Easy Pan-Roasted Peppers Are the Perfect Side Dish (2024)

Pan-roasted peppers is a super easy side dish recipe that brings out the natural sweetness in bell peppers. Use any combination of colors you like! Bell peppers are a wonderful vegetable (technically a fruit, but sold as a veggie) that are high in fiber and vitamin C.

You can find many different colors of bell peppers in the market today; from orange to purple and yellow to white. Choose the ones that look best for this simple and nutritious recipe, and use a mixture if you can for a colorful side dish. Always buy peppers that are firm with no bruises or soft spots and smooth skin.

Cooking bell peppers brings out their sweetness and makes them very tender. They are delicious served as an accompaniment to roast chicken, meatloaf, grilled steak, or a pork roast.You can even use them to top sandwiches, hot dogs, tacos, and burritos.

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What You'll Need To Make This Pan-Roasted Peppers Recipe

A Good Sharp Knife
A Saute Pan With a Lid
A Spatula

"The pan-roasted peppers were excellent. They made a very simple easy-to-prep side dish with just a few ingredients. They were nicely blistered in about 8 minutes, then it was 2 minutes longer for steaming and finishing. I tossed some of them in a vinaigrette—delicious!" —Diana Rattray

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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 orange or yellowbell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips

  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips

  • 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips

  • 2 tablespoons water

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

  • Salt, to taste

  • Pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

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  2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add all of the peppers all at once.

  3. Sauté the peppers, stirring and turning frequently, until the pepper skins start to blister and turn brown in spots.

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  4. Add the water, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.

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  5. Cover the pan and cook for 1 minute so the peppers steam.

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  6. Uncover the pan, stir the peppers for 1 minute longer, then serve immediately.

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Tips

  • Any bell peppers work perfectly for this recipe. Be careful when you buying peppers that they are mild bell peppers and not hot peppers.
  • To prepare bell peppers, cut them in half and pull the two halves apart. Remove the seeds and most of the membranes, along with the top stem. Rinse the peppers well and cut into strips or chop.

Recipe Variations

  • Replace the Italian herb seasoning with a Creole seasoning blend or Mexican spice blend.
  • Cool the peppers and toss them with a vinaigrette or Italian dressing. Serve as an antipasto plate, sandwich topping, or with crostini.

How to Store and Freeze

  • Leftover bell peppers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat leftovers in a pan over medium heat or in the microwave.
  • Pan-roasted bell peppers can be frozen and stored for up to three months. Spread the peppers out onto a baking sheet and freeze. Place frozen pepper strips in an airtight container or zip-top bag and store if the freezer.

Which Bell Peppers Are Sweetest?

Red bell peppers are the sweetest of the bell peppers. Yellow bell peppers are sweet and fruity, while orange bell peppers are sweet, fruity, and a bit tangy. Green bell peppers are tangy and slightly bitter.

Do You Need to Cook Bell Peppers?

Bell peppers are safe to eat cooked or raw. They are crunchy and crisp with a very mild spicy bite when raw. Cooking tends to enhance the pepper's natural sweetness. The veggies can also take on a smokiness when grilled or broiled.

Helpful Links

  • Ways To Use Leftover Bell Peppers
  • Why Bell Peppers Aren't Spicy
  • How To Core and Seed Bell Peppers
  • Vegetable Sides
  • Dinner
  • American Food
  • Pepper Recipes
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
60Calories
5g Fat
5g Carbs
1g Protein

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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4to 6
Amount per serving
Calories60
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g6%
Saturated Fat 1g3%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 99mg4%
Total Carbohydrate 5g2%
Dietary Fiber 1g4%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 79mg396%
Calcium 14mg1%
Iron 0mg3%
Potassium 117mg2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

  • Pepper
  • roasted peppers
  • side dish
  • american
Easy Pan-Roasted Peppers Are the Perfect Side Dish (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to roast or fry peppers? ›

Roasting peppers is one of the best ways to enjoy them – the skin blisters and the flesh becomes soft and sweet.

