler as it requires one ingredient — yes, one ingredient: bell peppers! Once you make this recipe, you’ll never go back to jarred varieties. Homemade roasted red peppers taste incredibly sweet, and their uses are countless. See notes below on how to use your grill or air fryer in place of the oven.

As with most homemade products, homemade roasted red peppers are infinitely better than anything you can find at the store. And once you start making them from scratch, it’s hard to go back to the jarred varieties.

Good news: making roasted red peppers from scratch requires very little effort and one ingredient: bell peppers! To make them, you simply roast halved, seeded bell peppers at high heat (without olive oil or seasoning) until their skins blister, then transfer them to a bowl to steam and cool.

After 20 minutes, the skins will slip right off. I like to thinly slice them, drizzle them with olive oil, season them with flaky sea salt, and set them out as an appetizer with good bread (see below). But their uses are countless: tuck them into sandwiches, toss them onto pizza, throw them into a salad, or bake them into a quiche or a summery vegetable tart.

How to Make Homemade Roasted Red Peppers, Step by Step

First, lay halved and seeded red (or other) bell peppers cut-side down on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Transfer to a 450ºF oven and roast until the skins are nearly blistered, 30 to 40 minutes.

roasted red bell peppers

Immediately transfer the peppers to a bowl covered with a lid: a cloth bowl cover, a sheet of foil, a plate, etc. — anything that will help create steam in the bowl.

After 20 minutes (or longer), uncover the bowl.

The skins will slip off easily. Transfer the peeled peppers along with any juices to a storage vessel.

Or slice them thinly, drizzle them with olive oil, sprinkle them with sea salt and serve them aside good, crusty bread:

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
roasted red bell peppers

Homemade Roasted Red Peppers

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 11 reviews

  • Author: Alexandra Stafford
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: Varies
  • Diet: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
Print Recipe
Save Recipe

Description

Making roasted red peppers at home couldn’t be simpler as it requires one ingredient — yes, one ingredient: bell peppers! Once you make this recipe, you’ll never go back to jarred varieties. Homemade roasted red peppers taste incredibly sweet, and their uses are countless. See below for ideas.

Notes:

For a simple appetizer: Bring the roasted red peppers to room temperature — the cold masks their flavor. Slice the peppers into slivers. place on a platter. Taste. Sometimes the peppers are so sweet that they don’t need anything. If they need a little seasoning, however, drizzle lightly with olive oil, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, and top with fresh herbs, such as thinly sliced basil or parsley. Serve with warm bread.

To grill: Cut peppers in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and white veins. Place peppers cut-side down on a hot grill (500ºF or so). Grill until charred, 20-30 minutes, then proceed to step 3 below. 

To Air Fry: Place halved peppers (I can fit 6 halves snugly in mine) in the air fryer and using the “air fry” setting, cook for 10 minutes @ 450ºF. Check on them — they likely will just be beginning to char. Lower the temp to 400ºF and cook for 5-10 more minutes, or until the skins are nicely charred, then proceed to step 3 below. 

Ingredients

  • bell peppers, a mix of red, yellow, orange and green is pretty, but red are the sweetest and the tastiest

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450ºF*. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper (for easy clean up — make sure it extends over the edges).
  2. Meanwhile, cut peppers in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and white veins. Place peppers cut-side down on parchment paper. (Alternatively, rub a small amount of olive oil on the sheet tray.) Place pan in the oven for about 30 to 40 minutes, until the skin is blistery and charred. Don’t be impatient here: If the skin isn’t blistery enough, the peppers will be difficult to peel.
  3. Place the peppers in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a cloth bowl cover or tea towel. Let sit for at least 20 minutes and up to 4 or 5 hours (or longer.) When cool enough to handle, remove the skin and discard.
  4. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. You can also store the peppers with the skins still on — I do this when I can’t get around to peeling them right away.
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Vegetable
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American