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December 15, 2016

How to Roast Peppers in an Oven

Pinnable image of roasted peppers with the text "How to Roast Peppers in an Oven"

It is absolutely incredible how much you can change the flavor of peppers just by roasting them instead of sautéing or sweating them. Let me count the ways:

1. Roasting adds a smoky touch from the charred skin. The waxy skin of peppers burns up quickly in the oven, acting as a smoky shell for the flesh.

2. It enhances the sweetness. Ripened bell peppers (red, orange, yellow) are already sweet when they’re raw, but other peppers like poblanos, jalapeños and habaneros are decidedly not. Cooking breaks down cell walls, making the sugars much more noticeable. Cooking for a long period of time breaks things down even more, allowing them to react and intensify into more complex flavors.

3. Both the flavor and the texture get richer, which is great for hearty dishes. Bringing out the oils and juices in the flesh of peppers makes it easier for your mouth to detect all the flavors.

4. The flavor intensifies, but the piquancy softens. Piquancy is the sharpness that leaves you fanning your mouth and reaching for crackers after you take a bite of a raw hot pepper. Roasted peppers are still spicy, but in a more palatable way.

5. All of this goes double for green peppers, which are unripe. Imagine eating a green bell pepper. It’s crunchy, a little astringent and you taste a lot of… green? That’s gonna be our chlorophyll. Some enjoy it in raw peppers. Great for photosynthesis. Not so great for chili.

I’m sure I’m leaving something out, but I think those five enhancements make a pretty strong case.

Roasted peppers left to steam in a plastic container

Some people like to roast peppers over an open flame on a stovetop. Some people like to grill peppers until they’re charred. Great methods. Probably quicker. But who has two thumbs, no grill and an electric range?

GIF image of Tina Fey as Liz Lemon in 30 Rock saying "this moi"

So what’s a cook to do? Turn to the broiler. Yes, that button on the oven that’s mysterious to people who don’t cook, scary to beginners and a God-send to people who cook regularly. Fun fact: broiling is actually a form of grilling. Both are forms of dry heat that work through radiation.

So now that we’ve got the why’s out of the way, let’s move on to the how.

It’s really pretty simple. Just get your oven super-hot, turn on the broiler and let it work its magic. You’ll need to watch them and turn them throughout, but heat and time does most of the work.

I like to put them on a roasting rack so the heat from the oven touches them evenly on all sides, though this doesn’t eliminate the need for turning as the broiler will only send that direct heat from the top of your oven.

You really want the peppers to start to blister and blacken on each side, that way it will be that much easier to pull off once they’re done. The most time consuming part of the process is skinning and peeling, so you want to make that easy on yourself.

You can see in the photo of the poblano pepper above that the skin is loose with air pockets around it. That’s exactly what you want to see to know it’s going to come right off with a little pulling.

Giving them a little time to cool in a plastic container will make things easier too, as they’ll essentially steam themselves and blister more.

Oh, and note I’m wearing gloves for a reason. You do not want to wash your face, touch your eyes or touch any other sensitive areas after touching roasted peppers—especially the poblanos, which have mega-potent oil. Washing your hands isn’t enough, trust me on this one.

Now all that’s left is to take out the stems and seeds, which is a little tedious, but trust me, you want them gone.

Here’s a video to give you a better look at the process of peeling and de-seeding the peppers:

This method works best for large peppers like poblano and bell peppers. I’ve also used it with jalapeños and habaneros, but they’re a little different. They’re smaller, plus the flesh is thin and will burn up easily, so you’ll need to reduce the time and watch more carefully.

For more specific instructions and tips, check out the full recipe below!

So what can you actually do with these peppers? Here are some suggestions:

  • Use them for chili. I swear by this. I tried it once as an experiment and I will never go back!
  • Blend them into a sauce or even a salad dressing. Red pepper vinaigrette is one of my favorites.
  • Throw roasted red bell peppers on a salad or over eggs. Or over a salad with eggs.
  • Add to a pan with sautéed onions and garlic, then toss with pasta. Alternatively, use cooled roasted peppers to spice up a pasta salad.
  • Stuff chicken with strips of roasted pepper and cheese.
  • Mix with melted queso chihuahua (quesadilla cheese) for a smoky dip.

Those are just a few things I’ve made and ideas off the top of my head. What are you going to make with roasted peppers? Tell me in the comments!

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Roasted peppers left to steam in a plastic container

Oven-Roasted Peppers


  • Author: Leannda Cavalier
  • Total Time: About 1 hour and 20 minutes including cooling and peeling time
Print Recipe
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Ingredients

  • Peppers of choice
Special Equipment
  • Roasting/cooling rack
  • Gloves (with a snug fit, like latex)

Instructions

To roast the peppers

  1. Place an oven rack on the highest shelf below the heat element. Preheat to 400º F.
  2. Meanwhile, line a large baking sheet with foil. Place a baking or cooling rack on the sheet. Lay all the peppers on the sheet, spaced equally.
  3. Once the oven is fully preheated, insert the peppers. Turn the broiler function of the oven on, and set it to high. Allow to cook until the skin on the top half is black and blistered, 10-20 minutes or more. This will vary for different sizes, types, and ovens. For small peppers such as jalapeños or habaneros, decrease the time and watch the carefully.
  4. Using tongs, turn peppers to roast all sides evenly, checking every 5 minutes or so. Continue turning until the skin on all sides is charred. If you’re cooking peppers of different sizes, feel free to remove faster-cooking peppers early so they don’t burn to a crisp.
  5. As they finish, use tongs to carefully move the peppers to a large plastic container or bowl, and place a lid or plastic wrap on snugly. Allow the peppers to sit for half an hour, tightly covered. The steam will help separate the skin, making it easier for you to pull off.

To peel and de-seed the peppers

  1. Carefully open the lid and move one pepper to a cutting board. Replace the lid immediately to keep the steam in.
  2. Wearing gloves, pull off as much skin as possible. You can use a knife or spoon to help you lift and scrape off difficult parts, but you shouldn’t need it much. Remove the stem and the seeds attached to it, pull the pepper open, and remove the remaining seeds using a spoon.
  3. Repeat these steps for all peppers. Use the peppers immediately, or refrigerate up to a week.

Notes

  • Watch closely when working with the broiler. Really. Times will vary by oven and pepper. Constant vigilance!
  • Get the skin as black and blistered as possible without burning the entire pepper. The more bright color still on the skin, the harder it’s going to be to pull off.
  • Don’t skip the gloves! Pepper oil will get on your skin and nails, and it will stay there for days. Even if it doesn’t make your hands sting, it will definitely make your face, eyes and any other sensitive areas sting when you wash!
  • For stubborn seeds, gently run water over the pepper to remove. Don’t rely on this too much as it will take some of the oils (aka flavor) with it.
  • Some people like the skin on red, orange and yellow peppers. If it doesn’t bother you, turn as soon as the skin begins darkening, and remove the pepper from the oven before it blackens.
  • Total cook time depends on number and type of peppers used, skill level and oven efficiency. You should factor in the 30 minutes it takes for them to cool, and time to peel them.
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: About 35 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Roasting, Broiling
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Roasted peppers, bell peppers, poblano peppers

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Filed Under: Fundamentals, How-To, Method, Planning, Recipe, Vegetarian

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About Leannda

Hey, I'm Leannda! I love to cook and I'm always down for some tiramisu. When I'm not cooking I'm probably teaching or sideline reporting. DWest Virginia native. Lover of mountains and rivers. Currently living in Tennessee with my husband, Adam; daughter, Siena; and our cats, Professor and Steely. read more

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