how do you cut a bell pepper for sandwiches

Wondering how to cut a bell pepper without wasting any of it, and without creating a huge mess with the seeds? This method was shared with me by a professional chef, and it’s so easy!

Plus, learn how to best slice or dice your pepper for salads, dipping, stir-fries and more.

Truth be told, the professional chef who shared this method of cutting peppers with me… is my husband. Do I may be a tad biased, but truly, this is the post I have been wanting to write for 5 years because it is so exciting to me.

The only thing you need for this are your pepper, a decent kitchen knife and a chopping board.

I highly recommend investing in a Chef’s knife if you need to do a lot of cooking in your life (like having to feed growing children!) and are using a lot of fresh ingredients.

We have two 10-year old Chef’s knives (the following are affiliate links and I make a commission for purchases made after clicking through), a similar one to this from Shun and this exact one from Kasumi (we have a full set of the Kasumi knives).

We use them every single day and they have held up extraordinarily well. They do need to be sharpened regularly, but we are terrible at this upkeep and the knives are still working very well. They can’t be place in a dishwasher, so they need to be hand washed (and handled with care/kept away from children very well). But I love them and can’t imagine cooking very day without my knives.

Firmly grasp the pepper with your non-dominant hand, then slice it into rings starting from the stem end. Enjoy the bottom end as a snack, or save it for homemade vegetable stock. Slice the rings as thickly or as thinly as you’d like. Pepper rings are a great addition to veggie sandwiches!

How to cut a bell pepper

1. Start by washing your pepper well, then place it on its side on a chopping board.

Trim off the top and the bottom. Try not too slice off a thick part, only trim the pepper to remove the top stem and the knobbly bottom part.

• trim the top
• trim the bottom

2. Next, sit the pepper on its now-trimmed bottom (it should sit flat and stable since you trimmed it).

Slice off the sides as shown in the photo below. Most peppers have four membranes connecting the core to the outside flesh of the pepper. Try to cut away the flesh in four pieces, each with a membrane roughly in the middle.

Do not cut into the core, or you’ll make a mess.

• slice away the sides
• no seedy mess!

Note: If you wanted to cut rings (I pretty much never do, but I thought I’d mention it), you would take a small paring knife at this point and carefully run it through the four membranes, then pull the core out. Some seeds will scatter, but that’s what you need to do for pepper rings.

3. Remove the green stem part from the top/lid, then discard it along with the seedy core. If any edible parts are still stuck to the core, you can just slice them off and use them, too.

You should only have to discard the white fibrous and seedy core, and the green stem. No waste!

• remove the stem
• no waste, this is the only discard!

Don’t waste the top/bottom!

You can easily dice the top and bottom, too. For me, these are the parts my kids usually come to grab and eat while I’m cooking, so I rarely use them in an actual recipe.

But you absolutely can, just slice into sticks (they won’t be even, but don’t worry about it too much) and then dice across.

• don’t waste the top/bottom
• simply dice them, too!

These thinner slices are perfect for stir-fries where you don’t want the large sticks! Instead of slicing your pepper quarters lengthwise, slice them into thin strips across.

This is where having the membrane part in the middle looks pretty and very professional! It creates these double arched slices, and they do really look great.

• slice the bell pepper across instead of lengthwise to create thin strips

One thing to keep in mind is that it’s a little more difficult to slice because you can’t lie the pepper fully flat (it’s slightly curved and laying it flat can break it in the middle). I use my left hand to hold the pepper piece together a little while slicing with my right hand.

This sounds like way too many words for a pepper, but it’s really simple. I just want to be through with my explanation to make sure you can pull this off if you’re a beginner in the kitchen.

• The pepper skin can be a little more difficult to cut, especially if you don’t have a super sharp knife. I always cut from the inside of the pepper when I get to the slicing and dicing, because it’s way easier to slice through the skin from this side.
• Make sure you don’t slice the top/bottom too generously, you only just want to trim them.
• If you need small dice for a specific recipe, just cut the small strips as describe above, and then dice them across.

Store freshly cut bell peppers in an airtight container or in a zip-top bag. Make sure to add a paper towel on top of the peppers to absorb any excess moisture. Keep the bag or container with your cut up bell pepper in your crisp drawer for 2-3 days.

Place your cut up peppers in single layers on parchment-lined baking sheets without touching. Freeze until solid (about 1-2 hours), then transfer to labelled and dated zip-top bags, press out any excess air and freeze for up to 6 months.

They are also delicious raw in dishes like Greek Pasta Salad, Shopska Salad or Pineapple Salsa!

PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.

How to Cut A Bell Pepper | Gordon Ramsay

How do you cut a bell pepper?

Use a paring knife or spoon to scoop the clump of seeds away from the flesh of the pepper. There’s more than one way to cut bell peppers. Once you’ve removed the ribs and seeds, use one of these four techniques: Working with the natural curve of the bell pepper, use your knife to cut the pepper into strips.

Does black pepper cut belly fat?

It is unlikely that black pepper will cut belly fat. However, a study in Japan showed that the piperine in black pepper suppressed fat accumulation in mice. And researchers in Korea looked at the effects of black pepper extract in lab and computer models; showing that piperine interfered with the activity of genes responsible for forming new fat cells. Further studies are needed to confirm this effect in humans. Individuals using any pharmaceutical drugs should consult with your doctor or pharmacist before taking supplements that list black pepper extract or piperine as an ingredient. Piperine may interfere with the absorption and effectiveness of several drugs.

How do you make a bell pepper sandwich?

Lay the pepper halves on a cutting board, cut-side up, and spread cream cheese on each half. Spread some whole-grain mustard on the cream cheese. Layer ham, cheese, cucumbers, and guacamole or avocado slices on each half. Put the halves together to form a sandwich and enjoy. The filling possibilities for these bell pepper sandwiches are endless.

How do you use sliced bell peppers?

How to Use Sliced Bell Peppers: Use when sautéing peppers and onions for things like frittatas or when skewering on the grill. Thick slices are also perfect to add to cheese and charcuterie boards or for dipping into savory fondue . To julienne peppers, follow the same technique as for slicing, but make the strips thinner.