40+ Recipes That'll Get You Cooking With Peppers

Chiles en nogada is a patriotic dish: It evokes the Mexican flag by drawing on green, white, and red elements. Traditional chiles en nogada use a pork filling, but hibiscus flowers—typically used in a tart drink—make a surprisingly hearty filling. You can find them at Mexican grocers and specialty stores like Trader Joe's. Mexican cooks often use fresh green walnuts, briefly available in autumn, which have a creamier texture and less bitterness; standard walnuts work well, too. We add touch of sugar to the sauce here to balance the slight bitterness of the nuts.

These Michoacan-style enchiladas are simply folded or rolled for tortillas napped in a chile sauce, not the baked casserole as in the U.S. 

Ridged shishito peppers are usually pleasantly bitter with mild to medium heat, but watch out: Every so often, you'll get one that packs a fiery punch.

Roasted poblano chiles are one of the most distinctive scents and tastes of the Mexican kitchen—irresistible when combined with cream or cheese. Look for chayote in Mexican markets, or substitute zucchini.

Poblano chiles become smoky and lose some of their intensity when broiled. Wrap the peppers in the same foil used to line the pan, and let stand so that the steam can loosen the skins before you peel them.

Serve with Avocado Salad with Honey-Lime Vinaigrette

This procedure gives you boldly flavored potatoes that are crunchy and creamy. Because home fries usually pair up with delicious but mild eggs, they need big flavor. These get a hit of sweet paprika, pungent garlic powder, and tangy, zesty Worcestershire sauce. If you like yours spicy, add 1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper to the spice blend, or just drizzle them with some hot sauce on your plate. A cast-iron pan works best here to put ample crust on the potatoes.

A great stir-fry uses only 2 or 3 vegetables in the base, insuring all elements shine through as well as leaving enough room in the pan for a good sear.

This verde version of a Mexican brunch classic is the perfect introduction to summer. Queso fresco has the texture of strained ricotta—it won’t quite melt under the broiler, but its mild flavor will be a welcome contrast to the heat in the tomatillo mixture. Add scrambled eggs to each serving for a little extra protein.

This soup just screams "summer" with its bright, refreshing flavor and cool temperature. You can make the soup a day ahead and keep it chilled; just give it a good whisk or another turn in the blender before serving. 

Fresh shrimp stars in this fast take on paella; you could also use chicken thighs. We swap expensive saffron for turmeric to achieve the yellow color.

This hearty soup gets its name from the pearl barley used in the soup as well as the barley used to produce the beer that's stirred in.

Frittatas lend themselves easily to vegetarian meals, allowing you to load in practically any veggies you like. Combining the eggs, cottage cheese, and roasted garlic in a food processor helps distribute the roasted garlic throughout the mixture for maximum favor. You can substitute broccoli rabe (for a pleasantly bitter bite) or broccoli florets (for a family-friendly take) in place of the broccolini, if you like. 

Skip red enchilada sauce in favor of home-made chili verde in this Mexican classic. The heat level of poblanos can range from mild to spicy. Removing the sees lessens the kick.

To Freeze: Cover dish with heavy-duty aluminum foil or an airtight lid. Freeze up to 2 months.

To Thaw: Remove foil; reserve. Place dish in microwave. Microwave on MEDIUM for 20 minutes, until thawed.

To Reheat: Cover dish with reserved foil. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and a thermometer inserted in center registers 160°F. Remove foil during last 5 minutes.

For convenience, you can make the tomato vinaigrette a day ahead. If your fishmonger doesn’t have small butterflied trout, you can use larger single trout fillets and simply top them with the chard mixture to bake. The vinaigrette lends bracing tang to the dish, balanced by the peppery, verdant chard and sweet bell pepper. The chard stuffing helps keep the delicate trout moist as it roasts.

We use a combination of peppers for different flavor notes—mini bell peppers for sweetness and Fresnos for moderate spice. Fresnos look like red jalapeños but are less spicy; use the latter if you want more heat.

Curry paste is a flavor powerhouse, full of roasted aromatics, earthy spices, fiery chiies, and more. Yellow curry powder is commonly used in green curry paste recipes, serving as the flavor backbone; it's convenient, too, providing lots of spices in a single handy ingredient. You can substitute 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste (found near fresh herbs) for the fresh stalks; simply add right to the food processor instead of roasting. 

Get the most out of your grill space by adding a little char to every element of this quick, fresh corn salad. Add all the vegetables at once; remove each as it finishes cooking.

A sautéed mix of peppers spiked with vinegar adds instant interest to the pork. Skip the poblano and use just the bell peppers if you like. 

