How to Make Perfect Roasted Peppers

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You see them gleaming on antipasti platters, or behind the glass at high end prepared food counters. Silky, brightly colored roasted peppers. Tender, lush, velvety, slightly smoky. And now you are going to make those exact peppers at home.

If you like roasted peppers you should think to make a couple whenever you turn on the broiler or the grill, as they take minutes, and then you’ll have them in your fridge to eat and cook with all week long.

What Kind of Peppers to Roast:

Any color pepper works: red, orange, yellow, green, purple, striped, whatever. And you can do as many as you like as once, as long as they all can be exposed to the heat source.  The timing is for bell peppers, but you can absolutely use this same technique for smaller hot peppers, it just might not take quite as long.

How To Roast Peppers Under the Broiler:

Preheat the broiler. Move the top rack to directly under the broiler, about 5 to 7 inches away from the heat source. Place the peppers on a baking sheet (preferably covered with aluminum foil), then place under the broiler. Cook until the top of the peppers have stated to blacken and blister, anywhere from 1 to 4 minutes. Then turn the peppers about 1/4 turn, and allow the side now facing the heat source to blacken and blister. Continue until the entire pepper is dark and the skin has blistered.

Place the peppers in a bowl and cover with saran wrap or a dishtowel for about 10 minutes. Remove the cover (or let it sit longer, if you’re not in a hurry), and when cool enough to handle, peel off the skin, and split open the pepper to remove the stem, seeds and membranes.

Slice or dice the peppers according to how you want to use them.

How To Cook Peppers On the Grill:

Preheat the grill to medium high or high heat. Place the peppers on the grill. Cook until the bottom of the peppers have stated to blacken and blister, anywhere from 1 to 4 minutes. Then turn the peppers about 1/4 turn, and allow the side now facing the fire to blacken and blister. Continue until the entire pepper is dark and the skin has blistered.

Place the peppers in a bowl and cover with saran wrap or a dishtowel for about 10 minutes. Remove the cover (or let it sit longer, if you’re not in a hurry), and when cool enough to handle, peel off the skin, and split open the pepper to remove the stem, seeds and membranes.

Slice or dice the peppers according to how you want to use them.

Recipes With Roasted Peppers:

• Grilled Cheese with Roasted Peppers and Salad
• Roasted Pepper Crostini with Basil Oil
• Peach and Roasted Red Pepper Salsa

Or just spread a piece of toasted olive-oil slathered bread with some pesto or chimichurri sauce, place a piece of roasted pepper on top, and dust liberally with some Parmesan.

These will keep in the fridge for about 5 days, up to a week.