Oven-roasted jalapeños are great to infuse jalapeno flavor into a dish without adding too much heat. Instead of the fiery burn of raw jalapeños, oven roasting results in a sweet, mellow flavor outstanding in salads, sandwiches, or topping on pizza.
Oven-roasting is a good option when it's too cold to pull out the grill. While you can certainly can or freeze jalapeños to preserve them, roasting them first is an easy method that gives you an improved flavor profile over freezing or canning them without altering their texture.
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So if you want to add a roasted jalapeño flavor to your recipes year-round, this is a great option!
Why roasting jalapeños in the oven works
The roasting process does many things to jalapeños. First, it softens their texture, making it easier to slice them thinly or dice them in recipes. It infuses them with an inherent smoky flavor that comes from applying heat directly to the pepper rather than cooking it in a liquid or steam environment.
Perhaps most importantly, it reduces some of their capsaicin content—the compound that gives peppers their heat—which means they will be more palatable to people who love the flavor but can't handle too much heat on their tongue.
Ingredients
- Jalapeños peppers
- Oil or cooking spray
Step by step instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut off the tops of your peppers. First, make sure they're thoroughly cleaned inside and out. Then lay them down on a sheet tray lined with aluminum foil.
Roast them for 10 minutes, then flip them over and roast for an additional 10 minutes. Once they're done cooking, let them sit for about 30 minutes—they'll be hot!
Once they've cooled off, it's time to get hands-on! At this point, you can safely handle them without burning yourself, peel off the skin, and remove any remaining seeds and stems from inside.
You'll be left with delicious roasted jalapenos that are ready to eat or to use in your favorite recipe.
Serving suggestions
Oven-roasted jalapenos are a versatile side dish that can go with anything from burgers to enchiladas. Here are some ways to use your oven-roasted jalapeños:
Add them to your party platter
I love serving oven-roasted jalapeños on a cheese board or charcuterie plate. They're an unexpected addition that looks and tastes beautiful!
Whip up a sauce
Make a quick chimichurri sauce with oven-roasted jalapeños, cilantro, garlic, red wine vinegar, and olive oil! Add everything to a food processor and pulse blend until it reaches the desired consistency. It's great on steak, chicken, shrimp—really anything!
Pop them in your sandwich
Oven-roasted jalapeños are a delicious addition to just about any sandwich you can think of. Try them with sliced turkey and Swiss on a baguette for a new take on lunchtime eats!
Blend them into your guacamole
Blending oven-roasted jalapeños into guacamole is a great way to add flavor. You can even add the seeds if you want an extra spicy hit! It's so tasty that we guarantee you'll never go back to plain ol' guac again. Pair this with a Mezcal Paloma or a Grapefruit Mimosa and call it a party!
If you like jalapeños, then you'll love my recipe for pickled pineapple and jalapeños! If you want the sweet and savory combo, this fermented garlic honey will be a great addition to your slow-living pantry.
FAQ
The answer is no. Roasting hot peppers makes them lose some of their heat and in the process, they become less spicy.
No, roasting jalapeños do not make them milder. They are the same temperature no matter how long you roast them.
Roasted jalapeños are a delicious, healthy snack that can be eaten on its own or mixed with lentils and rice for a hearty meal. They are packed with vitamins A and C, as well as potassium.
📖 Recipe
Easy roasted jalapeños
Roasting jalapeños in the oven is one of the easiest, most foolproof ways to get delicious, smoky, slightly sweet jalapenos that you can use in a variety of recipes.
Ingredients
- 5 jalapeño peppers
- Salt to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Wash and dry your jalapenos.
- Slice them lengthwise down one side and leave the other side intact.
- Remove seeds with a spoon or knife.
- Place sliced jalapenos on a baking sheet and roast them 25-30 minutes or until skins appear wrinkled and browned.
- Remove jalapenos from the oven and place in a bowl.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let the peppers sweat for 15 minutes.
- After sweating, remove skins from peppers.
Notes
Use gloves if you have sensitive skin! If desired, chop peppers for use in your recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
5Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 4Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 0g
Debbi Siburt says
this was the most informative article I've seen on jalapeno peppers. We had more peppers this year than ever before and the only thing I knew to do was poppers. Thank you!