Here are all the best bell pepper recipes for using this tasty vegetable! Try stuffed, roasted, pizza, fajitas, and more.
Got bell peppers and not sure how to use them? These colorful peppers are both delicious and loaded with vitamins, like Vitamin B, beta carotene, and over double your needed daily dose of vitamin C! Here are all the top bell pepper recipes to use this crunchy veggie in your cooking, from stuffed to sauteed, roasted, grilled, and more. We’ve rounded up our top recipes from this website, and a few from our favorite recipe authors for red pepper recipes, green pepper recipes, and everything in between.
How to cut a bell pepper
Bell peppers are one of those vegetables that can be intimidating to cut if you’re not a pro! There are lots of different methods, but Alex and I have found one that’s incredibly quick and works like a charm. Here’s the basic method for how to cut a bell pepper (or watch the video below!):
- Using a large chef’s knife, slice straight down on each side to form 4 straight pieces of the pepper. (This keeps the seeds and ribs intact in the center.)
- Slice off the bottom and top of the pepper, and pull out the stem.
- Place the skin side of the pepper down, and cut it into thin slices. If you’re dicing the pepper, turn the slices and cut them crosswise to make square pieces.
And now…the best bell pepper recipes!
Next up: this Italian-style classic stuffed bell peppers recipe! The filling is seasoned irresistibly with Italian spices, pizza sauce and melty cheese. Even better: it works for many diets. We’ve got variations for meat eaters, vegetarian, and gluten-free eaters!
One of the best ways to cook a bell pepper? In the oven! These roasted bell peppers are so full of flavor, you might drop your fork on the first bite. Roasting brings out a sweet and charred flavor in this healthy veggie that’s hard to describe. It’s so unlike it’s flavor raw, it’s like an entirely different vegetable! Roasted bell peppers make a fantastic side dish, or use them as a filling for fajitas, topping for salads, filling for sandwiches, and more.
Looking for a healthy and easy side dish? These sauteed peppers and onions are a rainbow of tender, caramelized flavor! Oddly enough, this revelation is a new find over here. We’ve made the requisite fajita veggies, and thrown those peppers and onions on the grill. But simply sauteeing them up in a pan seemed too simple…until we tasted them. The sweet flavor and tender texture are truly irresistible! Even better: they’re full of nutrients and jam packed with Vitamin C.
Also try: Sauteed Peppers
Here’s a fun, hearty dinner idea that pleases everyone: Stuffed Green Peppers! We love the retro vibes of this concept. Throw rice, ground beef or plant based crumbles, tomatoes and cheese into a pepper and call it dinner! This one is so full of flavor, even veggie haters will be converts. The savory Italian-style seasonings of garlic, oregano and fennel make magic with tangy tomatoes and mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Love peppers and pickles? Then it’s time to try making your own. Try this Pickled Peppers recipe! This basic quick pickles recipe works with any type of pepper: bell peppers, jalapeños, or banana peppers. Mix them up, throw them in a jar, and cover with a tangy sweet brine. In 1 hour you’ve got pickles!
Got your grill fired up and want to make a simple grilled side dish? Try grilled bell peppers! Throw them on the grill and they come out charred, smoky, tender and sweet. You won’t believe how flavorful they are! Add red onion to take them over the top.
Here’s a bell pepper recipe that’s simple but incredibly tasty: this red pepper pizza with feta and oregano! First stir together our famous easy pizza sauce, which requires just 5 ingredients for its garlicky tomato flavor. Then top with mozzarella cheese, jarred roasted red pepper strips and salty feta cheese.
One of the most popular bell peppers outside of stuffed: fajitas! Here multi-colored bell peppers are mixed with fajita seasoning and then roasted on a sheet pan until sweet and tender. Combine that with black beans and guacamole, and it makes for a quick and easy vegan and vegetarian meal!
Here’s a tasty sauce recipe that every cook should have in their arsenal: Romesco Sauce! Its a sauce from the Catalonia region in Spain, made from peppers, tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, and almonds. The flavor is fantastic: tangy, garlicky, savory, sweet, zingy and earthy all at once. Serve it with grilled or roasted vegetables, fish, chicken, bread or really anything that needs a little sparkle (or even a French fry dip?).
Want to turn bell peppers into lunch? Try this easy veggie wrap! Veggie wraps can be bland and boring, but this one is anything but. Fill a tortilla with savory chickpea salad, bell peppers, cabbage, romaine, and a tasty spread. You’ve got a lunch that will make everyone jealous!
How to eat bell peppers for breakfast? Try this Breakfast Veggie Scramble! You can make it two ways: with eggs or tofu, depending on your diet. It’s full of savory flavor, and loaded with nutrients from the peppers, spinach and avocado.
Here’s a customizable make-ahead recipe that works for healthy breakfast, lunch and snack: Egg Muffins! Bake up scrambled eggs in muffin tin cups with healthy veggies, then refrigerate them for meals all week! The filling is packed with good stuff: loads of spinach, cottage cheese for healthy protein, and red pepper.
