25 Bell Pepper Recipes That Prove They Aren't Just For Stuffed Peppers

Here at Delish, we are hell-bent on convincing people that bell peppers are not only just great for stuffed peppers (although we really, really, really love stuffed peppers.) More than a vehicle for all kinds of cheesy fillings, bell peppers add tons of fresh flavor to some of our favorite recipes, like caponata, classic ratatouille, and our extra-garlicky romesco sauce. After trying these easy, amazing bell pepper recipes, you might even be convinced they can be the star of your next dinner.

We all know and love jarred roasted red peppers, but there's nothing quite like grilling them yourself. Sweet and a little smoky, our grilled peppers recipe takes humble bell peppers and makes them intensely flavorful and way better than anything you can get in a jar. Better yet, there are dozens of uses for grilled peppers. Add sliced peppers to your pasta salad, antipasto spread, or this sheet pan Italian sandwich. We also love to chop them up and pile them onto crusty bread smeared with goat cheese for an easy, tasty snack or last minute appetizer.

You may be used to red peppers being a side-kick to your favorite dishes, but we love how easy it is to make them the highlight. Consider whipping up our muhammara dip, a classic Middle Eastern dip made of roasted red peppers, walnuts, and pomegranate molasses, which adds a delectable sweet and tangy flavor that makes it insanely good with pretty much anything; Serve it with fresh veggies like carrots, celery, or with your favorite pita bread or chips!

Grilling bell peppers is a quick and easy way to pack in a ton of flavor. It’ll 100% make you think twice before buying your next jar of roasted peppers. After a quick marinade, the hot grill will char the skin of the peppers and the covered lid will allow the peppers to steam and take on a bit of smokiness.

Get the How to Grill Peppers recipe.

Five cups of this classic Sicilian dish may seem like a lot, but when you realize it is the perfect condiment, toast-topper, pasta mix-in, and chicken and seafood accompaniment (among many other things), you'll be wishing you made double of this irresistible antipasti.

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Pop these sausage and peppers on the grill for a quick meal with easy clean-up. These are great on their own, but even better in a bun or alongside pasta.

Get the Sausage and Peppers Foil Pack recipe.

Muhammara is a Middle eastern dip made of roasted red peppers, walnuts, and usually some fresh bread crumbs, which provide a pleasant texture. Pomegranate molasses adds sweetness and a little tang, giving the Muhammara its trademark flavor. This vegan dip is great with pretty much anything; serve it with fresh veggies like carrots, celery, or peppers, or with your favorite pita bread or chips!

Get the Classic Muhammara recipe.

Skip bringing the traditional pasta salad to the summer potluck. This pasta salad has a creamy peanut dressing and is full of fresh, crunchy veggies with no mayonnaise in sight. It’s just as simple to make and is as delicious hot as it is cold, which means you can easily make it ahead of time.

Get the Thai Peanut Chicken Pasta Salad recipe.

There's very little prep for this easy weeknight dinner—it's just a matter of halving bell peppers and cutting onions into wedges, and then the oven does the rest of the work, transforming the boneless pork shoulder into meltingly tender meat. If you are thinking of serving this for company, pair this with dishes like creamy parmesan polenta, a roasted beet goat cheese salad, and citrus olive oil cake.

Get the Slow-Roasted Pork And Peppers recipe.

This classic French countryside dish is chock full of vegetables. It's one of our favorite ways to use up summer produce, especially served with plenty of toasty French bread.

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Similar to shrimp étouffée, this saucy shrimp creole will transport you to the balcony-lined streets of New Orleans. Aromatic onion, green bell pepper, and celery form the holy trinity of ingredients that helps you build flavor for this and other creole dishes. If you love these flavors, make yourself a batch of creole seasoning so you can sprinkle a little on top of everything you make!

Get the Classic Shrimp Creole recipe.

In the kitchen, pumpkin is usually only used in pumpkin pies or in pumpkin soups. However this curry recipe is here to change your mind about the iconic orange gourd. The earthy, sweet vegetable is the perfect base for a spicy, Thai-inspired coconut curry.

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It takes almost zero cooking skills to get perfectly charred brats topped with flavor-packed caramelized onions and peppers. First, the brats get burnish on the grill. Then they finish off in a simmering beer bath alongside the veg. Use whatever beer you like to drink, but not IPAs (India Pale Ales), which are brewed to be hoppy (i.e. bitter).

