How to Roast Peppers

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Learn how to roast peppers with this easy oven method. Roasting brings out even more flavor in the peppers, making them perfect for so many dishes.

In August and September, our farmers market absolutely teems with pepper varieties.

From the standard sweet bell peppers to the smallest birdseye peppers, there’s an almost overwhelming selection to choose from.

We love to try all the different veggies our local farmers have, so that means we often end up with quite a few peppers!

While some peppers are great eaten raw or stuffed and baked, one of my favorite things to do is roast peppers.

Roasting peppers in the oven is incredibly easy, and the results enhance so many dishes. You’ve got to try it!

Why roast peppers?

One reason I like to roast peppers at home is to use up any extra homegrown or farmers market peppers I have on hand. 

Roasting and freezing ensures I always have some on hand for my favorite dishes, and no produce goes to waste!

Plus, roasting enhances the flavor of the peppers, transforming the natural sugars inside and giving the peppers a distinctive taste that you don’t get from raw or even sautéed peppers.

Choosing peppers for roasting

If you’re new to roasting peppers, you might not know what kind to choose. Many peppers are suitable for oven roasting, but the larger peppers are easier to work with, and are most often used roasted in recipes. 

My favorite peppers to roast are poblano peppers and Hatch peppers, but I also do Anaheim peppers or bell peppers, depending on the recipe.

Hatch and Anaheim peppers are the kind you will find in cans at the grocery store, already roasted, peeled and diced.

If you are looking to roast the peppers yourself, Hatch chiles are only available toward the end of summer, usually starting in mid to late August. 

Poblano, Anaheim, and bell peppers are available year-round in most areas.

Look for peppers with smooth, shiny skin. They should be firm with no spots of discoloration. 

How to roast peppers in the oven

I find that roasting peppers in the oven is the easiest method. You can do a lot of peppers at a time this way. Plus, most of the time is hands off, so you can spend the roasting time doing something other than standing over a hot stove.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. This is to prevent the peppers from sticking to the pan; I don’t use any added oil.

If you have a lot of peppers to roast, prepare two baking sheets. You want to be able to lay out the peppers so they are not touching, which will help them roast rather than steam.

Wash the peppers and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.

You do not need to remove the stems or cut in half. In fact, I find it is easier to work with the roasted peppers if you leave them whole with the stems on. The seeds are also easier to remove after roasting.

Arrange your peppers on the baking sheet(s). Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes.

Flip the peppers over. You should see some darkened spots and the skins will start to be wrinkled instead of smooth.

Return the peppers to the oven and roast another 20-30 minutes, until peppers are deflated and there many roasted spots.

Smaller peppers will take less time than larger peppers with thicker flesh.

Put the peppers into a mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 15 minutes.

This step is steaming, which helps the skins release from the pepper flesh.

Once the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel off the skins, and remove stems and seeds. 

I recommend using kitchen gloves here if you have them! Be gentle with the peppers. If any skin won’t easily remove it’s OK to leave it on rather than losing the pepper flesh.

Stack peppers and cut into strips or chunks, depending on how you plan to use them.

Storing roasted peppers

Roasted peppers store well, so I always make sure to do extra.

Keep roasted peppers in the refrigerator in an airtight container and use within 3 days.

For longer storage, freeze them! 

Portion your peppers, sliced or chopped, into freezer bags. I recommend freezing in ½ cup portions, which is approximately the same as a 4-ounce can of chopped green chiles.

Remove as much air as possible (a vacuum sealer is great here), seal the bags, label, and freeze.

Frozen roasted peppers are best used within 6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator

Ways to use roasted peppers

Use these homemade roasted peppers wherever you would normally use canned, or in any dish where you want some added chile flavor.

They’re essential in chicken poblano and white bean chicken chili.

Make your own green chile sauce or use to flavor homemade salsa.

Add to taco mac and cheese or ground bison tacos.

Use in place of green pepper in a Denver omelet or simply stir into scrambled eggs.