Learn how to cut a bell pepper 4 different ways. Feel confident in the kitchen with any recipe that calls for peppers and follow my tips for easy clean up!
After you cut bell peppers, try them in sheet pan sausage and peppers or air fryer stuffed peppers.
Jump to:
- How To Select Bell Peppers at the Store
- Best Knife & Cutting Boards
- How to Cut a Bell Pepper (Step-by-Step Guide)
- Slice Peppers (Julienne)
- Dice Bell Peppers
- Pepper Rings
- Stuff Peppers
- Video: Watch How to Cut Bell Peppers
- FAQs
- Favorite Recipes with Bell Peppers
- Storage Instructions
- How to Cut a Bell Pepper
- Comments
Bell peppers are used in so many recipes, especially recipes on our website, like crockpot pepper steak and Hawaiian chicken kabobs. It's important to know how to cut bell peppers to confidently make dinners at home.
Tackling the knife skills and simple techniques to make cutting these sweet peppers fast and efficient for whatever recipe's on the menu. Check out the images and video below for the easiest way to slice peppers. You'll feel like a professional chef in the kitchen!
Want to Sharpen Your Knife Skills? Learn how to cut green onions, how to cut shallots, or learn how to cut flank steak for a tender cut of beef.
How To Select Bell Peppers at the Store
- Purchase brightly colored peppers with firm and shiny skin. The most popular are red peppers, yellow peppers, green peppers, and orange peppers. Green bell pepper is usually the most affordable.
- The stems should be green in color.
- Avoid peppers with discoloration, blemishes, soft spots or shriveled skin.
Best Knife & Cutting Boards
Here are our recommended tools for cutting and slicing peppers. This section may contain affiliate links.
- Use a larger cutting board made of wood, like a bamboo cutting board. It's best to avoid cutting on ceramic and metal surfaces because they can dull your knife.
- A standard large chef's knife is one of the most versatile kitchen tools. I really love this 8-inch Zwilling Pro chef knife. If you have a small paring knife that will work too. It's typically used for cutting small vegetables.
How to Cut a Bell Pepper (Step-by-Step Guide)
Here is a step-by-step tutorial to cut bell peppers in different shapes including julienne, diced, rings, and stuffed.
Slice Peppers (Julienne)
- Use a sharp knife to cut off the top of the pepper. Flip the pepper upside down so the stem end is down on the cutting board. Slice down around the 4 sides of the pepper so you end up with four pieces. You're essentially cutting around the inside of the pepper. Use your knife to slice off any white flesh (white pith) or extra seeds.
- Finally, lay each piece of peppers skin side down then slice the pepper into thin strips. The width of the strips may vary based on the recipe you’re making. Turn the strips sideways and chop them again to create diced peppers.
Dice Bell Peppers
- Follow the same directions to remove the stem and seeds.
- Lay each piece skin-side down onto the cutting board and use the knife to cut it into thin slices.Turn the strips sideways and chop them again to create small dices.
Pepper Rings
- Carefully cut a circle around the stem of the pepper. Next, use the stem to pull the center out, then reach inside the pepper to remove any excess seeds or white flesh. Lay the pepper on its side on the cutting board and slice the pepper into rings of your desired width.
Stuff Peppers
- To prep the peppers to be stuffed, all you have to do is follow the directions to remove the stem, seeds and any excess white flesh from the inside. You may want to slightly cut some of the bottom of the pepper off, without making a hole in the bottom, so the pepper stands up straight.
Video: Watch How to Cut Bell Peppers
Pro tip: place the pepper skin side down for smooth and easy slices.
FAQs
The most common way to cut peppers and onions for fajitas is to slice them into ½ inch pieces. Follow the directions above!
Wash the peppers well then slice them into strips to dip into dressing and sauces. You can also put them on top of fresh salads.
Peppers in general, cooked or raw, are a great source of vitamin C, vitamin A and potassium.
The entire bell pepper, including the membrane, seeds and flesh of the pepper are edible. However, most people discard the white membrane and the seeds as they're slightly bitter.
Favorite Recipes with Bell Peppers
- Soups and stews: beanless chili, crockpot pepper steak, Instant Pot taco soup,
- Dinners and sheet pan meals: sheet pan chicken fajitas, sheet pan steak fajitas, Hawaiian chicken kabobs, Philly cheesesteak foil packs, one pan greek chicken, and healthy sloppy joes.
- Breakfast dishes: sweet potato hash, sheet pan sausage and eggs, healthy breakfast casserole
- Stuffed peppers: turkey taco stuffed peppers, air fryer stuffed peppers
- Salads: antipasto salad and Italian pasta salad
- Sauces and condiments for dipping: whole30 ranch, sweet potato hummus and Kansas caviar
Storage Instructions
One of the easiest ways to meal prep is to slice and dice ingredients in advance to save time when cooking. Use these storage tips to keep them in the fridge until you're ready to cook.
- Fridge: place the bell peppers in a plastic bag or airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days, but up to 5 days is okay.
- Freezer: store in a zip-top bag or airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. This is a great way to not waste bell peppers you aren't planning to use right away.
More Cooking How-Tos
- How to make coconut whipped cream
- How to make vegan cheesecake
- Why Is my chicken rubbery?
- How to freeze kale
- How to make oat flour
How to Cut a Bell Pepper
Ingredients
- 1 bell pepper (any color)
Recommended Equipment
- Wood cutting board
- Sharp chef's knife (6-8 inches)
Instructions
Slices
- Use a sharp knife to cut the stem off of the pepper. Flip the pepper over so the stem end is down on the cutting board. Slice down around the 4 sides of the pepper so you end up with four pieces. You're essentially cutting around the seeds. Use your knife to slice off any white flesh (white pith) or extra seeds.
- Lay each piece of peppers skin-side down then slice the pepper into strips. The width of the strips may vary based on the recipe you’re making. Turn the strips sideways and chop them again to create diced peppers.
Diced
- Follow the same directions to remove the stem and seeds. Lay each piece skin-side down onto the cutting board and use the knife to cut it into thin slices.Turn the strips sideways and chop them again to create diced peppers.
Rings
- Carefully cut a circle around the stem of the pepper. Use the stem to pull the center out, then reach inside the pepper to remove any excess seeds or white flesh.
- Lay the pepper on its side on the cutting board and slice the pepper into rings of your desired width.
Stuffed
- Carefully cut a circle around the stem of the pepper. Use the stem to pull the center out, then reach inside the pepper to remove any excess seeds or white flesh.
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