How To Roast Red Peppers (on the grill)
This post shows you how to roast red peppers on the grill, and freshly-roasted red peppers are much better than roasted red peppers from a jar! And the process for roasted red peppers on a grill is really quite easy!
PIN How To Roast Red Bell Peppers on the Grill to try it later!
Before I tell you how easy it is to roast sweet bell peppers on a grill, let me first reassure everyone that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with roasted red peppers that come in a jar. In fact for years I kind of pooh-poohed the idea of roasting your own peppers, and then I had one of those big packages of six bell peppers you get at Costco, and suddenly I just felt like roasting some peppers.
It took me a few tries to get a process I thought was actually easy, and while I’m not going to claim I’ll never use the jarred red peppers again, there’s no doubt that the flavor of the freshly roasted peppers is just wonderful.
Keep reading for my tips on How to Roast Red Peppers on the Grill, and check below for more ideas for using those roasted red peppers!
What ingredients do you need?
All you need for roasting red peppers on a grill is some red bell peppers and a grill. I used a gas barbecue grill; you can probably make this on an electric grill or a wood-pellet grill too, but I haven’t tried that.
More Roasted Peppers on the Grill:
Check out How to Roast Green Chiles on a Grill if you’re a fan of those slightly-spicy peppers. Or use Cooking Tips for more how-to posts like this one.
Favorite Recipes with Roasted Red Peppers:
- Grilled Garlic Chicken with Red Pepper Aioli
- Artichoke Heart Salad
- Roasted Red Pepper Dip with Feta
- No-Pasta Salad with Zucchini and Italian Sausage
- Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Red Pepper, Capers, and Olives
Tips for Roasting Red Peppers on the Grill:
- The first time I tried roasting peppers, I kept them whole. This worked just fine, but I found it was hard to get the skin evenly charred, and areas that didn’t get as much heat were a bit harder to peel. I also decided removing the seeds would be much easier if you did it before you roasted the peppers.
- The second time I roasted peppers, I cut them in half. That was better, but I still wanted a slightly flatter shape.
- The method that worked best for me was to cut the whole peppers in fourths like you see in the first photo above, then cutting the seeds out of each quarter piece and slightly trimming both ends where the pepper curls up.
- Preheat the gas or charcoal barbecue grill to high before putting the peppers on. Then lay the peppers on, skin side down, making sure not to put them too close together. (The photos shown skin side up are only to illustrate how charred they’re getting, roast your peppers skin side down the whole time!)
- Most of my peppers took 20-25 minutes to get that full-charred look I wanted, but time your peppers by how they look because your grill may be hotter or colder than mine. This next shot was after 12 minutes. You can see that the pepper on the right is about half charred, but the one on the left is barely starting to roast.
- After a while it’s obvious I’m going to need to rotate peppers on the grill to get them all charred black like I want them to be. When all the peppers are quite black, take them directly off the grill and put them in a small glass or heavy plastic bowl.
- Immediately cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or a tight fitting lid) and let the hot peppers sit for about 15 minutes. The steam will loosen the skins so they’ll peel right off.
- Here’s one pepper peeled with the removed charred skin to the left of the pepper. You can see there are some areas where the pepper flesh started to slightly char, which adds a lot of smoky flavor.
- Here are all eight pieces peeled, which probably took me no more than 3-4 minutes to do. I rinsed my hand a few times, but it’s important not to rinse the peppers because that rinses off some of the smoky charred flavor.
- This is the stack of roasted pepper strips I got from two sweet red bell peppers. Discard the charred black skins.
- If you don’t have a gas grill, peppers can also be roasted in the oven, under a broiler, or even on top of a gas burner.
- If you’re lucky enough to have an abundance of peppers in your garden, roasted peppers can be frozen. I would seal them in a bag using the FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer if you have one.
How To Roast Red Peppers on the Grill
This post will show you How to Roast Red Peppers on the grill, and the freshly-roasted red peppers are so flavorful and surprisingly easy to make!
