Easy Grilled Peppers

Jazz up your al fresco menu with these grilled peppers—they are a quick and easy summer side dish for burgers, grilled meat, or grilled seafood.

Platter of Grilled Peppers Surrounded by Olives, Capers, Olive Oil, and Toast

Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

Bell peppers on the grill are one of summer’s pleasures, and they’re so easy it’s almost a crime not to throw them on the barbie along with shrimp, chicken, burgers or whatever else you’re cooking up outside. 

You can also sink into summer vibes with an easy little feast. Grill some peppers and toast thick slices of country style bread to douse with olive oil while you’re at it. Then set the table with olives, capers, cheese, a little charcuterie if you like, and some ice-cold rosé. Now that has lazy summer written all over it. 

Platter of Grilled Peppers Surrounded by Olives, Capers, Olive Oil, and Toast

Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

5 Ingredients + 15 Minutes for These Grilled Peppers!

Grill the peppers directly on the hot oiled grill grates until their skins blacken and wrinkle and the flesh softens. They become even sweeter with the heat of the grill and once you remove the charred skins, they are deliciously, irresistibly smoky.

There’s nothing tricky here. No grill basket, no fancy footwork. All you need is a hot grill, a pair of tongs, about 15 minutes of your time, and just 5 ingredients. Sunday afternoon chill time, anyone?

What To Do With Grilled Peppers? Let Me Count the Ways!

You can most certainly use these peppers as a lazy summer side dish to accompany your grilled meats and seafood, but don’t stop there. 

Serve these peppers sliced, diced, whole, or in concert with other ingredients to make a sauce. They’d be great as part of an antipasto platter as a preamble to an al fresco meal on the patio. They also can’t be beat on top of burgers or slipped between slices of cheese and bread in a grilled cheese sandwich.

Or add them to omelets, frittatas, quiche, toss them with pasta and Parmesan for a quick weeknight supper, or turn them into hummus.

Personal Pizza Topped with Pepperoni, Olives, and Grilled Peppers Next to a Bowl of Salad

Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

But wait! There’s more! How about putting them in your next shakshuka or adding them to a vegetable platter with grilled halloumi? And let’s not forget to fold them into tabbouleh or put them on top of a naan pizza, another brilliant off-the-cuff meal in a hurry. In other words, use these peppers anywhere you might use roasted peppers from a jar.

Store Grilled Peppers in the Fridge or Freezer

Grilled peppers will last four to five days in the refrigerator in a tightly closed container. You can also freeze them for up to 6 months. Peel them now or peel them later. I like to cool them but leave their blackened skins on.

Slip 1 or 2 peppers into small freezer bags so you can pull them out of the freezer as needed. Defrost them in the refrigerator. If you left the skins on, they come off easily when defrosted.

What Other Types of Peppers Can You Grill?

Ahaheims, Poblanos, or any other large pepper can be treated in the same way. A friend once have me a large haul of her special New Mexican peppers charred on the grill. She instructed me to freeze them, which I did. Win!

Platter of Grilled Peppers Surrounded by Olives, Capers, Olive Oil, and Toast

Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

More Grilled Vegetables for the Summer Season!

Easy Grilled Peppers

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 4 servings
Yield 4 grilled peppers

Ingredients

  • Vegetable oil, for the grill

  • 4 large sweet bell peppers (any color)

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

To serve

  • Olive oil

  • Red wine or balsamic vinegar 

  • Kosher salt, to taste

Method

  1. Light a charcoal grill or turn a gas grill to medium-high (about 400ºF.) 

    Dip a wadded paper towel into vegetable oil and brush the grill grates.

  2. Prep the peppers:

    While the grill heats, halve the peppers from top to bottom, cutting through the stems if they are attached. Pull off the stems and seeds and discard. With your hand, flatten each pepper. If it breaks into quarters, that’s okay. The pieces are large enough so that you don’t have to worry about them falling through the grates.

    Bell Peppers on a Cutting Board for Grilled Peppers

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    Seeds Discarded from Peppers

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

  3. Toss peppers with olive oil and salt:

    Add the peppers into a large bowl. Toss with olive oil and salt.

    Bowl of Seasoned Peppers

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

  4. Grill the peppers:

    Using tongs, set the peppers on the oiled grill grates with the skin sides down. Close the cover and grill for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the skins are wrinkled and blackened. The blacker the skins, the easier they will be to peel. They also take on a more charred color.

    Flip them over and grill for another 3 to 4 minutes, or until softened.

    Bell Peppers on the Grill

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    Charred Peppers on Grill

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

  5. Let the peppers steam in a bowl:

    With tongs, transfer them to a bowl and cover the bowl with a plate or lid. Let them steam for about 10 minutes, or until cool enough to touch.

    Grilled Peppers in Bowl

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

  6. Peel the peppers:

    With your fingers, pull off and discard the skins. Resist running them under cold water because that will dilute the smoky sweet flavor of the peppers. It’s a messy job, but you can fill a bowl with water and rinse your fingers as you go along, not the peppers. Remove stubborn bits by scraping with the dull end of a paring knife.

    Removed Charred Skins from Grilled Peppers on Cutting Board

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

  7. Finish the peppers and serve:

    Pile the peppers on a platter and drizzle with olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt, to taste.

    Serve.

  8. Storage:

    Grilled peppers will last four to five days in the refrigerator in a tightly closed container. You can also freeze them for up to 6 months.

    Did you love the recipe? Leave us stars below!

    Platter of Grilled Peppers Surrounded by Olives, Capers, Olive Oil, and Toast

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
194 Calories
20g Fat
3g Carbs
1g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 194
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 26%
Saturated Fat 3g 13%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 395mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 3g 1%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 41mg 204%
Calcium 14mg 1%
Iron 0mg 3%
Potassium 84mg 2%
*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. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.