Like roasted red peppers, grilled peppers are tender, sweet, subtly smoky, and intensely flavorful. They’re really easy to make, and you can freeze them to enjoy year round!
If you like roasted red peppers, you are going to love grilled peppers.
Like roasting, grilling peppers brings out their natural sweetness and helps to reduce their spiciness. Additionally, it gives them a slightly smoky charred flavor. It also softens the peppers and loosens their skins so you can easily peel them.
The end result is sweet, smoky, tender peppers that make a perfect appetizer, side dish, or enhancement to salads or pastas.
If you’re used to buying roasted red peppers, try this grilled peppers recipe! The peppers are so much more flavorful and they’re very easy to make!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Just like roasted peppers, grilled peppers are naturally sweet. Grilling adds a subtle smokiness and intensifies their flavor.
- These are versatile! They’re awesome on their own, as part of a charcuterie board or antipasto platter, or added to sandwiches, wraps, salads, or pasta recipes.
- If you have a ton of peppers, you can grill and freeze them for use all year.
The Best Grilled Peppers Recipe
Ingredients
- Large sweet red peppers
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- White balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
- Garlic
- Salt and pepper
- Minced fresh parsley
Step-by-Step Instructions
How to Marinate Peppers for Grilling or Roasting and How to Remove the Skin:
- Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds.
- Add all ingredients except the parsley to a gallon-size zip-top plastic bag. Squeeze out the air, seal the bag, and massage the ingredients into the peppers. Let the peppers marinate while you preheat the grill.
- Grill the peppers, and once you remove them from the grill, immediately put them into a bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
- Let the peppers sit for 10 minutes and the skin will remove easily.
How to Grill Peppers:
- Preheat the grill to high heat. Place the peppers on the grill skin-side-down (reserve the marinade).
- Cook until the peppers are charred on both sides, about 5 to 8 minutes per side, flipping once halfway through. (See the Notes in the recipe card below for instructions on how to roast peppers in the oven.)
Storage
Store grilled peppers for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Grilled Peppers FAQs
Which Peppers Are Best For Grilling?
You can grill any type of pepper you enjoy eating! A few popular options are bell peppers, poblano peppers, and cubanelle peppers.
Pro Tip: If you want to grill smaller peppers, grill them whole. For larger peppers, cut them in half and remove the seeds before grilling.
How Do You Cut Peppers For Grilling?
With large peppers, I cut them in half and remove the seeds before grilling.
If you want to grill smaller peppers, you can leave them whole.
Do You Have to Peel Roasted Peppers or Grilled Peppers?
No, you don't have to peel them, it's a matter of personal preference. Once peppers are roasted or grilled, the skin can get tough so I like to peel them. And they're very easy to peel!
How Can I Make Garlic Crostini?
Garlic crostini (essentially garlic toast) is a delicious pairing with these peppers! It's an easy, elegant, affordable, and impressive appetizer.
To Make Garlic Garlic Crostini:
- Thinly slice baguette, ciabatta, sourdough, or any type of hearty bread you like.
- Brush both sides of each slice of bread with a little olive oil, and sprinkle salt and black pepper on only one side of each.
- Grill the bread or broil it in the oven until it's light golden on both sides.
- Rub a clove of peeled garlic on one side of each piece of toasted bread.
- Serve with grilled peppers, diced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, or whatever you want.
More Easy Appetizer Recipes to Try
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Grilled Peppers Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound large sweet red peppers halved and de-seeded (for me, this was 4 very large peppers; see Note)
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except the parsley to a gallon-size zip-top plastic bag. Squeeze out the air, seal the bag, and massage the ingredients into the peppers. Let the peppers marinate while you preheat the grill.
- Preheat the grill to high heat. Place the peppers on the grill skin-side-down (reserve the marinade). Cook until the peppers are charred on both sides, about 5 to 8 minutes per side, flipping once halfway through.
- If you want to peel the charred skin off the peppers before eating, once you remove them from the grill, immediately put them into a bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the peppers sit for 10 minutes, and then you can easily peel off the skin.
- Transfer the peeled peppers to a bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the reserved marinade on top (discarding the rest of the marinade), and sprinkle on the parsley.
Faith's Tips
- Large Sweet Red Peppers: You can use any type of large sweet red peppers that are available to you. I found peppers labeled “sweet griller peppers” at my grocery store, which worked well. Their flavor and texture reminded me of piquillo peppers.
- Serving Temperature: These are great served warm, cold, or at room temperature.
- Storage: Store grilled peppers for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Tip for Peeling Peppers: It’s fine if there are still some pieces of skin on the grilled peppers. Don’t rinse the peppers after cooking because it will dilute their delicious charred flavor.
- How to Make Roasted Peppers in the Oven: Preheat the oven to 450F. Prepare the peppers as directed in this recipe and place the pepper halves (skin side up) on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast the peppers until they’re softened and the skin is blackened in spots, about 15 to 20 minutes (don’t flip them).
Nutrition
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