Ingredients
- 2 large red bell peppers
Instructions
- Cut the whole peppers in quarters, cut out the seeds from each piece, and slightly trim both ends where the pepper curls up.
- Preheat the gas or charcoal barbecue grill to high before putting the peppers on. Then lay the peppers on, skin side down, making sure not to put them too close together.
- Most of my peppers took 20-25 minutes to get that full-charred look I wanted, but time your peppers by how they look.
- I waited until peppers were about half charred, and then rotated them after about 12 minutes so different ones were in the hotter spots on the grill. You can turn them over for part of the cooking time, but it's not necessary.
- When all the peppers are quite black, take them directly off the grill and put them in a small glass or heavy plastic bowl.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or a tight fitting lid) and let the hot peppers sit for about 15 minutes. The steam will loosen the skins so they'll peel right off.
- After I waited 15 minutes, it took me no more than 3-4 minutes to remove the skins. I rinsed my hand a few times, but it's important not to rinse the peppers because that rinses off some of the smoky charred flavor.
- Discard the charred black skins.
- If you don't have a gas grill, peppers can also be roasted in the oven, under a broiler, or even on top of a gas burner.
Notes
If you're lucky enough to have an abundance of peppers in your garden, roasted peppers can be frozen. I would seal them in a bag using the FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer if you have one.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Roasted red peppers are a great choice for any low-carb, Keto, or low-glycemic diet plan, or for any phase of the original South Beach Diet.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Cooking Tips to find more posts like this one.Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This post about how to roast red peppers was first posted in 2008! I’ve done it many times since then, and the post was last updated with more information in 2023.
52 Comments on “How To Roast Red Peppers (on the grill)”
Looking delicious.. thank you for sharing this method.
Glad you like it!
I love to eat red bell pepper. I hear that it can help prevent cancer. i will following your guide to roast it. Thank for share !
Hope you enjoy Kathy. I don't know about preventing cancer, but the freshly roasted peppers are delicious!
So yummy…Awesome Kalyn. I recently try this roast red bell peppers on our camping and everyone love it. Thanks so much for your useful post!
So glad it was useful for you!
wow! very nice recipe. Your blog is full of entertainment and helpful information that can allure to anyone anytime. Continue posting!
I haven't had trouble with the peppers drying out or getting too done, but if you have a gas grill you could solve it by turning the heat lower. Haven't heard of this type of pepper, but they sound great!
I agree that prepping the peppers and cutting them into segments before roasting is easier and less messy but I have not had good success with this method; the segments tend to dry out and scorch or burn rather than just char the skin. Also agree that the irregular shape of whole bell peppers can be a problem. I use Carmen, or sweet Italian, peppers which are longer and have flatter sides; they are fantastic.
If you haven't bought a smoker yet, until you get one you can just use an inexpensive smoker box, sold for around $10 at Lowe's and other hardware stores. It's a small stainless steel container with a perforated sliding lid. You fill it with wood chips of your choice (also at the hardware store), turn one side of the grill on high, set the box over the flame, close the lid, and wait till smoke starts to pour steadily out of the holes. You can also use a foil packet of wood chips and poke holes in it with a skewer. I don't bother soaking the chips first.
When the smoke starts to flow, cook/smoke on the opposite side of the grill, at the appropriate temperature for the food. For delicate fish and seafood, once the smoker gets going turn the heat underneath it down to medium–low and leave the grill off on the other side—low and slow does the trick.
I've tried maple, pecan, and fruit woods for a subtle flavour, but my hands-down favourite is mesquite, which is unmistakably bold. So far, I've smoked salmon, eggplant and other veg, and vertical-roasted chicken. Now preparing smoked eggplant for baba ganouj, and I have a bunch of peppers from a neighbour's garden, which I'll add to the grill.
Thanks for the tip about seeding and quartering the peppers. I'll also use a grill wok (the perforated, slant-sided kind) to hold them. Eggplant, halved lengthwise, goes in foil with the top open a bit.
Eva, you're welcome. Glad you had fun trying my method.
