Here’s how to chop a bell pepper into strips, dice, rings, or hollow it out for stuffing, and do it without seeds scattering everywhere. This step-by-step guide shows you four methods and the one technique that makes all of them cleaner and faster.
After you cut bell peppers, try them in sheet pan sausage and peppers, air fryer stuffed peppers, or turkey taco stuffed peppers.
Table of Contents
Bell peppers are one of my favorite things to have prepped and ready in the fridge. Fresh, slightly sweet, and they go into everything. I add them to my kid’s lunches and keep them ready for dinners. They’re also loaded with vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, and potassium.
Want to learn more? 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 Chop a Bell Pepper
Here is a step-by-step tutorial to chop bell peppers into different shapes including strips, dice, rings, and prepped whole for stuffing.
Chopping Bell Peppers into Strips
- 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.
Success tip: place the pepper skin side down. The flat surface gives you cleaner, more controlled cuts.
Dicing 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.
Chopping Peppers into 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.
Tip! You can finely chop the extra pepper around the stem and add it to your stuffed pepper mixture to reduce waste.
Cutting the Core Out of a Bell Pepper
- Cut a whole around the stem and pull it out with as many seeds as you can. Use a pairing knife to remove excess white membranes form the insides. Turn the pepper over and hit the bottom with a wooden spatula over the sink to remove any extra seeds.
Tip! You can finely dice the extra pepper around the stem and add it to your stuffed pepper mixture to reduce waste.
Tools You Need
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.
Quick Tips and FAQs
All peppers come from the same bell pepper plant. Green bell peppers are picked first, while the yellow and red peppers ripen further. The extra ripening makes them sweeter and more nutritious.
Yes you can! Freeze chopped peppers on a sheet pan until solid then transfer them to a plastic bag or airtight container for up to 6 months. Cook them straight from frozen in soups, stews, or casseroles.
Cut the top off the pepper and lay it flat. Make a single slice from the top of the pepper down to the bottom and open so it lays flat. Slide the knife around the interior of the pepper around the core, removing the white pith as you go.
Yes. Give them a quick rinse under cold water and dry them before chopping. The skin can carry residue from handling and transport, and since you’re running a knife right through it, you want it clean.
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
Storing Peppers
One of the easiest ways to meal prep is to slice and dice ingredients in advance (mise en place). Use these tips for storing and freezing peppers:
- 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 won’t use right away.
How to Cut a Bell Pepper
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Ingredients
- 1 bell pepper (any color)
Instructions
Pepper 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 Pepper
- 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.
Pepper 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 Peppers
- 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.
Notes
Video
Equipment
- Wood cutting board
- Sharp chef's knife (6-8 inches)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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