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Grilled peppers are a great dish that you can serve on the table as a dinner or snack. There are many ways to cook such vegetables – barbecue, frying pan, and grill.
However, to get a tasty dish, you must learn how to choose the right peppers, suitable spices, and also know all the secrets of cooking.
How to choose peppers for grilling?
Bell pepper is a common vegetable that can be purchased everywhere. Watery and overripe vegetables are not suitable for grilling. It is better to give preference to an elastic and shiny vegetable. When choosing pepper for grilling, it is worth focusing not on the size, but on the appearance:
- The peduncle. The “stalk” of the fetus should not be too dried up and crumble in the hands. Choose vegetables with a small and elastic peduncle.
- The skin. The surface of Bulgarian peppers for grilling should be homogeneous.
Ingredients for grilled peppers
The choice of ingredients is an important task in the preparation of grilled peppers. This set may vary, but the basic components remain unchanged. Among them:
- Bulgarian pepper – this sweet vegetable is the basis of the dish
- Red onion – it makes the dish juicy and spicy
- Olive oil and table salt – for grilling
Even using only a basic set of ingredients, you can get peppers of excellent taste and texture. However, no one forbids you to add other spices and herbs!
Best peppers for grilling
Sweet pepper is one of the most versatile crops, as it has a wide range of culinary applications. As a result of the huge demand for peppers, countless varieties and hybrids have appeared, differing in color, shape, size and shades of taste. Which ones are best suited for grilling?
- Pepper “Hungarian cheese”. This is the best pepper for stuffing. The fruits of this variety are rounded and slightly flattened, like cheese heads.
- Pepper “Early sunshine”. Because of its juiciness, it is the best pepper for fresh salads and grilling. During frying, vegetables will release copious amounts of juice.
- Marconi purple pepper. This is one of the most popular Italian varieties and the best pepper for grilling. On the market, Marconi is represented by three colors – red, yellow and the most fragrant — purple. The latter surprises not only with taste, but also with an elegant appearance.
How do you cut peppers for grilling?
To quickly and properly cook pepper on the grill, learn how to cut them properly. Just follow the instructions:
- Peel the pepper from the seeds and tails, and cut lengthwise into 6-8 pieces.
- Salt all vegetables and wait for salt to dissolve.
- Brush the peppers with a little olive oil.
Should you peel bell peppers?
Before cooking, rinse the peppers well, and then remove all excess water. You can cook vegetables whole or cut them into large pieces. Another question remains – is it worth peeling them?
Professional chefs advise to leave the peel on the vegetable. After contact with the grill grates and high temperature, this skin will become crispy and very tasty.
Two methods for grilled peppers
Professional chefs advise you to pay attention to two main ways of cooking bell pepper. Among them:
- Using the grill basket. This method is good for finely chopped peppers. The main secret is to cook over low heat.
- Using the grill grate. This method is more suitable for whole vegetables. You can also use the grill to fry other vegetables along with pepper, such as red onions. This is a quick and convenient method that many chefs love.
Let’s look at each of them in more detail.
How to grill bell peppers in a grill basket
This cooking technology is perfect for whole vegetables. However, it is unlikely to achieve a crispy crust due to excessive contact with oil. The technology of preparation is simple:
- Rinse the pepper and cut it into small pieces or halves.
- Put salt in the grill basket and spread it over the peppers, stirring constantly.
- Cook the peppers in the grill basket for about 5-7 minutes, until the skin of the vegetable rises.
How to grill peppers directly on the grates
This method of preparation will allow you to get peppers with a crisp golden brown crust. Just heat the grill and follow the instructions:
- Rinse the pepper thoroughly under running water and remove the grains.
- Put the vegetables on a preheated grill and fry for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Prepare the dressing: in a small container, mix lemon juice, soy sauce and olive oil, mix well. If desired, add chopped garlic to the mixture. Pour the resulting dressing over the still warm vegetables. The dish is ready!
How to grill red peppers without a grill
You can easily grill peppers without the grill itself. How can this be done? You will need a usual frying pan or barbecue pan, red peppers, olive oil, soy sauce, spices, herbs, salt and pepper.
The technology of preparation will be as follows:
- Peel the peppers, rinse them and dry them with a paper towel.
- Marinate the peppers in soy sauce for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the grill pan and put the peppers there. Add a little olive oil, herbs and spices. Fry for 5-7 minutes until golden brown.
Peppers on the grill in foil
Warm sunny weather is a great reason to go on a picnic and cook your favorite kebabs over a campfire. Grilled bell peppers will be a great addition to grilled meat or fish.
You can cook such a dish at home and serve it both as a side dish and as an independent dish. Vegetarians and adherents of a healthy diet will especially like it.
The step-by-step technology of preparation is simple:
- Cut the peppers into several pieces without removing the peel.
- Put the resulting blanks in a deep bowl, add salt, season with spices and pour oil.
- After half an hour, wrap the vegetables tightly in a double layer of foil and place the peppers directly on the grill.
- Bake the vegetables on the coals for at least 20 minutes, turning the bundle over periodically.
How long to grill peppers
The time of cooking peppers on the grill depends on many factors: the size of the vegetable, the desired degree of roasting and also on the marinade.
Keep the vegetables on medium high heat for about 10 minutes on each side. It all depends on the heat, the distance from the coal, as well as the thickness of the pepper itself. If it’s a thick pepper, then 10 minutes will be optimal.
