How to Roast a Pepper
March 18th, 2007
Stumble it!
I did this to my unsuspecting pepper on purpose. You should do it too.
Roasting a pepper is easy-peasy if you have a gas stove like me. You can also do it in an oven if you don’t, and instructions for that will be at the bottom of this entry. If you do have a gas stove, the instructions are pretty much “burn the crap out of the pepper, scrape the gross stuff off, eat.” Want a few more details?
1. Put the pepper directly over a high flame. Have some tongs ready.
2. Watch as it starts to char a little. This is good! And fun.
3. Turn the pepper with the tongs as the skin blackens. Don’t grab the pepper by its stem, tempting as it is, because it may break off as the pepper gets tender.
4. Don’t forget the bottom.
5. Make sure every part is charred, but don’t go too crazy. This is as roasted as you can get before actually burning the flesh inside.
6. Wrap in foil and let sit for 15 minutes until cool enough to handle. The steam created in the foil helps the skin slip off easier, so don’t skip this step! You can also put it in a ziplock
7. Use a knife to cut a circle around the the stem. Pull on the stem to remove the seeds. If the pepper is still piping hot at this point, steam will shoot out and burn you!
8. Pour out water that has settled inside the pepper. Use your fingers to slip the skin off. Resist the urge to run it under water. I know it’s messy this way, but it’ll taste better if you simply rub the pepper with your fingers or a paper towel to remove the skin - you want to keep the juices and even a few flecks of char for flavor!
9. Slice the pepper into four slabs.
If you’re doing this in an oven, turn your oven on broil. Brush peppers lightly with a high-heat oil and place under the broiler, watching for the skin to blacken. Turn peppers until fully roasted and then follow instructions from step 6 on.
So what now? Eat it! Roasted peppers are delicious on sandwiches, blended into hummus, tossed onto pizzas, added to soups, mixed into salads, stirred into pasta sauce… I usually roast sweet bell peppers but the spicy ones can also be prepared this way. Go nuts. Eat peppers.
25 Comments Add your own
1. jess | March 18th, 2007 at 11:16 pm
whoa baby. I have read about roasting a pepper that way, but always thought I was overlooking something because it could not be that hardcore, but it is! I actually roasted one today, but just in the oven…and I totally thought of your pepper cutting instructions while doing it.
2. Emmie | March 19th, 2007 at 1:55 am
That’s the problem with Sweden, we NEVER ever have gas stoves. If you’re a professional chef, then yes. otherwise no. I so wish I had one. Sure, my stove works, but it’s not exactly fantastic.
With that said, roasted peppers are really good when made in the oven too, although it’s a little messy and takes time. It’s yummy!
3. Joanna | March 19th, 2007 at 10:52 am
Hey Lauren! I came across your site a few days ago, through Facebook I think, and if you looked at your stats and wondered who went through reading every single entry… um, hi!
Your photos are fabulous and even though I am not vegan, they make me so hungry!
Anyway, I wanted to say thanks for this post. I strongly dislike bell peppers when they are either raw or cooked in any way other than roasting, but roasted peppers are yummy. I’ve made them in the oven before (which is nice because you can line the pan with foil and then fold it into a tent when you take it out, instead of having to transfer the peppers while they’re piping hot) but the stove method has always intimidated me a little. After seeing your pictures, maybe I’ll be willing to try it! (Um, should the first step be cleaning the burners, though? Might have to be for me.)
Okay, this is already the longest comment ever, but I have one more question. How do you store roasted peppers? Do you wrap them up tight in saran wrap and refridgerate/freeze them, or should they be stored in liquid, or in oil or something? I’d love to make a bunch and keep them on hand instead of buying them pre-made in jars but I don’t know the best way.
4. Jody | March 19th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
Mmmmm, roasted peppers…thanks for the how to.
Good to meet you guys at the potluck. The samosas were yummy and made a perfect breakfast on Sunday along with some leftover pumpkin pie!
Today I made a vet appointment for Tommy (my cockatoo) for her beak/nail trims and I thought of your Bebe story. It made me chuckle, “its ok bebe, its ok”
5. sarah | March 19th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
lolo, you are beyond genius!
6. Stephanie | March 19th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
Do home-roasted peppers taste better than store-bought? For me it’s so much cheaper to just buy the ones in jars (a fresh pepper is about 5$)
7. Lolo | March 19th, 2007 at 7:28 pm
Jess - I know! I love doing it because it feels so rebellious - it’s strange to burn your food on purpose, but it’s so fun!