This was so easy and great! My first time ever roasting pepper and it worked perfectly. Thanks a bunch 🙂
Francie, thanks for the tip about Carmen peppers. I will look for those in the spring!
This looks perfect for what to do with all the peppers from our garden. Now retired, we put in a big one last summer, and just simply froze a bunch to try during the winter.
Just to share, I stumbled upon a red pepper called Carmen, bought two plants at a local gardening shop, they are the very best sweet red peppers we have ever had, we just ate them whole and raw. They produced from June through October here in North Florida.
Thank you again for all that you share so generously, it is so helpful!
So glad you enjoyed the post!
I googled "roasting bells peppers on a grill" and your pictures and descriptions were exactly what I needed…my grill was pretty hot and I got the perfect char within 10'ish minutes and the skins peeled off. Thank you so much!
Oh good, so glad it was helpful for you!
Thanks for the pepper roasting instructions. We just roasted 4 tonight and they were great!!
Tapestrygal, hope you enjoy the peppers, and congrats on becoming official too!
Kalyn,
Your blog has not only inspired me to try roasting the box of peppers that were just dropped off, but it got me to finally get a blog account. I think that is what you call it.
Thank you sooooo much for the detail, both with roasting the peppers and freezing basil.
My Hubby will flip when I roast them tomorrow.
Marlou, so glad it worked well for you! Thanks for the nice feedback.
Perfect!!! Thanks Kalyn, this post on roasted red peppers was the most thorough after doing a Google search. Squidoo can't even touch this post! I have some roasted red pepper soup to make, so keep posting please.
In the winter, I roast peppers in our little toaster oven. I only just recently realized that it was OKAY to cut and core the peppers before roasting them… duh….
It’s WAY easier to peel off the skin when the seeds have already been removed, isn’t it?
-Elizabeth
P.S. I agree that using the barbecue to roast the peppers is preferable – I love the little bit of smoky flavour that permeates the peppers.
CC, also forgot to mention that for a major part of the year when it’s not too cold to be outside, it’s too HOT to want to have a wood-burning stove going for any reason. Like now, when it’s been 90+ here for weeks!
Hi CC,
I’ve been trying to e-mail you to see if you’re coming to the gathering on Sunday? Hope so, would love to see you.
It’s a nice thought, but remember, this is Utah, too cold to even be outside for much of the year, and restrictions on burning for lots of the year too. Probably not too practical here. Rand and Bradley were also trying to convince me to get an “indoor-outdoor room” instead of a covered patio when I reminded them it would cost a fortune to heat it for much of the year.
Doing all that outside work: this is a perfect time to build an outdoor wood-burning oven. Let’s all take up a collection for Kalyn’s oven!!
Biggles, I’m doing a huge project on the outside of my house this fall (siding, eaves, rain gutters, porch, steps, sidewalks, new covered patio, new deck, etc.) and probably a lot more money than I’m thinking, so a smoker is definitely not in the budget this year. But I am retiring NEXT YEAR. Oh, sorry to yell, but I am a little excited about it.
OH, forgot to mention a smoker is easier than a grill!
Biggles
I dunno. You grilled fruit yet? I did it years ago, but saw someone, somewhere, grilling halves of grapefruit. Will be going that direction, very soon.
Don’t wait for retirement!
Biggles
Hillary, not a problem at all. I eat them raw all the time with the peel on too.
I eat roasted peppers with the peel on, is that a problem? I suppose they taste good both ways 🙂
Aggie, I have some poblanos coming in my garden; can’t wait to roast them.
Neil, your method sounds very ingenious. I agree, Biggles is always tempting me to get new things!
We don’t have a barbecue, but we do have a gas stove. First we put down some aluminium foil around the gas burner so it doesn’t get messy, then we put a metal cake rack over the burner which we use flat out. We put the bell pepper straight over the flame on the cake rack and rotate the pepper as it chars, which is usually pretty even. Our cake rack is large enough to extend over two burners, so we can do two peppers at a time. Curses to Biggles and his smoker, I’m drooling!