How long does it take to soften peppers in frying pan? ›

Remove seeds and ribs from peppers; cut lengthwise into strips and halve crosswise. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bell peppers and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers are just tender, about 10 minutes.

How to make peppers taste better? ›

Bell peppers are naturally sweet and but can easily have a lovely savory side to them with the right seasoning (I like to use salt and thyme). Sautéing them with a little olive oil enhances their natural flavors and creates a delicious and colorful addition to a meal that requires little work!

Which bell pepper is healthiest? ›

You've seen bell peppers -- green, orange, yellow, and red -- in the grocery store or in a salad bar. Red peppers pack the most nutrition, because they've been on the vine longest.

Why remove skin from roasted peppers? ›

Some say don't. It's a waste of time, and it discards important nutrients others claim a peeled bell pepper or tomato tastes better. I find peeling releases the flavor faster and improves the taste in most sauces and, facilitates digestion. Peeling isn't all that difficult.

Do peppers get hotter when you roast them? ›

Roasting the jalapeños in the oven at 500 degrees for 5 minutes left the peppers still somewhat crunchy while also taking the edge off their heat. THE BOTTOM LINE: Yes, cooking does tame chiles' heat. To lessen the burn while preserving the most texture, roast them for 5 minutes at 500 degrees.

What spices go with peppers? ›

While cilantro, thyme, and parsley pair well with Sweet Peppers, there are many more herb options to choose from! If you want to experiment with more fresh herbs, here are a few extra options that often taste great when added to dishes with Peppers: Basil. Oregano.

Do roasting peppers make them sweeter? ›

Searing a pepper until the skin is charred develops the flavor of the pepper's flesh, caramelizes some of the sugars to concentrate their sweetness, and adds a touch of smokiness. It's a flavor profile that is unique, delicious, and useful in a variety of cuisines and dishes.

What happens to your body when you eat bell peppers regularly? ›

Bell peppers are rich in many vitamins and antioxidants, especially vitamin C and various carotenoids. For this reason, they may have several health benefits, such as improved eye health and reduced risk of several chronic diseases. All in all, bell peppers are an excellent addition to a healthy diet.

Which bell pepper is anti inflammatory? ›

Why they're good for you: Bell peppers—especially the bright-red ones—are high in antioxidants and low in starch. Similar to spicy peppers, sweet bell peppers contain the chemical compound capsaicin, which is known to help reduce inflammation and potentially even pain.

Which color bell pepper has the least sugar? ›

Generally, the darker the pepper, the more nutrients you'll get. This also means that green peppers are lower in sugar and carbohydrates, though not enough that it makes a significant dietary difference, Crumble Smith says. Yellow and orange peppers fall somewhere in the middle with sweetness and nutritional content.

What color bell pepper is the most flavorful? ›

As bell peppers ripen, they get sweeter. Green bell peppers are slightly bitter and the least sweet, while red bell peppers are the sweetest.

Does roasting peppers make a difference? ›

Roasting peppers enhances their sweetness, and adds a wonderful smoky char depth and silky texture.

Does roasting bell peppers reduce nutrients? ›

Red peppers are rich in vitamin c, though roasting them reduces their vitamin C content by up to 25 percent. The vitamin A and beta-carotene in red peppers offers good support for your overall vision and eye health.

Why do roasted peppers taste different? ›

The process of roasting peppers involves cooking bell peppers until the skin is charred and blackened, which gives them a smoky flavor and tender texture. Roasting also removes the skin, which makes them easier to digest.

Is it better to cook bell peppers or eat them raw? ›

Bell peppers, whether raw or cooked, are packed with vitamin C and various antioxidants. Eating them raw provides maximum vitamin C content, but cooking bell peppers can increase the availability of other nutrients. Roasting or grilling bell peppers enhances their natural sweetness and offers a delightful flavor.

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