This is an easy step by step how to blanch bell peppers tutorial and use them in lots of great recipes. A simple technique I use to make amazing stuffed bell peppers for dinner often.

A wooden cutting board displays hollowed-out bell peppers in vibrant yellow, green, and orange hues. A sharp knife with a black handle lies beside them, perfect for prepping ingredients in your kitchen adventures, whether slicing or learning how to blanch bell peppers.
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Ok so I didn’t know how to cook green peppers either when my husband asked me to make his grandma’s stuffed bell peppers recipe. It only took once for me to realize it really wasn’t hard at all and boy what a difference it made when I was using them in a recipe. (originally published 8/17, affiliate links present)

If you have never done this you’ll be surprised at just how easy this is. We will show you step by step how it is done so your next recipe has the perfect texture.

Let us share these cooking basics with y’all.

  • Taking the bitterness out of them, softening them, and making them a vegetable my kids would up enjoying,
  • I now use them in a variety of recipes like our chili stuffed bell peppers and more!
  • You can do them whole for air fryer stuffed peppers or in strips to make air fryer bell peppers faster.
Sliced red, yellow, and orange bell peppers are arranged on a white cutting board, ready for the next step in learning how to blanch bell peppers. A knife is placed nearby on the board.

Do you have to boil peppers for stuffed peppers?

Well, I mean you don’t HAVE to but they won’t be tender if you don’t. They need to be softened by submerging them into boiling water to get that first. Then when baked they can continue to become tender.

Once you cut the top off and removed the insides of your bell peppers you will want to put a pot of water on the stove. Choose a pot that will fit the number of peppers you are blanching and cover them with boiling water.

I can usually fit 4 comfortably in my large pot at the most. You don’t want to smush them in there because when they soften they will crack if not left alone.

  • If you are filling them with contents like when you’re making our stuffed bell peppers recipe you don’t want a way for the filling to escape.

It’s a kind of a test at first because everyone likes their blanched bell peppers a different consistency so stand by your pot the first time.

Slices of yellow, orange, and green bell peppers are boiling in a pot of water on the stove, demonstrating how to blanch bell peppers perfectly. Steam rises from the pot.

Take the pepper out with tongs every minute or so to feel it’s consistency, then you will know for the future exactly how long you want to keep them in the boiling water, this is a general rule though and how we make them.

Timing is flexible. Everyone likes them a bit different. If you want them a bit firmer, then how long to boil peppers for stuffed peppers should be about 10 minutes. Softer might take 12-15 minutes. I would lift one out and, with tongs, you should be able to feel the texture. All different colors will cook and soften at the same rate.

A stainless steel pot filled with boiling water on a stove holds green, yellow, and orange bell peppers. A metal utensil expertly demonstrates how to blanch bell peppers by submerging a red one into the water.

How to Blanch Bell Peppers

Wondering how to soften peppers for stuffed peppers or how blanching peppers works? I do have a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post, but here’s a quick rundown so you can see how it’s done. It’s not hard and definitely worth the extra few minutes. To prepare bell peppers, follow the steps mentioned below:

Time needed: 15 minutes

Blanch Bell Peppers

  1. Prepare

    Cut tops and remove the seeds and membrane inside of your bell peppers

  2. Boil

    Put enough water in a large pot to submerge your peppers. Boil your water until it is a rolling boil. Submerge peppers in your pot.

    Allow them to stay in the boiling water for approximately 10-15 minutes cooking time or until they reach the desired consistency.

  3. Create

    Eat or stuffing the pepper with white cooked rice and ground beef or taco meat with tomato sauce makes them really yummy. If stuffed set in a baking dish topped with cheese and bake 350 degrees until cheese melts.

Blanching the peppers softens them AND takes away the bitterness that some people don’t enjoy. You can cool them off quickly by submerging into an ice water bath after boiling. Store leftovers in freezer bags.

A stuffed red bell pepper, blanched to perfection, sits on a white plate filled with a savory mix of ground meat and rice, topped with melted cheese. Diced tomatoes and chopped herbs are artfully scattered around the pepper, while a fork rests beside it.

How do you blanch bell peppers?

We will share with you below! It is really quite easy and once you have it down you’ll remember for next time you want to make stuffed bell pepper casserole or another great one pot meal.

