Despite dutifully making out a list every week, I'm the type of grocery shopper who can easily get distracted by sales—particularly specials in the produce aisle. Invariably, I'll find myself with a ginormous head of Napa cabbage or eight bell peppers and wonder what the heck to do with them. Okay, half the cabbage usually turns into white kimchi. But the bell peppers? Well, that's where these 10 bell pepper recipes come in.
Bell peppers can easily be roasted and charred into a thick, luscious dip, stewed with tomatoes for a delicious all-purpose sauce, diced for a colorful stir fry, stuffed with rice and ground meat before braising, or simply used as a flavor base for a classic dish like Creole jambalaya. Trust me, you won't have trouble finding tasty ways to cook bell peppers. Who knows, you might even start buying more on the regular!
Dolma (Rice-and-Meat Stuffed Vegetables)
Bell peppers are the ideal gateway vegetable for dolma—easy to stuff and the perfect introduction to this deliciously satisfying dish. In our version, we par-cook the rice, which helps keep the meat juicy and tender and speeds up the cooking of the filling, preventing the bell peppers from becoming overly soft.
Chicken Cacciatore With Red Peppers, Tomato, and Onion
What we love about this version of chicken cacciatore—and goodness knows there's a plethora of recipes for chicken cooked "hunter-style" out there—is that it has all the flavor and depth of a comforting slow-cooked stew, but can be ready in a little over an hour. We forego dredging the chicken with flour so that the bright, fruitiness of the peppers and tomato shines through.
Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas
The broiler is the fastest way to maximum flavor when making sheet pan fajitas for a crowd. We start by broiling tender chicken thighs marinated in soy sauce, lime juice, and plenty of spices. Once the chicken is nicely charred, we transfer it onto a platter, then give tri-color bell pepper strips and sliced onion the same treatment. Serve the fajitas with hot tortillas and your favorite condiments. Easy peasy.
Creole-Style Red Jambalaya With Chicken, Sausage, and Shrimp
Bell peppers are an essential component of the Creole flavor base, known as the trinity (along with onion and celery). Though some chefs may swap out the traditional green for the sweeter red variety, one thing is always true—you can't make a proper jambalaya without bell peppers. For our rendition of this classic, we brown the meat and the vegetables in batches, careful not to waste a single bit of that flavorful dark brown fond.
Salpicón (Nicaraguan Minced Meat)
All three variations of this Nicaraguan favorite start by simmering cubed lean beef in water with onion, bell pepper, and seasonings. The cooked beef is then finely chopped with fresh onion and bell pepper. From there, it's just a matter of deciding whether to serve the salpicón in its moist, freshly cooked state, sautéed in butter, or sautéed, re-processed in the food processor, and fried to a dark golden brown. Whichever you choose, finish it with a squeeze of fresh lime.
Takeout-Style Kung Pao Chicken (Diced Chicken With Peppers and Peanuts)
Besides beef with broccoli, kung pao chicken is perhaps at the top of the list of most-ordered Chinese takeout dishes. Tender morsels of stir-fried marinated chicken thigh, bell pepper, celery, and peanuts infused with a bit of smoky wok hei, coated in a glossy sweet sour savory sauce—what's not to love? Don't worry, the dried chiles are only there for the aroma in our home version, but if you like it spicy, you can always split them open.
Moroccan Kefta and Bell Pepper Briouats (Ground Meat and Bell Pepper Pastries)
Caramelized onion and red bell peppers lend sweetness to these ground meat pastries spiced with paprika, cumin, and coriander. Instead of the traditional Moroccan warqua pastry sheets, we wrap the aromatic filling in the more readily available phyllo.
Obe Ata (Nigerian Red Pepper Sauce)
Oba ata, or "pepper stew," is a staple of Nigerian cuisine thats eaten morning, noon, and night. Once made, the tomato and red bell pepper base can be used in endless ways—as a simmering sauce for meats and vegetables, a base for egg dishes like shakshuka, or a dip for plantain chips and fufu.
Burnt Eggplant and Bell Pepper Dip
Roasting eggplant and red bell pepper on high heat imparts a wonderfully smoky flavor, and adding the cumin and coriander seeds with the vegetables eliminates the need to toast them separately. Cooked lentils and hydrated toasted salted cashews lend the dip substance and a richer texture.
Italian Salsa Rossa (Tomato and Bell Pepper Sauce for Boiled Meats)
This bright orange sauce gets its fruity kick from roasted red bell pepper and tomato and its body from a panade made from bread and vinegar. Enriched with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, it's a classic sauce to serve with Bolito Misto, the ultimate Italian meat-lover's feast.
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