Name: Air Fryer Roasted Peppers
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 medium red bell peppers

GF DF V 30 PAL

Air fryer roasted red peppers are so easy to make, you will never need to buy them at the store again! No need to char your peppers over an open fire or turn on your oven, these air fryer roasted peppers are so simple to make in the air fryer and turn out perfectly cooked every time! Add the air fryer bell peppers to salads, sandwiches, pizzas or use them in pasta sauce!

Glass jar of roasted red peppers cooked in the air fryer.

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Why you will love this recipe

Easy – The air fryer does most of the work for this recipe. Making roasted red peppers in the air fryer just requires a little time and a pair of tongs to flip the peppers as they cook. Ready in about 10 minutes and so easy to make.

Simple ingredients – all you need are bell peppers, that’s it! Instead of buying jars of roasted red peppers at the store you can make them yourself with bell peppers and an air fryer! Because the only ingredient it bell peppers, this recipe is vegan, plant based, gluten free, dairy free, paleo and Whole30.

Versatile – use these roasted red peppers in so many ways! Great on salads, sandwiches, wraps, pizzas, in sauces or soups and so many more ways! The air fryer roasted red peppers are soft, tender, and so delicious.

Ingredients

Bell peppers (Red, yellow or orange) – all you need are sweet bell peppers to make this recipe. I do not recommend using green bell peppers as they are more bitter and won’t create the same flavor. You can also make roasted peppers in the air fryer with poblano peppers or jalapenos.

How to make air fryer roasted peppers

Place the peppers in the air fryer basket.

Turn it on 400F for 10 minutes.

After 4 minutes, pause the air fryer and turn the pepper ¼ of the way with silicone tipped tongs. Let cook 1:30-2 more minutes. Flip again ¼ way and continue to do this until the time runs out.

Red bell peppers in the air fryer before and after roasting.

After 10 minutes, the peppers should be done cooking. Remove the pepper from the air fryer and place it in a pot or bowl with a tight fitting lid or plastic wrap over the top. Let the pepper steam for at least 10 minutes.

Air fryer roasted red peppers in a pot with a lid on.

After 10 minutes, you should be able to easily peel the skin away from the peppers. Discard the skin.

Hand peeling the skin off the air fryer roasted red peppers.

Carefully open the pepper and remove the seeds and stem.

Hand removing the seeds and stem from roasted red peppers.

Cut the pepper into strips or keep it whole. Store leftovers in a air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Top tips

No need to add any oil or salt, the peppers will get charred without any added oil.
Use silicone tipped tongs to turn the peppers every 1:30-2 minutes after the first 4 minutes of cooking. You don’t want to damage the coating on your air fryer basket, so use silicone tipped tongs to protect it.
Red bell peppers make the sweetest roasted red peppers. Orange and yellow are also sweet and delicious. I don’t recommend using green bell peppers as they are somewhat bitter.
Allow the peppers to cool at least 10 minutes covered before trying to remove the skins (although 20-30 minutes is best). Handling the peppers when they are hot can be dangerous since the juices inside the peppers can leak onto your hands as you are cutting them into pieces.
If your peppers don’t fit into the air fryer basket whole, cut them in half and remove the seeds. Follow the same directions, except let them cook 5 minutes per side.
If you want to use the peppers with the skin on (like you would with peppers and onions or as a side dish), cut the peppers into strips ahead of time (remove the seeds) and simply shake the basket 2-3 times during cooking. Add a little olive oil and spices before cooking if you want them seasoned.

Thin slices of air fryer roasted red peppers.

How to use air fryer roasted red peppers

In salads, grain bowls or buddha bowls
On pizzas
On sandwiches or in wraps
In sauces (like this roasted red pepper sauce, romesco sauce or pesto)
In soups
On tacos
In hummus
In omelets

Common questions

Why do you roast peppers?

Roasting peppers helps to deepen the flavor, sweet red peppers become sweeter, poblano peppers get a deeper, richer flavor compared to eating them raw.

What are the best peppers to roast?

Red, yellow or orange bell peppers are the best for roasting, as they are slightly sweet and when roasted get that smoky and sweet profile.

You can also roast poblano peppers or jalapeno peppers the same way.

How do you roast red peppers in the air fryer

You can roast red peppers in the air fryer whole or cut into slices before roasting. When roasting whole, turn the air fryer to 400F an let cook 10 minutes, turning the pepper occasionally to allow all sides to get charred. After roasting, put the peppers in a bowl with plastic wrap or tight-fitting lid and let steam so you can remove the skin.

Are roasted red peppers the same as bell peppers?

Yes, roasted red peppers are made by roasting red bell peppers in the air fryer, on the stove (over a gas flame) or in the oven. After roasting, the peppers are put in a bowl to steam, which helps the skin to peel off easily. Once the skin is peeled off, the red bell peppers have the texture you would associate with roasted red peppers.

Why do you peel roasted peppers

You peel roasted peppers to get a soft, tender, smooth pepper. The skin is a little tough and has an elastic quality that can interfere with that smooth, soft texture you are looking to achieve when roasting peppers.

The skins are so easy to peel off. You just want to put the hot peppers in a bowl or pot and cover tightly (I use the lid to the pot, but you could also put plastic wrap over a bowl). This allows the peppers to steam slightly as they cool, making the skins easy to remove.

Once the peppers are cool the skin just slips right off the peppers, it’s so easy your kids could do it!

Why do my roasted peppers look burned?

It’s very normal for the pepper to get black spots on it when roasting. That helps to intensify the sweetness of the pepper while roasting. It’s important to turn the peppers occasionally when roasting so that the char can be evenly distributed.

When you peel off the skin, most of the black bits are removed and what you are left with is virtually blemish free.

Forkful of thinly sliced air fryer roasted red peppers.

Can you roast peppers in the oven?

Yes, making roasted red peppers in the oven is pretty simple and can be done in about 20 minutes. This is a great method if you are trying to roast multiple peppers at one time or don’t have an air fryer.

Preheat the oven to 450F.
Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds/stems and any membrane inside.
Place the peppers skins side up on a parchment paper or foil lined pan (not that parchment paper is only rated to 400F but I use it in a 450F oven often and it just gets a little browned when baking).
Cook at 450F for 15-20 minutes until the skins are the peppers start to char and may even look black.
Remove the peppers from the oven and place in a large bowl or pot. Cover with a tight fitting lid or plastic wrap to steam and cool.
After cooled, peel off the skin and the oven roasted red peppers are ready for using in your favorite recipes.

How long do homemade roasted peppers last?

Fridge: Store air fryer roasted peppers in the fridge for up to 5 days in an air-tight container. If you cover the peppers in olive oil, they will last about 2 weeks in the fridge.

Freezer: Freeze roasted red peppers for up to 3 months in a freezer safe bag or container. The peppers can lose a bit of their texture when freezing, so it’s best to use frozen roasted peppers in soups or sauces.

Air fryer roasted red peppers on a white plate.

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