Air fryer bell pepper slices come out slightly caramelized without the work of standing over a stove. This recipe works well for when you need a hands off way to cook bell peppers. It is a quick and efficient method for cooking bell peppers that won’t heat up your house in the summer like the oven or stove might. Make these when you need a low energy side or are cooking up something with a more active cooking time. Delicious addition to fajitas, soups, salads, sandwiches and pasta dishes.
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Tips and Tricks
How do you buy bell peppers? Look for bell peppers that are firm to the touch with little to no bruising or knicks. They should feel heavy for their size and be a bright color like red, orange, green or yellow.
How do you store bell peppers? Store raw bell peppers in the crisper drawer in the fridge. You can also store these sliced up in the freezer and cook from frozen. Once the bell peppers are cooked, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
What do you serve with air fried bell peppers? Cooked bell peppers are a delicious addition to sandwiches, salads, dips, pastas, sausages/hot dogs and fajitas. Use these anywhere you’d like to add some color, vegetables and some mellow heat.
How do you reheat cooked bell peppers? Reheat bell peppers in the air fryer at 350F for two to three minutes or until warmed through. You can also reheat them in the microwave, on the stove top in a pan or in the oven until warmed through. The air fryer or microwave are the fastest ways.
Ingredients
- Bell peppers - Any color will work, use your preference
- Olive oil - use your favorite cooking oil here
- Kosher salt - Used to season bell peppers in a neutral way. Feel free to add additional flavoring
See recipe card for specific quantities.
What are the best colors to use? Use whatever color you like the best. I often buy bell peppers in whatever color my dish is lacking. For example, if I have a lot of green already, I’ll buy a red or orange pepper. They do have subtle flavor differences but will all cook the same if cut to similar sizes.
Method
How do you cook bell peppers in the air fryer? Preheat the air fryer to 375F. Cut bell peppers into strips and discard the stem and seeds.
Toss bell peppers in olive oil, kosher salt and any other seasoning you want. Add to the preheated air fryer and cook for five minutes. Shake the basket to promote even cooking and cook for another five minutes until peppers are softened and caramelized.
How do you cut bell peppers? Cut off the top of the bell pepper and pop out the stem, discarding the stem. Cut the top of the pepper in half so it forms 2 semi circles, slice in half if they are too thick. Next, cut the bottom of the bell pepper in half vertically and discard the seeds. Lay the pepper halves skin side down and cut into strips, trying to keep them equal in size.
How long do you air fry bell peppers? Cook bell peppers in the air fryer for about 10 minutes total, shaking half way through the cook time.
Hint: Toss cut up bell peppers well with olive oil to promote even browning and thus more delicious flavor.
Variations
What other types of seasoning can you use for bell peppers? Flavor the bell peppers with
- fajita or taco seasoning
- Tajin
- Italian seasoning
- dry BBQ rub
- cajun seasoning
- lemon pepper seasoning
Dry seasoning will allow the bell peppers to caramelize. Use a dry seasoning that compliments your final dish. If desired, toss with a sauce after cooked to ensure the peppers get enough color.
Equipment
Can you put bell peppers in the air fryer? Yes! Bell peppers cook quickly in the air fryer, making it an ideal method when you want a passive method of cooking. Use this recipe if you have a hard time standing for a long time, have trouble taking stuff in and out of the oven or you just need to rest while they cook.
It also allows you to finish cooking or preparing other ingredients since you can set it to cook and walk away until the timer goes off. If you’re looking for more tips and information for your air fryer, check out my Air Fryer FAQ page.
Accommodations
Everyone has different physical and cognitive abilities and that can change day to day and hour to hour. Below are a few accommodation ideas to help you have success with this recipe.
- Buy frozen - frozen peppers are already cut and prepped, just toss in oil and seasoning, you may need to add one to two minutes to cooking time.
- Buy pre chopped - a lot of grocery stores have fresh peppers already chopped up and ready to be seasoned.
- Built in time to rest/sit down:
- After you cut the peppers up but before you salt them.
- While they are cooking.
Top Tip
Shake bell peppers half way through cooking to promote even cooking.
Air Fryer Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- 2 bell peppers colors of your choice
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 375F.
- Cut off the top of the bell pepper. Pop out the stem and discard. Cut the top of the pepper in half so it forms 2 semi circles.
- Cut the bottom of the bell pepper in half vertically and discard the seeds.
- Lay the pepper halves skin side down and cut into strips, trying to keep them equal in size.
- Repeat steps two through four with the second pepper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, toss the pepper strips in olive oil and season well with salt. If you’re using an additional dry seasoning, now is the time to add it.
- Add the seasoned peppers to the air fryer and cook for 5 minutes. Shake the basket to move the peppers around and cook for another 5 minutes or until softened and caramelized.
- Serve with your favorite sandwich, pasta or other dish.
Notes and Accommodations
- Use any color of bell pepper you want.
- Shake halfway through cooking time for more even cooking.
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Buy frozen; frozen peppers are already cut and prepped, just toss in oil and seasoning, you may need to add one to two minutes to cooking time.
- Buy pre chopped; a lot of grocery stores have fresh peppers already chopped up and ready to be seasoned.
- Built in time to rest/sit down:
- After you cut the peppers up but before you salt them.
- While they are cooking.
Food Safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat or seafood
- Wash hands after touching raw meat or seafood
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
