Italian fried peppers are a wonderful addition to any appetizer spread, but also make a great side dish to any meal! These peppers are fried until charred and soft and finished with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and flaky sea salt making them incredibly easy!
Italian fried peppers are a favorite appetizer because they’re easy to make and go well with almost everything!
We usually serve them as part of an antipasto platter alongside crusty bread, cannellini bean dip, cured meat, and cheese, or as a side to sausage and potatoes, or Italian baked chicken and potatoes.
They also make a great addition to an Italian hero!
And the best part is they require just a few ingredients and can be done in under 30 minutes.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Heat a large pan to a touch higher than medium heat and coat with peanut, vegetable, or avocado oil.
- Working in batches, fry 3 pounds of Italian frying peppers moving them around frequently to ensure each part of the pepper comes in contact with the pan.
- After 15-20, the peppers will be charred and limp and can be removed from the heat. Note: Cooking the peppers until very soft is recommended. They will flatten out and when serving the stem and seeds can be pulled out before eating, though that isn’t required.
- Place the peppers on a serving platter. Drizzle with a 1/4 cup or more of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a good amount of flaky sea salt. Serve and enjoy!
Top tips
- Peppers. We used a mixture of cubanelle, long hot, and long sweet peppers for our recipe but you can use any thin-skinned peppers you’d like.
- Oil. Use an oil with a high smoke point and neutral taste for Italian fried peppers. Peanut, avocado, and vegetable oils would all be good here. Save the good extra virgin olive oil for drizzling at the very end.
- Frying. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan when frying. It’s important that each part of the pepper makes contact with the pan so they char properly. It’s important the peppers cook long enough so they become very limp and soft and the skins on the outside crack a bit.
- Salt. Since there are so few ingredients used in this recipe, we recommend using a good quality flaky sea salt for finishing.
- Eating. When it comes time to eat your fried peppers, the stems and seeds should be very easy to remove. If you prefer to remove the skins before eating, they should come off easily, but they’re just as great with the skin on!
More great appetizers
If you’re looking to build the ultimate appetizer spread to serve along with these fried peppers, try these other favorites!
- Baba ganoush – smoky and creamy eggplant spread.
- Peperonata – sweet bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes.
- Roasted cherry tomato crostini – with whipped ricotta, basil, and flaky sea salt.
If you’ve enjoyed this Italian fried pepper recipe or any recipe on this site, give it a 5-star rating and tell us about it in the comments below.
We strive to satisfy a number of learning styles. If you are someone who prefers to learn by watching, you can find most of our recipes on YouTube and our Facebook Page.
Italian Fried Peppers
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Italian frying peppers, cubanelles, or long sweet peppers
- 1/2 cup peanut oil or avocado, vegetable, etc
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- flaky sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large pan to a touch higher than medium heat with the peanut oil.
- Working in batches, fry the peppers until well charred and limp (about 15-20 minutes per batch). Place all of the peppers onto a large platter.
- Drizzle the peppers with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle salt to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
- Any long thin-skin peppers work great for this dish. Italian frying peppers are often labeled as cubanelle, but Hungarian wax peppers or long sweet peppers can also be used. Even long-hots can be used, but they will be very spicy!
- The inside of the peppers (the seeds can be eaten) or the top can be pierced with your fingers and the stem and seeds can be removed.
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 5 days in the fridge and the peppers can be heated up or eaten cold.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I make these peppers and love them.
I usually cut off the stem and take out the seeds before frying.
Is it better not to do that? Or maybe it doesn’t matter. What do you think?
Hi Sondra, thanks for the comment. They’re easier to eat if you cut off the stem and take the seeds out before frying, but taste wise, it doesn’t really matter. I personally think they look nicer with the stems on.