Marinated red bell peppers are insanely delicious and easy to make. Leave them overnight and wake up to the most flavorful bell peppers out there!
Looking to use mini bell peppers instead? Check out this quick pickled pepper recipe!
How To Make Marinated Peppers
Marinating peppers and onions is as simple as it gets. With a few steps and a little bit of time, you’ll have a whopping 2.5 quarts of canned peppers!
- Chop the veggies: Chop up the bell peppers into long strips and the onions into half rings.
- Boil the veggies: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the veggies and boil for about 10 minutes, or until all of the peppers are soft.
- 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!)
- Prep the peppers carefully: For the best results, make sure to fully remove the stems and seeds from the bell peppers.
- Stir the pot: While the peppers are heating on the stove, keep stirring them in the pot. This prevents the bottom peppers from burning, while also allowing the peppers on the top to 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, use these smaller mason jars to can the peppers. It’s the perfect size to enjoy for a couple of meals without wasting any!
- Avoid skipping any ingredients: To achieve a successful marinade, there must be an acid (vinegar), an oil (vegetable oil), and spices (salt, garlic cloves, black pepper). Avoid skipping any of these ingredients or the marinade may not taste as good or preserve the peppers well.
- 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. For a sugar substitute, use honey instead.
Choosing the Right Bell Peppers
What’s the best type of bell pepper to use? Large red bell peppers are your best bet. Why? These are the sweetest of all bell peppers. Plus, their natural flavor also lends itself really well to the marinade. Feel free to use green and yellow peppers, but be mindful that the taste will be slightly different.
Serving Marinated Red Peppers
Believe it or not — but marinated peppers are one of the most versatile sides you can have. Serve them in a small bowl on their own or as part of a separate entrée altogether. We’ve got a few ideas to get you started, but the possibilities don’t end here.
- Charcuterie tray: Serve a small bowl of peppers on a charcuterie tray along with olives, cured meats, and cheese.
- Side dish: A bowl of marinated peppers is the perfect addition to uzbek plov, cream mushroom potatoes, or any pasta dish. Or, serve the peppers cold with a hot off-the-grill protein like beef shish kabob.
- Sandwich/wrap: Pop a handful of peppers on a steak sandwich or Philly cheesesteak wrap to get a refreshing pop of flavor in each bite.
- Salad: Add these peppers to your garden salad for more color and pizzaz.
Storing Marinated Peppers
Marinated peppers are a great side dish to have on hand in your fridge or pantry. To store for up to two months, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. Or, can them to last you for a whole year!
Hot tip: Avoid freezing these peppers, as the texture does change after freezing.
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!