Air Fryer Roasted Red Peppers

Yes, you can roast red peppers in the air fryer, and they’re just like the store-bought ones, but tastier. They’re quick too – just 15 minutes!

Ingredients

The only ingredient you need is bell peppers! Some people like to brush on some olive oil but I don’t find it to be necessary to get great results.

Red bell peppers are the sweetest and are the ones that you will find to be sold in jars at the store – those roasted ones packed in liquid. (Did you know that green bell peppers are just less ripe red bell peppers?) Orange or yellow peppers can absolutely be used here as well.

Roasting peppers in the air fryer is an especially great idea for peppers that are slightly past their prime and starting to wrinkle. If you notice that this has happened to a pepper or two in your crisper drawer, you can get them into the air fryer and then preserve their usefulness for a few more days.

How To Air Fry Red Peppers

This is so simple to do, it’s barely a recipe. You just put the whole bell peppers in the air fryer (keep them in a single layer). If you prefer, you can halve and remove the seeds first. However, I find it harder to get the skin off later if I do that, so I prefer to do that at the end, after they’re done roasting.

Cook the peppers in the air fryer at 400°F for ten minutes, flip them over, and cook for another 3-5 minutes. They should be slightly charred in places. 

How To Peel Roasted Peppers

Remove the cooked peppers from the air fryer basket and put them into a bowl. Put a lid or plate on top to trap the steam. This will help loosen the skin and make them super easy to peel.

Once the peppers are cool enough to handle, use your fingers and a paring knife to peel off the skin. Then, pull the middles out of the peppers, removing the stem and seeds, which you will discard.

Storage

Once they’re cooked, peeled, and the stems and seeds are removed, you can slice or chop the peppers as needed. They can be used immediately or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

I don’t recommend putting them in oil in a jar to preserve them, or in any kind of liquid. They won’t necessarily keep any longer, and the liquid dilutes their flavor a bit. If you want to keep them longer, freezing them is your best bet.

Can I Freeze Roasted Red Peppers?

Yes, these air fryer roasted red peppers freeze well. They do lose some texture after freezing but since you’re usually chopping them to use them anyhow, it won’t matter much.

Store them in an airtight container or ziptop bag and put them in the freezer. They will keep in the freezer for three months and can be thawed in the fridge.

Using Air Fryer Roasted Red Peppers

There are so many delicious uses for roasted peppers, I couldn’t possibly name them all but I’ll give you some ideas to get started. 

Add them to a pasta dish like my Ground Turkey Pasta. Include them in a salad or your favorite soup. Put some slices into your grilled cheese sandwich. Blend them up when making hummus or other dips. Top your pizza with some chopped peppers for an extra burst of flavor.

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