Unleash the flavor of peppers and chilies by learning how to roast them in the oven or on a gas burner. Use this method for bell peppers, poblanos, anaheims, pasillas, and more!
The seemingly endless varieties of peppers come with just as many roasting methods, all leading to a world of delicious possibilities!
While I believe the oven broiler method shines, this recipe offers three ways to roast peppers: oven/broiler, oven/roasting, and open flame, giving you options to find your perfect match!
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For perfectly roasted peppers or chilies, begin with clean, dry ingredients (see the recipe below for specifics!), then follow this handy overview.
1.To roast the peppers under the oven broiler, broiling them until the tops are blackened and blistered for about 5 minutes. 2.To roast peppers in the oven, bake them at 500 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-40 minutes, turning occasionally until the skins blacken and blister for even cooking. 3.For open flame roasting, char chilies directly over a gas flame, using tongs to turn them frequently until blackened and blistered on all sides.
After the peppers cool enough to handle, slip on gloves (trust me!) and rub off the skins; if some resist, grab dry paper towels to finish the job.
Whether you keep the stems on depends on your final use for the roasted peppers.
Store leftover roasted peppers covered in the refrigerator for up to a week, enjoying them in sandwiches, soups, salads, or salsa, or get creative by stuffing them with cheese and giving them a tempura-style makeover as Chile Relleno – yum!
The Roasted Chili-Corn Salsa at Chipotle also uses roasted poblano peppers. This adds a bit of spice without overdoing it, ratcheting the salsa up to “medium heat.”
To roast the peppers under the oven broiler, arrange an oven rack 6 inches from the broiler and preheat on HIGH. Then, broil the peppers, turning every few minutes, until the tops are blackened and blistered but not ash white, about 5 minutes in total.
For easy cleanup, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Roast the whole peppers in a single layer on the prepared sheet, turning them occasionally for even browning, until the skins are blackened and blistered but not ash white, which takes about 30 to 40 minutes.
For smoky roasted peppers, turn a gas burner to HIGH and char the peppers directly over the flame using tongs to turn them occasionally until blackened and blistered, but not ashy.
Transfer the peppers to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let them stand for about 20 minutes, until cool enough to handle.
For stuffing, carefully rub off and discard the blackened skin, leaving the stem intact (gloves recommended).
For chopping the peppers, remove and discard the stem and seeds, then cut them into quarters lengthwise and chop.