Roasted Red Peppers taste so much more vibrant, sweet, and smoky when you make them at home—and lucky for us, making them is EASY and takes just 30 minutes from start to finish! Add them to pasta, sandwiches, charcuterie boards, and more.

• One-Ingredient Recipe. Just red bell peppers! One simple ingredient that, when roasted, enhances your meal with a complexity that will make you wonder what other depths our vegetables have been hiding from you all along. (Roasted Garlic accomplishes the same.)
• A Staple to Jazz Up Almost Anything. Since roasted red peppers keep well in the fridge like Roasted Tomatoes, you can roast a large batch of them in your oven to have on hand for sprucing up pizzas and pastas, sandwiches and salads.
• Completely Different From Store-Bought. Seriously, homemade roasted red peppers taste infinitely better than the ones in jars, with fabulous caramelization and a hint of smokiness from the light charring.

How to Make Roasted Red Peppers in the Oven

1. Prep. Cut the peppers into halves, removing the stem, membrane, and seeds.

2. Arrange. Lay them cut-sides down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

3. Char. Roast the peppers at 450 degrees F for about 25 minutes.

4. Steam. Place the hot roasted peppers in a mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap to trap the steam, and let the peppers cool completely.

5. Remove the Skins. They will slip right off.

6. Finish. Cut the peppers into strips (or any size or shape you like). Use immediately, or store them in the refrigerator. ENJOY!

How to Use Roasted Red Peppers

Roasted red peppers are my favorite when they’re added as a sweetening ingredient to enhance the flavor of a main dish. Consider all these possibilities!

• Snacking. Place an oven roasted bell pepper strip on a cracker, sprinkle with salt and a dash of olive oil for a delightful midday snack. (Roasted Red Pepper Dip is excellent too!)
• Salads. Add them to tossed salads or pasta salads, like this Antipasto Salad or Orzo Pasta Salad.
• Sandwiches. They’re a great addition to paninis, tartines, and even cold sandwiches with sliced meat and cheese.
• Pizza. As oven roasted bell pepper strips, they bring sweetness to a pizza topping. My favorite is pairing them with goat cheese on a Flatbread Pizza.
• Pesto or Hummus. Make a roasted red pepper pesto with the typical pesto ingredients. Or add them to (or puree them with chickpeas for) your next bowl of hummus.
• Tacos. Scrambles. Frittatas. Hashes. Casseroles. The lists go on!

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Get a Good Char. More char = more flavor. Even though you peel those bits off before using roasted red peppers, they infuse so much smokiness into every bite! It’s what sets homemade apart from store-bought. Since ovens can cook differently, you may need to leave your bell peppers in a bit longer for lots of charred spots.
• Tightly Seal the Mixing Bowl. This traps the heat from the oven-roasted red peppers inside, creating steam. The steam is what helps soften the peppers and loosen the skins.
• Try It With Another Pepper. Yellow or orange peppers have almost the same flavor as red peppers, so those can be used interchangeably. Or, for something different, try using this roasting method with poblano peppers.