Which Bell Peppers Are Better For Cooking

Bell Pepper Recipes

Looking to eat vitamin-rich red and green bell peppers? Here are all the best bell pepper recipes, from stuffed to fajita seasoned.

Got bell peppers and need a way to use them? Not only are these colorful peppers delicious, they're loaded with vitamins too. They're very high in vitamin C, and have double your daily need. They also have Vitamin B and beta carotene. There are so many ways to use them in recipes, outside of the standard stuffed peppers.

Here's list of the best bell pepper recipes we can find. Of course we've got the traditional stuffed peppers: our favorite is a Mediterranean-style recipe with quinoa and feta cheese. But there are lots of other great ways to use peppers in a supporting role: like spiced up in fajitas or diced to add texture to chili. These recipes feature all different colors, from red to orange to yellow to green bell peppers. The colors are interchangeable and you can customize them as you'd like!

And now…the best bell pepper recipes!

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 they're 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.

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 another great way to eat bell peppers: roasted in a sandwich! And this sandwich is the ULTIMATE veggie sandwich. It's gorgeous and colorful, featuring roasted peppers and tangy pickled radishes. Add to that an herbed goat cheese spread and it's pretty heavenly. The peppers make an eye-popping color contrast to the other vegetables!

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!

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 another bell pepper recipe, starring this healthy veggie in a mix of the very best roasted vegetables! Perfect as a colorful side dish recipe, this veggie mix features cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers, red onion, and sweet potato. Mix it together with our magic seasoning blend, and roast it up! It makes two sheet pans, enough to feed a crowd!

This veggie burrito bowl will have you immediately coming back for seconds! This one is almost all vegetables, Whole 30 vegetarian friendly, and customizable for just about any diet. The star of the show: fajita-style bell peppers and onions, which add just the right savory flair. Then there's cauliflower rice, a fun veggie substitute for rice, crispy roasted shredded sweet potato, and quick and protein-packed chorizo eggs. This one's a must-try!

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, it's perfect for summer.

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!

Bell peppers play a starring role in many Mexican-style recipes: and they bring lovely color and crunch to these pinwheels! In this one, hummus is a plant-based substitute for cream cheese to hold this roll-up together. It's stuffed with bell pepper, green onion, spinach, black beans, chili powder and cumin!

Green peppers are at the heart of many chili recipes! Diced green pepper adds just the right contrast to the beans and tomatoes. This chili is vegetarian and uses bulgur wheat to mimic the texture of meat (use quinoa for gluten-free). It's full of big flavor, with lots of chili powder and green chilis, and one of our fan favorite recipes.

Here's another green pepper recipe like the black beans and rice, but this one is Cuban style! Green pepper accents these black beans: they're saucy and rich, and taste just as good as restaurant-style. They're sauteed with a little butter, onion and jalapeno into a creamy savory mess. Serve with rice for a simple dinner!

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. It's full of flavor and works for brunch or dinner, served with crusty bread.

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.

Description

Looking for bell pepper recipes? This quinoa stuffed peppers recipe is a colorful and delicious healthy dinner, full of Mediterranean flavors like lemon, parsley and feta.

6 multi-colored bell peppers
1 cup quinoa
4 garlic cloves
3 medium shallots (1 cup chopped)
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
¾ cup chopped pistachios
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons lemon juice plus zest from ½ lemon
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup feta cheese crumbles (optional)

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Wash the peppers and cut them in half lengthwise; remove the stems and seeds. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then place the peppers on top. Bake with the cut side down for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven, flip to cut side up, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Bake another 15 minutes until tender.
Meanwhile, cook the quinoa (or use our Instant Pot quinoa method): Rinse the quinoa and drain it completely, then place it in a saucepan with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer where the water is just bubbling for 17 to 20 minutes until the water has been completely absorbed. (Check by pulling back the quinoa with a fork to see if water remains.) Turn off the heat and let sit with the lid on to steam for at least 5 minutes.
Mince the garlic, shallot and parsley. Chop the pistachios. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic, shallot and red pepper flakes and sauté 1 to 2 minutes until the shallot is translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Remove from the heat, then stir in the cooked quinoa, pistachios, ¼ cup parsley, paprika, oregano, lemon juice and zest, sea salt and black pepper. Taste and add another few pinches of salt to taste. Spoon the filling into the roasted pepper halves. Garnish with a small sprinkling of remaining parsley and feta cheese crumbles. Serve any additional filling on the side.

Category: Main Dish
Method: Baked
Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keywords: Bell Pepper Recipes, Green Pepper Recipes, Stuffed Peppers

Last updated: February 2021

About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Meet Sonja and Alex Overhiser: Husband and wife. Expert home cooks. Authors of recipes you'll want to make again and again.