What can I make with bell peppers?
Bell Peppers deserves better than being boiled as a side. These recipes make bell peppers the centre of the plate, and the notes below cover roasting temperature, pan space, and seasoning order.
12 recipes with bell peppers
Golden Milk
Warm turmeric-spiced milk for wind-down.
Indian8m2
Avocado Toast
Creamy smashed avocado on toasted sourdough with lemon and chili flakes.
American10m1Greek Village Salad (Horiatiki)
Tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, olives and a slab of feta with olive oil.
Mediterranean10m4Grilled Paneer and Vegetable Skewers
Quick and easy vegetarian skewers with paneer, zucchini, bell peppers, and scallions, flavored with cumin
Indian13m4Grilled Paneer and Zucchini
A quick and easy vegetarian dish perfect for a comforting meal
Indian13m2Vegetable Stir Fry
Crisp-tender veggies in a glossy ginger-soy sauce.
Chinese15m2Brinjal Raita
A spicy and creamy side dish made with roasted brinjal, curd, and spices
Indian15m2Spaghetti Carbonara
Roman pasta with eggs, pecorino, and crispy guanciale.
Italian20m2Chicken Quesadilla
Cheesy chicken tucked in a griddled flour tortilla.
Mexican-American20m4
Classic Spaghetti Carbonara
Silky Roman pasta with eggs, pecorino, and crispy guanciale.
Italian25m4Kung Pao Chicken
Sichuan stir-fry with peanuts, chiles, and tongue-tingling peppercorns.
Chinese25m4Chicken and Onion Fried Rice
Simple and flavorful Chinese-inspired dish made with chicken, rice, and onions.
Chinese25m4
How to get the most flavour out of bell peppers
- 1Cut into even pieces so everything finishes at the same moment.
- 2Roast at 425F on a preheated sheet pan for caramelised edges, or sear hard in a skillet if you want it fast.
- 3Do not crowd the pan; steam is the enemy of browning. Use two trays if you have to.
- 4Season in layers: salt before cooking, then acid and fat after, so the bell peppers tastes finished rather than plain.
What goes well with bell peppers
Bell Peppers is at its best with olive oil, garlic, lemon, parmesan, chili flakes and flaky salt. Any two or three of those, plus bell peppers, is already a dinner rather than an ingredient list.
Storing bell peppers
Store bell peppers unwashed - moisture is what causes rot. Leafy types last longest wrapped loosely in a towel inside a bag; roots prefer somewhere cool and dark, not the fridge door. Anything starting to soften is ideal for soups, stocks, and roasting.
Substituting bell peppers
If you are out of bell peppers, look for something that behaves the same way in the pan rather than something that tastes the same. Match the moisture level, the cooking time, and the richness, and adjust the liquid slightly if your substitute releases more water. When in doubt, describe what you actually have in the chat and Mr. Chef will rewrite the recipe around it.
Bell Peppers recipes: common questions
- What can I make with bell peppers and not much else?
- Plenty. With bell peppers plus an onion, garlic, oil, and salt you already have the base of a skillet dinner, a soup, or a simple sauce. Add a starch - rice, pasta, bread, or potatoes - and it becomes a full meal. The recipes above are ordered so the ones needing the fewest extra items come first.
- What is the quickest bell peppers recipe?
- Look for the entries above marked 20 minutes or less. As a rule, anything cut small and cooked in a hot pan beats anything roasted whole, and one-pan recipes save more time in cleanup than in cooking.
- Can I substitute bell peppers?
- In most recipes yes, as long as the replacement plays a similar role - similar moisture, similar cooking time, similar richness. Swapping across roles (a watery vegetable for a starchy one, for instance) usually needs a change in liquid or cooking time too.
- How do I use up leftover bell peppers?
- Fried rice, a frittata, a grain bowl, a soup, or a quesadilla will absorb almost any leftover bell peppers without a recipe. If you want something specific, tell Mr. Chef exactly what is in the fridge and it will build a recipe around it.
- Are these bell peppers recipes vegetarian-friendly?
- Many are, and the vegetarian and vegan collections filter the whole library down to recipes with no meat or no animal products at all. In the chat you can also say "vegan" or "no dairy" and every suggestion will respect it.