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Szechuan cuisine is known for using strong flavors and especially Szechuan peppercorns, which have a very distinct and have a numbing effect. We recommend using them in this dish, but if you can't find them black peppercorns can be used, but of course won't have quite the same flavor. Most of the spicy heat comes from the chiles so if you're sensitive to heat, feel free to cut back on some of them.

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When we're not busy scarfing down summer tomatoes in caprese salad form, we love them in this classic summer soup. Our version not only has tomato, it also uses red bell pepper and cucumbers to really up that summer cornucopia flavor. Whatever you do, don't skip out on the homemade croutons!

Get the Best-Ever Gazpacho recipe.

Traditional shakshuka has runny eggs that have simmered in the warmly spiced tomato-pepper sauce, but in this version we traded out the eggs for ravioli and it's every bit as satisfying. Serve it with some crusty bread for swiping in the sauce and you have the coziest weeknight dinner in about 30 minutes.

Get the One-Pan Ravioli Shakshuka recipe.

Nutty, sweet, and vaguely smoky, romesco is a textured sauce that can be spread on toast, folded into pasta, or mixed into roasted veggies. Don’t skimp on the garlic—that’s flavor, baby! To kick it into high flavor gears, use a head of roasted garlic and fire-roast your own red bell pepper for a sweeter, richer condiment.

Get the Extra-Garlicky Romesco recipe.

We love how slow cookers do all the work for us with this hearty, vegetable-packed Italian hunter's stew. Need dinner faster? Make our classic chicken cacciatore instead!

Get the Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore recipe.

Grown throughout Southeast Asia, Thai basil is - no surprise here - used quite predominantly in Thailand. It's a bit sweeter than traditional basil, with a more pronounced floral note, and a slight licorice-y bite. Here, we combine it with a slew of aromatics and veggies (red pepper, shallots, garlic, chilies), and then infuse the chicken with all of this deliciousness.

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If summer had a flavor, it might taste a lot like this soup. Though we'll always love a classic, tomato-based gazpacho, the addition of watermelon gives the soup a delicious subtle sweetness we can't get enough of. Full of juicy, bright fruits and veggies, this no-cook soup is equal parts satisfying and refreshing.

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These buffalo cauliflower kebabs bring all your favorites from a buffalo chicken wing platter onto skewers–and they're vegetarian to boot! Glaze the skewers with more buffalo sauce, grill until the cauliflower is tender, then drizzle with blue cheese.

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This sheet pan dinner is perfect for meal prepping. For these chicken fajitas you simply toss all of the ingredients—chicken and vegetables—in an easy marinade of avocado oil and taco seasonings like cumin and chili powder and then bake it all together on a sheet pan.

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The true spirit of Cajun gumbo is using what you have on hand. If you can’t find andouille, grab some kielbasa. Prefer drumsticks or chicken breast? Go for it. Like with any stew, gumbo only gets better as it sits, so be shy on that second bowl (if you can help yourself) and save some for leftovers.

Get the Chicken and Sausage Gumbo recipe.

This amazing dinner hack brings us back to college. Have fun customizing the noodles with your favorite veggies and toppings. Skip the egg and top with seared chicken or tofu and try the whole thing topped with a smattering of Togarashi or a drizzle of chili crisp. And don't doubt the everything bagel seasoning (either from a shaker or homemade)—just do it.

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Stay on island time by serving this genius grilled chicken dinner over a bed of coconut rice. You could even make it a completely Hawaiian-themed dinner party with Blue Hawaiian coolers and one of our many pineapple desserts.

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This popular dish, with Cajun and Creole roots, is similar to gumbo — and every bit as delicious. It's flavorful sauce starts with a blonde roux, then gets a boost of flavor from the Cajun holy trinity (that's celery, onion, and bell pepper).

Get the Best-Ever Shrimp Étouffée recipe.

Originally a Mexican street food, enchiladas began simply as rolled tortillas dipped in chili sauce. These enchiladas fall somewhere in between the classic Mexican street food and the Tex-Mex standby you might be familiar with; they're definitely Tex-Mex at their core, but we went with corn tortillas in place of traditional flour (you do you, though!) They may not be authentic by, well, anyone's standards, but they are quick, easy, filling, and delicious.

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This vegetarian chili is till every bit as warm, comforting, and filling as a classic beef chili. Three types of beans do the heavy lifting in the chili and "beef" it up. It's filled with warm spices, and a jalapeño adds a little extra heat. Add a second or keep the seeds in for even more spice! Serve it on a cold night with a slice of homemade cornbread.

Get the Vegetarian Chili recipe.