Emmie - I love gas stoves, it’s too bad they’re such a rarity where you live. I’ve done it in the oven, too, and it turns out just fine, you just don’t get to play with fire that way.
Jody - Hi! It was so good to meet you too! I’m looking forward to hanging out again! Tell Tommy I say hi, I hope he’s doing well after his vet visit!
Thanks Sarah, but I certainly didn’t invent this technique! Someone else is the genius!
Stephanie - I think they taste a little bit better since the store bought ones are usually packed in water which tones down the flavor a little, or vinegar, which changes it a lot! I’d go for the water-packed peppers in jars if you can find them. Have you ever thought about growing peppers? I hear they’re pretty easy!
8. cherie | March 19th, 2007 at 8:39 pm
Yum! We just made these the other day for our pizzas, but I used the broiler adn then got inpatient and brought out my blow torch. Yeah!!!
9. Lolo | March 19th, 2007 at 8:49 pm
That’s awesome, Cherie! I need a blowtorch!
10. bazu | March 19th, 2007 at 9:38 pm
That’s beautiful- I’m a shameless fan of roasting things to a burnt crisp. This is when I’m so grateful I have a gas stove!
11. mikaela | March 21st, 2007 at 9:05 am
That was a fun tutorial! Thanks
12. krista | March 22nd, 2007 at 12:05 pm
That first shot of the pepper is wonderful!
13. Lolo | March 30th, 2007 at 9:05 am
Bazu - Thank you! Aren’t gas stoves the best? I’ll be sad if I ever have to go back to electric.
Mikaela - Thank you! It was fun to do!
Krista - Thanks! It’s fun to burn things on purpose, and surprising pretty, too!
14. Lenora | April 19th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
I’ve always roasted my peppers on a charcoal grill and put them in a paper bag when I take them off the heat. I found your blog when I was searching for a way to roast them indoors. what a great tutorial! thanks
15. Wilder | April 23rd, 2007 at 7:19 pm
hi, loved the pix, made a v yummy roasted yellow pepper soup from sb diet. had hardest time removing skin……put them in icy bath..duh wont do that again. cant wait to try it again, the RIGHT way.
thx
16. Pam | May 2nd, 2007 at 12:47 pm
Loved the photo. I probably would have stopped roasting it too soon. I love roasted peppers, but this will be my first attempt at doing it myself. I’ve been reading about the best way to roast and store the peppers because I will finally have a garden this year. This has really helped. Thanks
17. vez | May 17th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
“Go nuts. Eat peppers.”
oh, i shall.
18. isela | June 11th, 2007 at 1:45 am
I so wish I had a gas stove! I usually just throw them on my grill :). Instead of tin foil I put them in a ziploc baggy (my Mom’s tip) and it works great. I will try the tin foil next time.
I just discovered your blog and I am going through all the entries…I am addicted now
19. sopitikoj | September 7th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
Hi
I really like your site it is probably the coolest ever.
Bye
20. lokimikoj | September 21st, 2007 at 2:13 pm
Hi all!
Luogo grande! Grande giusto! I miei riguardi migliori al proprietario:)
21. teresa mcmeans | November 30th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
Simply genius.
22. Mary Farrell | February 28th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
I have a garden and grow LOTS of peppers—red, yellow and orange. I blacken them under the broiler, and use a brown paper bag. The foil may be a better bet. I’d be uneasy about the combination of heat and plastic with zip lock bags. To store, I puree them and freeze in jars. The puree makes great soups, and it’s wonderful for making classic pesto to substitute for marinara on pasta or pizza. SB Diet recipe: If you cut the broth to one can and add a can of white beans, you have a nice, thick main dish soup instead of a side-dish/starter soup.
I’d like to preserve the fire roasted peppers in strips or chunks without freezing them. Would submerging them in olive oil ala sun-dried tomatoes work, or would the flavor of the olive oil detract from the smoky pepper flavor?
23. vila | March 23rd, 2008 at 3:35 pm
isn´t that TOO burn??
24. Mary Farrell | March 27th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
No. You must completely char the entire surface of the pepper. If there are uncharred spots, those pieces of skin will taunt you and refuse to part company with the meat of the pepper when you peel it. It is maddening to have a vegetable sneering “na, na, na, na” at you. Burn those skins BLACK!!
25. Rima | May 6th, 2008 at 9:20 am
v hd roasted potato,eggplant, tomate etc but never heard of roasted pepper, i thnk its not so common in india, but it luks superb, m gonna try it soon :), thnk u
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