How Long To Grill Bell Peppers

PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: LENA ABRAHAM

Move over meat. It'due south the humble bell pepper'southward fourth dimension to shine. Grilling bell peppers is a quick and easy way to pack in a ton of flavor and this recipe is so easy that it'll make you lot call back twice earlier buying your next jar of roasted peppers. It's near impossible for a grilled vegetable to non be delicious, and that goes for bell peppers as well. They also happen to be super easy to make. Later on a quick marinade, the hot grill volition char the skin of the peppers and the covered lid will allow the peppers to steam and take on a bit of smokiness.

How practice I prep the grill?

To ensure a clean char on the peppers, be certain to clean the grates before grilling and betwixt batches. This can be washed with a grill brush of course, but if you're in a compression, a halved onion, or a brawl of can foil pinched with a pair of tongs will help knock off whatever big chunks. Brushing the grill with oil will help the vegetables char without sticking.

Exercise I have to cut the peppers?

These can exist made whole if the peppers are on the smaller side, just be sure to turn a few times during cooking and then that all of the pare has a chance to cicatrice. When cutting the pepper into pieces, cut around the stalk first and pull out the stalk and seeds. Use the seams on the sides of the pepper to guide you on where to cutting. Cut along those lines volition yield 3 to 4 pieces from each pepper.

Can I apply a grill pan?

No demand to worry if y'all're indoors, this will work well with a grill pan also. Use a metal bowl to cover the peppers, working in batches if necessary. When removing the bowl, remember to lift it with a dry dishtowel as it volition be very hot.

What does steaming the peppers do?

After grilling, steaming the peppers in a covered basin allows the thin skin to soften, making it much easier to pull from the pepper. If you lot have one on hand, a newspaper sandwich bag is as well a cracking option for steaming the peppers after they come off the grill.

Do I have to pare the skin off?

Whether or not you exit the skin on is 100% up to you. While it does add some yummy charred flavor and complexity to the pepper, the texture of the grilled skin can be a bit papery.

Marinade 101

Let'southward be honest, grilled bell peppers are delicious even without a marinade simply information technology certainly doesn't hurt! 10 to fifteen minutes is all yous'll demand, just an overnight marinade will really pack a flavorful dial. This marinade is a super simple ratio of 2 parts olive oil to ane role balsamic vinegar with a few pinches of salt and ground blackness pepper. It lends itself well to extra add-ins like fresh herbs and savory spices. Hither are a few combos you tin can attempt to go your artistic engine revving:

chopped basil + chopped thyme

chopped cilantro + back-scratch powder

toasted cumin seeds + chili powder

Simply brush the peppers with olive oil before grilling if you lot want to skip the marinade. Uses In that location are dozens of uses for grilled peppers. Add sliced peppers to a fajita chicken salad or this sheet pan Italian sandwich. Chop them up and pile them onto crusty bread smeared with caprine animal cheese for an piece of cake, tasty snack.

Storage

Grilled peppers will keep either sliced or in whole pieces in the fridge for up to v days. To go a bit more shelf life and season, store the peppers in their leftover marinade for upwards to a week. These can also be frozen for up to 6 months. Place the peppers in a freezer-safe goose egg-top bag and cover with olive oil. Press the extra air out of the bag and freeze.