Swap the rotisserie chicken for leftover turkey in this healthy taco recipe. A probiotic-rich stand-in for sour cream, yogurt offers creaminess and helps bind the toppings. Look for BBQ sauce varieties with less than 250mg sodium and 5g sugar. We like Annie's Original BBQ Sauce.

You'll be delighted by the incredible results from this one-pot wonder: tender, fluffy bulgur; creamy feta; and moist chicken. You don't even need a sauce since there's so much flavor in the pan. It's a complete meal, though you could serve with a side salad if you'd like.

Add fresh curry paste to canned coconut milk and nut butter, and you have an instant, wonderfully complex satay sauce. Use as a dip, in stir-fries, or drizzled on this gluten-free veggie bowl. If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can use a julienne peeler or the shredding blade of your food processor. The sweet potato noodles will look like too much for the skillet but will shrink considerably as they cook. If using store-bought curry paste, start with 2 teaspoons, as it is much higher in sodium than fresh.

Charring refers to singeing and blistering the outermost layer of a food over extremely hot heat. This makes for a bolder flavor and adds a smoky nuance. Be aware: This type of high-heat cooking creates a lot of smoke, so be sure to ventilate the kitchen, or cook (in the pan) over an outdoor grill. Shishito peppers are tender, usually mild, and enjoyed whole. Serve with our spicy sauce or squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Time: 40 minutes

Cooking Tip: A jolt of ground red pepper spice things up nicely, while creamy half-and-half smooths out the edges.

Serve with Lemony Broccoli Spears

The rich and creamy combination of bacon, cream cheese, and cheddar nicely contrasts the muted spice of grilled jalapeño peppers. This appetizer recipe is a healthy, fresh alternative to the popular breaded and fried version.

For a great tasting weeknight dinner with lots of bold flavor, try this jerk chicken and stuffed peppers recipe. The mini bell peppers will be a big hit, and the creamy filling will help tame the heat of the jerk chicken.

This grilled veggie pizza is a gorgeous medley of red pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, red onion, and sweet basil. Also consider orange, yellow, or purple sweet peppers such as Merlot, Golden Treasures, or Canary Bell. With refrigerated fresh pizza dough and a few minutes on the grill, dinner is on the table in minutes.

This fast appetizer combines stuffed mini bell peppers and creamy crab dip into one pretty, portable bite. Use multicolored peppers for extra pop.

Serve this stunning dish solo as a predinner nosh, or spoon over mixed lettuces for a fresh spin on salad. Reserve excess oil, and toss it with steamed brown rice or noodles.

A sprinkle of this salt right before serving adds a spicy kick and pleasant crunch. Baking draws all the moisture out of the pepper, preserving it. Try the salt on radishes, scrambled eggs, or sliced melon—a little salt intensifies the sweetness of the fruit.

To keep the corn from drying out on the grill, soak the ears in water first. You can grill the corn and bell peppers at the same time, but check the peppers earlier, since they cook faster. The salsa is great as an appetizer or as a topping for grilled meats, fish, or poultry.

We consider this to be pretty hot, a go-to condiment for fire breathers. For a milder version, remove the seeds from one or both serranos.

For the prettiest appearance, use red, yellow, and orange bell peppers. If you can't find baby bell peppers, use julienne strips of regular bell pepper.

Tender, savory lentils paired with cooked peppers and cilantro converts this dish from a bland bean salad to a delectable and healthy meal. Use any combination of sweet bell peppers you like: green, red, yellow, and purple.

This outstanding soup can be topped with a variety of things: we love Parmigiano-Reggiano and rosemary, but savory sprinkles like chopped smoked almonds or toasted pecans would be lovely. This tastes even better the next day...or the day after.

Follow something spicy with something fruity. Sweet and savory make a good flavor combination for breakfast in general, so serve this with a fruit garnish like grapes or melon.

These guiltless chips are full of flavor and oh-so-easy to make. We bake our pita wedges until they're crisp, and then blend together roasted red bell peppers with almonds and other high-flavor ingredients. The results are a healthy, full-flavored snack.

Chop and sprinkle these pickled peppers over salads or on sandwiches. Use the vinegar mixture to kick up salad dressing.

Use a variety of hot and sweet peppers in red, orange, and yellow for superior flavor and color in this dish. Serve as a side with grilled meat or fish, or as an appetizer spooned over grilled bread.

Grill flames give hot peppers delectable smokiness. Find queso fresco at Mexican markets or in the Latin cheese section of large supermarkets.

In this garden-inspired recipe, charred poblano chiles are stuffed with a delicious grilled corn and rice mixture. Before placing them in the oven, sprinkle with queso fresco and broil until golden. Serve with hot sauce, if desired.

Serve this vegetarian egg dish for summer brunch with friends.