I love roasting my own peppers! I’ve been getting adventurous lately and roasting a variety of peppers like cubanelles, poblanos, hungarians….they are great with everything!
Karina, thanks. So much easier than I thought it would be.
Christine, I’m imagining that smell!
Bee, thanks.
CC, just that little change made a big difference for me. (You rock too!)
Cheryl, will watch for it.
Kevin, broiler will work too, no problem!
Pam, I haven’t tried that, but this was really easy.
Chigiy, can’t wait to meet you!
Lynne and Mochachocolat rita, you’re welcome.
Biggles, yes, but if it was so easy why did it take me so long to try it. Smoked peppers sounds awesome. Maybe when I’m retired (soon!) I will look into getting a smoker.
Yeah, I think this was way below your skill level. Nice to share with others though, that’s always a good thing.
You, need to look in to cold smoking. It not that tough and smoking your own peppers, onions and such things sends goodness to a completely different level. Even years later, I’ve never had better chipotle peppers than my own.
MmMmmMM, cold smoking.
Biggles
wow those look gorgeous, lemme try this weekend 🙂 thanks for the idea!
I love all roasted peppers, but I prefer to roast my own whenever possible. Nice post, Kalyn.
Thanks for sharing!
LJ
I love roasted bell peppers.
I usually roast them whole but I think I’ll try your way. It seems much easier.
Yes, I’m going to BlogHer. I look forward to seeing you there.
What a great idea! I always do mine on the gas burner of my stove, and they usually end up making a mess.
Roasted red peppers are one of my favorites things! Unfortunately I will have to stick with the broiler method for the time being though.
grilled peppers are probably my favorite food…or really close. they’re so amazing! we always add spices, I’ll post for sure when peppers are in season.
Yeah, when they’re whole they don’t always want to sit just the way you want them to. Cutting them in fourths is brill!
You rock, Kalyn. And you’re always grilling this time of year… Perfect.
thanks for the primer. i ‘ll try it your way next time. lovely pics.
Roasted red peppers are among my favorite vegetables. In the winter time I make them on my gas stove. It makes the house smell delicious!
One more reason to get an outdoor grill! Fabulous tutorial, Kalyn. Those roasted peppers look delicious.
Lulu, I laughed when you admitted (publicly) that you don’t like cooked red peppers. My across-the-street neighbor Brooke hates bell peppers raw or cooked, and her husband loves them. So, you’re not the only one.
Pam, soooooo much easier than roasting whole peppers.
Lydia, while I was experimenting I made a salad very similar to what you’re describing, just delish.
Sherrie, I think they would keep at least a week in the fridge.
M&M Sound, they do smell great while they’re roasting.
Cool cooking style. I never tried cooking grilling pepper before. I bet the sweetness and smell of the pepper would be attracting. Thanks!
http://www.foodista.com/
That is such a good idea. I have always roasted mine under the broiler (I also have a jar in the fridge for those I don’t have time for this days) But the grill is always hot way after I am done with the food. So I think I’ll “plan” to have extra peppers when I grill out from now on. Does anyone know how long they last in the fridge grilled? Not that there will be any leftovers. . . Thanks.
Sherrie
What’s great about roasting your own is that you can take advantage of all of the wonderful colors of peppers available in the markets these days. There’s nothing more beautiful than a platter of red, yellow and orange peppers, roasted and sliced, drizzled with olive oil and black pepper and sprinkled with fresh herbs from the garden.
I will definitely try this. I have only roasted them whole, and agree that it is difficult to get them evenly cooked through and peeled and seeded. I always thought that there was some magic going on, but now that I know that you can seed and cut them first, I will try again!
I’m glad you said the jarred peppers are still okay. 🙂
I would like to roast my own peppers, but I just don’t really like cooked bell peppers.
…(Internet foodie wrath usually descends upon me when I say that publicly, so I’m just waiting a few minutes…All clear I think)…
I don’t find any other kind of red pepper at the grocery store, but I’m growing some italian sweet peppers on my patio, and if I have enough of them I definitely want to follow your BBQ grill directions for roasting them.