This dinner recipe has everything good about stuffed bell peppers: in soup form! Its an easy, fast, budget-friendly one pot dinner! Its bursting with flavor with ground beef, rice and bell peppers. via Damn Delicious
Got lots of bell peppers? Try Bell Pepper Salad! This delightfully crunchy salad is brimming with fresh veggies and herbs, tossed in a bright lemon honey dressing. It’s the perfect side dish for summer! via A Spicy Perspective
Peperonata is a traditional Italian recipe that makes the most of summer bell peppers and onions. Colorful and intensely flavorful, this vegetable stew is exactly what Italian cuisine is all about: highlighting simple, delicious ingredients! via Marcellina in Cucina
Heres another great way to eat bell peppers: roasted in a sandwich! And this sandwich is the ULTIMATE veggie sandwich. Its gorgeous and colorful, featuring roasted peppers and tangy pickled radishes. Add to that an herbed goat cheese spread and its pretty heavenly. The peppers make an eye-popping color contrast to the other vegetables!
Another great way to make a bell pepper recipe? Put them on a pizza! Here red and yellow bell peppers are thinly slice and sauteed until tender and sweet. Then throw them on a thin crust pizza with our best pizza sauce, capers, arugula and Parmesan cheese, and they bring incredible flavor!
Don’t let the name fool you: this tasty number works for breakfast, brunch, or a tasty vegetarian dinner. It works cold, room temp or warm, so you can easily make it ahead. And leftovers stay good for days! It’s beautifully hearty, pairing cheesy hash browns and red pepper with chili powder, garlic powder and cumin for massive savory flavor.
Want a fun low-carb way to mix up nachos? Try these Loaded Bell Pepper Nachos! The sweet and crisp bell pepper base is so colorful and flavorful. Top them with salsa, guacamole, sour cream and your favorite nacho toppings. via Feel Good Foodie
First up in our bell pepper recipes: stuffed peppers! These quinoa stuffed peppers are Mediterranean-style, stuffed with fluffy quinoa mixed with herbs and pistachios. Add a spritz of lemon juice and a sprinkle of feta cheese, and theyre hearty and crowd pleasing! Roasting peppers is quite easy: it takes just 30 minutes and you can do it while preparing the remainder of the recipe.
Try this easy Breakfast Quiche! Hearty hashbrowns, red peppers, and feta cheese make a perfectly-seasoned savory filling. Encase it all in a flaky pastry crust, and it’s simple to bake up as a make-ahead breakfast or fancy brunch.
Another fantastic bell pepper recipe: panzanella! Panzanella is a traditional Italian bread salad: a way to use up leftover stale bread bits. The hard and crusty bread is marinated in a tangy dressing and mixed with ripe cherry tomatoes, red onion and multi-colored bell peppers. With a bit of fresh peppery basil, its perfect for summer.
This roasted red pepper sauce is 5-ingredient basic, but you wouldn’t know that from the taste! Fresh garlic, lemon juice, and roasted red peppers build up the flavor base, while the almonds and olive oil make for that silky-meets-textured mouthfeel. via Pinch of Yum
And last up in our best bell pepper recipes: shakshuka! Shakshuka is a dish of eggs poached in a tomato sauce that originates from Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine! This one features white beans and red bell pepper, and is sprinkled with feta cheese. Its full of flavor and works for brunch or dinner, served with crusty bread.
Here’s a pepper recipe you can mix up in minutes: White Bean Salad! It’s bursting with Mediterranean flavor from simple ingredients: bell pepper brings a crunch, parsley an herbaceous bite, and red wine vinegar brings a zing of acidity. Top with a sprinkle of feta, and it’s irresistibly tasty with minimal effort.
Last up in our bell pepper recipes: this creamy roasted red pepper pasta! You need only 6 ingredients for this tasty dinner idea. Its vegan, simple-to-make & customizable with any protein for an easy weeknight meal. via Feel Good Foodie
7 Reasons Why You Must Add Bell Peppers To Your Diet Daily
Which peppers taste the best?
They taste the best, in my opinion. Yellow peppers have an almost fruity taste and are very sweet. They are great for cooking or eating plain. Orange bell peppers aren’t as popular as the other colors. Orange peppers are the least commonly used peppers. They are similar to the yellow pepper but a little less sweet.
Do bell peppers contain capsaicin?
Bell peppers do not contain capsaicin, so they do not generate that itchy and uncomfortable sensation in the mouth. On the scale that ranks the amounts of capsaicin are at the bottom.
Are bell peppers spicy?
Bell peppers are known as sweet peppers because they do not contain the chemical in normal peppers that makes them hot. Therefore, they are sweet, not spicy. The most common bell pepper is the green one, but red is actually the most ripe. Try out all the colors and see which kind you like the best.
Do different colors of bell peppers taste different?
Yes! The different colors of bell peppers actually do taste different. Green is the least ripe and the most bitter. The others are much sweeter, with red being the sweetest. If a recipe calls for green peppers, or you simply feel like adding some color to your meal, I would choose yellow or red (or maybe even the unique purple) instead.