076 Grilling Bell Peppers | Grill Like A Mother Podcast

In episode 76 of the Grill Like A Mother podcast, host Taryn Solie shares her expertise to teach you how to grill bell peppers. Taryn guides you through the simple process with this versatile vegetable, emphasizing the minimal ingredients needed: bell peppers, salt, and oil. You’ll hear valuable prep tips and things to keep in mind when grilling. With step-by-step instructions and family-friendly serving suggestions, you’ll learn everything you need to grill super tasty grilled bell peppers for your next meal!

promo image for Grill Like A Mother podcast episode 76: Grilling Bell Peppers. A top down shot of different colors of grilled bell peppers is shown on a dark purple background with white text at the bottom showing the episode name and number.

Listen on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn, or your favorite podcast player. Or scroll down to read a full transcript.

RECIPES MENTIONED

These are some of the recipes mentioned in the episode, all of which are on Hot Pan Kitchen.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Some of the following are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

TRANSCRIPT

Taryn Solie: Hello grillers, and thank you for tuning in today! I am your host, Taryn Solie, and I am here to talk with you about all things grilling and outdoor cooking, including delicious recipes and handy tips and tricks, all to give you some grilling inspiration.

Today we’re continuing from the last episode, number 75, where we went over how to grill zucchini, and we’re going over another vegetable that’s great on the grill – bell peppers.

Similar to grilled zucchini, this is one of my go-to veggies to grill. It’s really easy, really straight-forward, and really quick. And again, similar to grilled zucchini, you only need 3 ingredients: the bell peppers themselves, some salt, and some oil. So let’s get to it!

For the recipe we’ll be going over today you need the following quantities:

4 bell peppers, any color;
1 tbsp of a mild oil, I like to use avocado oil; and
1 tsp of Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

A couple of notes about the ingredients:

First about the salt – this recipe specifically uses Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which is the type of salt I prefer to cook and grill with. It is less salty by volume than other kosher salts, leaving a little more room for error as you season your food. If you have a different type of salt, I’ll link to an article on the show notes page that will help you figure out how much salt to use.
Next, for the bell peppers – as I noted, any color works. Green bell peppers tend to have a bit of a peppery taste to them, whereas yellow, orange, and red bell peppers are sweeter. The only thing to really pay attention to is the size – you want the full size bell peppers, not the mini ones.

For this episode I’m going to keep the same format as the last episode, where I go over the full recipe then give some tips at the end. The grilling process itself is really very easy.

Start by washing and drying off the peppers with a kitchen towel, then remove the tops of the peppers using a sharp knife and cutting board. To do this, make a cut less than half an inch down from the top of the pepper – essentially where the curve is between the flat top portion and the side of the pepper – and carefully cut all the way around until the top of the pepper comes off – kind of like a hat.

The large inner portion of the bell pepper that’s connected to the top that has all the seeds on it – which I recently learned is called the placenta – should come off as well, and then that whole part can be thrown away.

Slice each bell pepper in half from top to bottom and remove any remaining seeds with your fingers and discard them. If there are white parts along the inner wall of the bell pepper you can either leave them there or cut them out – that part is the pith and while it doesn’t have much flavor it doesn’t harm anything.

Next, place the prepared bell pepper halves in a large bowl. Measure out the oil and kosher salt and pour both over the bell peppers. Rub the oil and salt over the peppers and make sure all of them are covered.

Preheat your grill to a medium high heat (roughly 400 degrees F) and place the peppers on the grill, skin side down, using a pair of tongs. Close the lid and cook the peppers for 4 minutes on the first side.

Then open the lid and check for charring, which are black marks from the heat of the grill. If there are no char marks they may need another minute or two to cook. If they’re starting to char, use the tongs to flip the peppers over on the other side and cook for an additional 2 to 4 minutes. You want the peppers to be cooked through but not flimsy from being overcooked – they should still have a bit of crispness to them.

After the peppers have cooked, take them off the grill and serve immediately!

Now a couple of tips about this recipe:

Bell peppers are easiest to grill when cut in half. If you cut them any smaller, they’re likely to fall through the grill grates. If you do happen to start slicing your peppers before you realize what you’re doing – and I have had that happen to me – then you can still grill them but you’ll need either a grill basket or a grill mat. If you don’t have either I’ll put links to both of those on the show notes page.

Next, don’t try and place the bell peppers on the grill with your hands! The grill will be hot and you are likely to burn yourself – I have learned this the hard way. Get a pair of tongs to do it, or use a fork. The same goes for flipping them over.

And lastly – and this really goes for all food you’re grilling – get to know the hot spots on your grill. Most grills have certain spots that are hotter than others, meaning some bell peppers may be done before others. Likely hot spots are directly over flames and likely cooler spots are at the front of the grill, closer to the opening of the lid.

And that’s it for this recipe! My family loves to make fajitas on the grill, where we grill some bell peppers, some onions, and then either some flank steak or some Mexican chicken thighs or breasts. But really you can eat them with a lot of different foods – burrito bowls, salads, whatever your family likes.

I’ll include a link to the full printable recipe for these grilled bell peppers, as well as the other recipes and resources I’ve mentioned, on the show notes page. To get to it you can either go to my main website at Hot Pan Kitchen dot com and click on podcast in the main menu, or you can click on the link provided in whatever podcast app you’re listening on.

If you enjoyed this recipe, consider subscribing to the show on your favorite podcast platform so you don’t miss out on future episodes! I’ve got so many more great grilling and smoking recipes you’re going to love.

That’s it for today, thank you so much for listening, and until next time, keep grilling like a mother.