How to Cut a Bell Pepper

How you cut a bell pepper comes down to how you plan to cook it and how much time you have on your hands for preparation. Making stuffed peppers? You’ll just need to hollow out the center. Craving restaurant-style fajitas? Strips are the way to go.

No matter what recipe you’re cooking, the goal is all the same: to get rid of a the stem, seeds, and bitter white bits inside. Below are four simple and effective ways to cut a bell pepper.

If you’re a fan of stuffed peppers, this is a good technique to learn. To cut bell peppers for stuffing, follow these steps:

• Lay the bell pepper on its side on a cutting board.
• Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut out a circle around the top of the bell pepper. Pull off the stem and remove the stem, seeds, and center of the bell pepper.
• Carefully run the knife around the inside of the pepper to remove the white parts. Rinse the inside of the stems to remove any extra seeds. Pat dry.

Bell peppers cut into strips are perfect for dishes like shrimp fajitas and pepper steak.

• Lay the bell pepper on its side on a cutting board.
• Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut off the top of the bell pepper and a small part of the bottom.
• With the bell pepper sitting upright, carefully run the knife around the inside of the pepper to remove the seeds, center, and any white parts. 
• Slice through the top of the bell pepper to the bottom and carefully “unravel” the bell pepper like a scroll.
• Slice the unraveled bell pepper into rectangular pieces. 

Diced bell peppers are a good fit for skillet dinners like beef stir-fry or as the basis for flavorful dishes like red beans and rice.

• Lay the bell pepper on its side on a cutting board.
• Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut off the top of the bell pepper and a small part of the bottom.
• With the bell pepper sitting upright, carefully run the knife around the inside of the pepper to remove the seeds, center, and any white parts. 
• Slice through the top of the bell pepper to the bottom and carefully “unravel” the bell pepper like a scroll.
• Slice the unraveled bell pepper into rectangular pieces. 
• Cut the rectangular strip crosswise into squares to make a medium dice. To mince a bell pepper, simply cut the square smaller or according to the recipe.

Cutting bell peppers into rings is great for sheet-pan meals like sausage and peppers and grilled chicken sandwiches. 

• Lay the pepper on its side on a cutting board.
• Using a sharp knife, slice off the top and bottom ends. 
• Run the knife around the inside of the pepper to remove the core and white parts.
• Lay the pepper on its side and slice thinly into rings.