For thin, the prep time will not exceed 7 minutes. Due to this, the product remains juicy, crispy, but already cooked.
Grilled peppers with cheese
This is a perfect summer side dish that everyone will like. To make such recipe, you will need the following set of ingredients:
- cottage cheese – 1 cup
- cream cheese – 1 cup
- grated hard cheese – 1/2 cup
- salt – to taste
- ground pepper – to taste
- green peppers – 12-15 pieces (small size)
- olive oil – for frying
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Wash the vegetables with running water, make a small incision on the top so that you can slightly push the tail away, and then carefully remove the core with seeds. Rinse and dry the peeled vegetables again.
- In a deep bowl, mix all three types of cheese, add salt and pepper. Fill the peppers with the resulting mass.
- Rub the stuffed peppers with vegetable oil on all sides.
- Prepare the grill. When the temperature becomes high enough, put the peppers stuffed with cheese there.
- Cook the vegetables by turning them over with tongs until black blisters appear on the skin side. The cheese should melt at the same time.
Easy grilled peppers
There are many recipes for grilling bell peppers. However, many people want to get not only a delicious, but also a healthy gluten free product saturated with vitamin C.
In that case, this is the best grilled peppers recipe for you. It’s simple and also won’t take you much time. Just prepare the necessary ingredients:
- peppers – 2 pieces
- onion – one piece
- balsamic vinegar – 1 teaspoon
- salt – to taste
- parsley and basil – to taste
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Wash the vegetables and dip them with a paper towel.
- Peel and chop the peppers and onions. Grilled vegetables should be evenly fried, so the thickness of the slicing of all vegetables is no more than 1 cm.
- Place the vegetables in a bowl and pour 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar. Let it marinate for 15-20 minutes.
- Spread the vegetables on a greased grill with a small amount of oil. It is not necessary that all the vegetables lay on the grill at the same time, you can fry in several steps. Grill the peppers to the desired degree of readiness.
Grilled peppers marinade
Properly prepared marinade for grilling peppers will help to give them great flavor and pleasant aroma.
Professional chefs advise you to pay attention to the following combinations:
- Marinade with oil and garlic. You can grease roasted peppers with olive oil mixed with finely chopped garlic and parsley leaves. Simple, fast, but incredibly delicious!
- Marinade with vinegar. You can store the pepper marinated with vinegar on the grill in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. You can also cook peppers with this marinade as a burger topping.
- Marinade with mustard and balsamic. You can marinate such cooked pepper on the grill in a fragrant sauce with Dijon mustard, thyme and garlic.
- Marinade with orange juice. This dressing will make your peppers tender and juicy. To prepare, you will need only freshly squeezed orange juice, garlic, paprika, ground red pepper, and dill seeds.
What to do with grilled peppers
Grilled peppers are a versatile and delicious dish that you can cook according to different recipes and with the help of different kitchen utensils. It can be a grill, a barbecue, or a frying pan.
You can use grilled peppers as a main dish or as a side dish. Also sometimes you can add such vegetables to a salad or even soup.
The main task is just to cook the peppers properly and make them juicy. And how to eat them, you will quickly come up with!
How to serve grilled peppers
There are many ways to serve peppers on the grill. Among them:
- With grilled salmon. This is a successful and delicate combination of vegetables with fish. Do not forget to serve garlic sauce to the dish – so you will definitely get a wonderful dinner!
- With grilled shellfish. In addition to fish, vegetables go well with seafood. And shellfish is no exception.
- With a veggie burger. To make a vegetarian burger delicious and juicy, you can add grilled peppers to it. This combination will delight even true gourmets.
- As a part of fajitas. Mexican Fajitas tortilla is a great way to combine different vegetables with each other. Grilled peppers will be able to give the tortilla juiciness.
You can also serve grilled peppers with other vegetables: tomatoes, potatoes, and zucchini. The main thing is to choose dairy free products. The combination of milk with grilled peppers is unacceptable.
Storage rules
You should be able to properly store peppers on the grill, if you are not going to eat them immediately after cooking. At room temperature, they can be stored for about 3-4 hours.
In other cases, place the vegetables in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The main thing is not to put vegetables in the freezer.
Such storage will not allow you to preserve the nutritional properties of the cooked dish.
Common tips
The secrets of cooking peppers on the grill will help you get a great dish. Professional chefs advise you to pay attention to the following points:
- When choosing sweet bell peppers for grilling or stuffing, try to choose large ripe fruits of rounded shape. Peppers of this shape are most convenient to stuff with minced meat, without experiencing unnecessary difficulties and inconveniences, as in the case of elongated peppers.
- Start cooking the dish by preparing the peppers. First of all, rinse the peppers under running water and dry them slightly. With a sharp knife, make a circular incision on the top of the pepper, and then, pulling the stem, remove the resulting lid.
- The choice of dishes in which you will serve pepper on the grill is quite important. Cooks advise to pay attention to heat-resistant deep plates that retain heat well.
Final thoughts
Grilled peppers are a versatile dish that can act as a side dish or main dish. Just choose a suitable recipe, a cutting board, a sharp knife, and a basting brush.
Preheat the grill or barbecue pan over medium heat and start roasting peppers. You will get just an excellent tender and juicy dish!