  • Large pot
  • Boiling water
  • Green peppers with top and seeds removed
  • Slotted spoon or tongs

That is all you will need to get the job done.

There are a few recipes like our Crockpot stuffed bell peppers where this step isn’t even necessary, which is nice. Give this a whirl too and see which you prefer, in the oven, slow cooker, pressure cooker, etc…

In case you have questions in mind still I have a few answers for y’all as well;

Which bell pepper is healthiest?

Red peppers are said to be the most nutritious because they’ve been on the vine the longest. Green peppers are picked earlier, then they will turn yellow, orange, and then red.

The longer they mature the more nutrients they have to them which makes sense really.

What is the difference between bell peppers?

Green bell peppers are the most bitter since they’ve been on the vine the shortest amount of time. Yellow peppers and orange are sweeter with red bell peppers being the sweetest of them all.
A glass bowl brimming with vibrant, sliced red, yellow, and orange bell peppers is artfully seasoned. If you're curious about prepping them further, learning how to blanch bell peppers can enhance their texture. A fork and spoon are nestled inside the bowl for easy serving.

Can you tell if a pepper is male or female?

Ok I didn’t learn this until I was in my 40’s but pretty interesting indeed. If there are 3 nubs on the bottom they’re male, females have 4 nubs or bumps on the bottom. Female are easier to sit flat really.

Which bell peppers are best for cooking?

Female bell peppers are sweeter and better for eating raw. Male bell peppers however are said to be better grilled or for cooking.

I disagree when it comes to Instant Pot stuffed bell peppers because you want 4 lobes to sit flat in the basket or a dish in the oven.

How do you make bell peppers taste better?

We love stuffing them with cooked ground spicy sausage and rice. Another way after you blanch bell peppers is to submerge in cold water and remove skins. Then blend into salsa or other sauces.

We like to add them into our Instant Pot stuffed pepper casserole too.

How to blanche peppers
4.78 from 9 votes

How to Blanch Bell Peppers

By The Typical Mom
How to blanch bell peppers with just boiling water. Easy technique to get rid of bitterness and soften the skins.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Servings: 8
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Ingredients 

  • 4-6 bell peppers
  • water

Instructions 

  • Cut end of pepper off and remove inside seeds.
  • Put a pot of water on to boil on your stovetop. Once it begins as a rolling boil submerge each one.
  • Boil 10-15 minutes or until they soften to your liking. Remove, drain water out of insides, cool until you can touch them and use as desired, stuff, etc….

Nutrition

Serving: 2oz, Calories: 18kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 2mg, Potassium: 126mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 1863IU, Vitamin C: 76mg, Calcium: 4mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Entree, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Tried this recipe?Mention @thetypical_mom or tag #thetypicalmom!

About The Typical Mom

Justine is the creative mind behind The Typical Mom and The Typical Family on YouTube. She began blogging about easy recipes, budget friendly activities for kids, and fun family travel destinations in September 2012.

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15 Comments

  1. I don’t blanch my peppers. I put them in my roasting pan on a rack, put water in the bottom of the pan, and put the lid on it. The water on the bottom basically steams them.
    They are done in about 45 minutes tender and taste amazing. Saves a lot of time and I don’t boil away nutrients.

  2. Blanching green peppers before proceeding with recipes calling for them is the secret sauce which your web-site makes available to home chefs. Their flavour is indee somewhat bitter otherwise.

  3. Very helpful, thanks for sharing your recipe. New to cooking these bell peppers my partner grew. Definitely proud to use what come from or garden

  4. I used them chopped as I had them already frozen and they worked great! Thanks for this wonderful tip, you made my husband very happy as he didn’t like the bitter in stuffed pepper casserole. Thanks for all your help and ideas in cooking!

  5. Green bell peppers are bitter because they are not ripe. Bell peppers are ripe when they are red. Red bell peppers are not bitter because they are ripe. And while red bell peppers are not very sweet, they are much sweeter than green bell peppers. Both are delicious when roasted until they blister especially when added to a tomato sauce and pasta dish, or a steak bomb sub sandwich.

  6. My husband asked me to make stuffed bell peppers using his first harvest from the garden. Super pressue since haven’t a clue what i was doing & it took the peppers weeks to grow😉thank you for your help😋