These marinated red bell peppers are full of flavor and come together with the easiest marinade. Just a few simple ingredients you likely have on hand, and they’re ready to enjoy.
This marinated red bell pepper recipe comes from my sister, and I’ve been making it for years. It’s one of those simple dishes that’s deeply rooted in our Ukrainian heritage. Back when we lived on a farm in Ukraine, preserving food was a big part of our lifestyle—especially as a way to enjoy summer produce throughout the colder months. My family marinated everything from vegetables to fruits, and this pepper recipe is a delicious nod to that tradition.
Marinated red bell peppers are incredibly versatile. Serve a small bowl on a charcuterie tray alongside olives, cured meats, and cheese. They make a great side dish for Uzbek plov, creamy mushroom potatoes, or any pasta dish—and they pair perfectly cold with hot-off-the-grill proteins like beef shish kabobs. Add them to a steak sandwich or Philly cheesesteak wrap for a pop of flavor, or toss them into a garden salad for extra color and pizzazz.
Marinated Peppers Video
How To Make Marinated Peppers
Marinating peppers and onions is super simple—just a few steps and you’ll have whopping 2.5 quarts of marinaded peppers!
- Chop the veggies: Chop up the bell peppers into long 2 inch pieces and the onions into half or quarter rings.
- Simmer the veggies: Combine everything in a large pot with the remaining ingredients. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the veggies soften.
- Cool and enjoy: Allow the peppers to cool and enjoy!
Hot tip: The best time to can bell peppers is when they are in season (July-September). They have the most flavor and are much cheaper during this time.
5 Tips For Your Marinated Peppers
Do you want in on a few secrets? We’ve picked a peck of pepper tips and tricks here for you. (Phew — that’s a tongue twister!)
- Stir the pot: While the peppers are heating on the stove, keep stirring to ensure even cooking. This helps the top peppers mix in and cook at the same rate as the ones underneath.
- Opt to can in small jars: Unless you have a large family or a desire to consume large amounts of marinated peppers quickly, I prefer to use these smaller mason jars to can the peppers. It’s the perfect size to enjoy for a couple of meals without wasting any!
- Don’t skip any ingredients: A good marinade needs acid (vinegar), oil (vegetable oil), and spices (salt, garlic, black pepper). Leaving any of them out can affect the flavor and how well the peppers keep.
- Change up the flavor: If you’re a fan of a bit of heat, toss in a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes. If you need to use a different oil, opt for a mild tasting olive oil instead of vegetable oil.
Choosing the Right Bell Peppers
What’s the best type of bell pepper to use? Large red bell peppers are ideal—they’re the sweetest variety and their flavor pairs perfectly with the marinade. You can also use green or yellow peppers, but keep in mind they’ll bring a slightly different taste.
Storing Marinated Peppers
I love having marinated peppers on hand—they stay fresh for a few months in the fridge when stored in an airtight container. If you want to preserve them even longer, I recommend canning them to enjoy year-round.
How To Can Marinated Peppers
If you decide to store all or a portion of your marinated peppers for a long time, follow these instructions on how to effectively and easily preserve them by canning.
- Wash the jars: Preheat the oven to 215°F. Wash the jars and lids in hot, soapy water.
- Sterilize the jars: Place the jars onto a roasting tray in the oven for 15 minutes until they are fully dry.
- Add the peppers: Use a canning funnel and tongs to gently add the hot peppers directly into the hot jars.
- Seal the jars: Close the lids on the jars tightly. Flip the jar upside down and allow them to sit for several hours. Then, store in a cool place for up to a year.
More Bell Pepper Recipes
- Stuffed Pepper Soup — Your favorite stuffed peppers in soup form
- Mexican Stuffed Peppers — A fiesta of vibrant colors and flavors
- Mushroom Bell Pepper Canapés — Perfect to include on your next antipasto platter
- Russian Stuffed Bell Peppers — Stuffed with ground chicken, rice, and veggies
Recipe
Ingredients
- 15 medium red bell peppers
- 2 large onions
- 15 oz tomato puree (or tomato sauce)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 2 tbsp salt
- 2 cups vegetable oil
- 20 whole black peppercorns
- 10 bay leaves
- 6 garlic cloves thinly sliced
Instructions
Marinating
- Slice the bell peppers into long strips and cut onions into half rings.
- Combine all the ingredients together in a large pot. The peppers will not be covered by liquid at first, but they will eventually shrink and result in the perfect amount of marinade.
- Bring it to boil and cook for about 10 minutes, until the peppers turn soft. Store in the refrigerator or can the peppers (instructions below).
Canning
- Sterilize the jars and preheat the oven to 215° F. Wash the jars and lids and place them in the oven for about 15 minutes or until they are completely dry. With the help of a canning funnel, place peppers into jars, while they are still hot.
- Close the lids very tightly. Flip the jars upside down and keep them standing upside down for several hours to seal the lid. Store in a cool place for up to a year.
Can you eliminate or replace the sugar? We are doing the Daniel fast and not using sugar. this looks like a fantastic recipe!
Hey Irina, The sugar helps balance the vinegar and acidity. Eliminating the sugar would affect the flavors, so I wouldn't eliminate it completely. A reader commented they used 1/2 cup of sugar and had good results. I personally haven't tried any sugar substitutes, but if you experiment, let us know how it works out! 🙂 Happy Daniel fasting!
Hi can I substitute tomato with the same amount of water.
Hey Lina, the flavor would be missing in the marinate. I wouldn't skip out on tomato sauce. Hope this helps! 🙂
Can I substitute honey for sugar?
Hey Olga, yes, you can.
Is it tomato purée or sauce? The recipe says puree but picture has can of sauce on it? Just wonderign
Hey Lana, either one would work. I used both and the outcome is great each time.
I have some yellow peppers as well. Can I use them or it'll be not the Same?
I think they have a different flavor but might as well add them in.
Tomato purée canned or fresh?
Canned tomato purée works the best.
Canned these Marinaded Peppers. I added only 1/2 cup of sugar and also for a little spice I added crushed red pepper flakes. I loved it! Yummy!!! My next batch I will double. Thank you for an Awsome recipe.
I love the idea of crushed pepper flakes. I will definitely try it. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your tip.
Can you use olive oil instead of vegetable oil?
I used 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 sunflower oil. Turned out really good.
I haven't tried using olive oil. I think it would work, as long as the olive oil doesn't have strong flavor to it self.
OMG . Thank you so much for this recipe. Ive been looking for something like this for a long time! Time to get canning for me!
No problem 😉 Have fun canning!