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How to Make Homemade Red Pepper Paste

ByHani Updated on
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Use it as a condiment or cooking ingredient. Try slow-roasting; it brings out the best in red peppers. Blend them into a flavor-packed, concentrated paste that adds a boost of flavor to soups, sauces, stews, and spreads. Freeze it in small cubes, so you always have just the right amount ready to use.

Red pepper paste in a small bowl.

WHY WE LOVE HOMEMADE RED PEPPER PASTE

  • Big flavor in a small amount: This concentrated paste packs a punch! It’s great for flavoring and jazzing up a variety of dishes. Use small cubes to season sauces, soups, or spreads. A little goes a long way.
  • So versatile: I use it to flavor Hungarian Goulash, as a spread for Crostini Appetizers, in Red Pepper Split Pea Soup, in homemade spaetzle or traditional pasta, and even in Chicken Paprikash in place of red paprika or in dips. Its uses are infinite.
  • Easy to portion: It freezes well, and I love having small cubes or large tubs for stews, ready to add extra flavor whenever I need it.
  • A family favorite since 2012: I make several batches every summer when peppers are at their flavor peak.

Featured Comment ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: So simple, but genius!! You have the best and most delicious ideas!” Denise

HOW TO MAKE PEPPER PASTE FROM SCRATCH

The process is simple; start by sourcing out the best, most flavorful red peppers. Next, we need to get rid of the tough pepper skin by roasting. This not only loosens the skin but also enhances the flavor. Then blend it to unleash the unmatched flavor of red pepper.

Ice cube trays filled with pepper paste.

WHAT KIND OF RED PEPPERS TO USE

For red pepper paste, I use only mature red peppers. Green peppers produce brownish-looking pepper paste, while red peppers produce bright red paste. I’ve made homemade sweet pepper paste using two kinds of peppers: Aruba and Bell Peppers.

Red Aruba peppers in a basket.
Aruba peppers from our garden.

Aruba Peppers: These are our favorite peppers to grow in our vegetable garden. They are not as meaty as bell peppers; however, we love them for their taste and high yield. Since we always have tons of them, I often use them to make the paste.

Red, bell peppers in a cardboard basket.
Bell peppers from the farmer’s market.

Bell Peppers: I use these off-season or when I don’t have Aruba Peppers. These “meaty” peppers are excellent for making pepper paste. Bell peppers are available year-round. When in season, try to source them locally at farmer’s markets.

Tip: If possible, use Red Bell Peppers. They are meatier, yield more paste, and are slightly easier to work with because they don’t shrink as much during roasting as Aruba Peppers.

WASH PEPPERS

Large red peppers with drops on water on them.

Wash the peppers well and trim off any blemishes.

Cut the peppers lengthwise. Remove the seeds. Wash again well. Drain the water.

Layer the washed peppers, skin-up, on a baking sheet or in a large oven-safe pot. Season each layer with salt. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and allow peppers to drain for 2 hours. Drain the liquid the peppers released.

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HOW TO ROAST PEPPERS TO REMOVE SKIN

To make the smooth, delicious pepper paste, I like to remove the skin from the peppers. Why do I remove the skin from peppers? It’s simple, really. The fibrous skin makes peppers harder to digest, so removing the skin helps them digest better and yields a much smoother paste. Roasting amplifies the flavor and makes peppers sweeter, pure deliciousness.

  • Fast Roasting/Charring (high heat): I occasionally use this method when I need to remove the skin from just a handful of peppers (1-2-3 peppers).
  • Slow Roasting (low heat): This is my preferred method for a large batch of peppers. It is super effective. I often make a large batch of pepper paste from 30 peppers. In this recipe, I slow-roasted them to help loosen the peppers’ skin. Slow-roasting also helps excess water to evaporate and concentrates flavor, yielding a thick paste.
A large stainless steel pot with red pepper halves.

You can slow roast peppers in a large stainless steel or oven-safe pot or on a rimmed baking sheet. Both methods work. Your choice depends on convenience and preference. I use both.

Inside of an oven, with two baking sheet filled with layers of washed red peppers.

Slow roasting takes about 4-5 hours, depending on the peppers you use. Roast the peppers in the preheated oven at 240°F (115°C).

Slow roasting and tips on removing the skin

As peppers roast, they release more juice and lose their shape. Drain the liquid and keep roasting slowly until the skin separates easily from the flesh.

Before you turn off the oven, test a couple of peppers. When the skin peels right off, remove the roasted peppers; otherwise, keep roasting slowly a bit longer.

Hand holding a piece of skin from a roasted red pepper.

Let them cool slightly before peeling. The skin should come off quickly; it should be easy and should not require too much effort.

  • Tips for removing the skin:
  • Slide a finger under the skin and push it across the pepper half to loosen it.
  • For stubborn spots, use a dull butter knife and slide it under the skin to remove it.
Half of the red pepper without the skin.

Skinless peppers are shiny and a bit slippery.

Blue bowl with skinless peppers beside a baking sheet with pepper skins.

Discard the skins.

A blue kitchen bowl, with roasted skinless red peppers.

Roasted peppers are lovely. Use them on sandwiches, pizzas, appetizers, chop them into soups, sauces, and so much more. They keep in the fridge for a week.

MAKE PEPPER PUREE

Food processor bowl filled with skinless red peppers.

To make a smooth paste, blend peeled roasted peppers with some of the pepper juices released during roasting in a food processor or chopper.

Smooth red paste in a food processor bowl.

Use plain, unseasoned homemade red pepper paste to season stews, soups, sauces, etc.

PEPPER PASTE

To make a more seasoned, flavor-balanced paste, add other flavors to plain pepper paste. I like to combine plain paste with a simple roasted vegetable paste, a touch of vinegar, and spices. The recipe card below includes details on making seasoned pepper paste. Roast veggies, puree them, then blend with red pepper puree for the ultimate flavor booster.

Stainless steel bowl with roasted vegetables beside a white plate with peeled peppers.

FREEZE OR CAN IN JARS

You can preserve unadulterated red pepper puree by freezing or canning. I used to can it, but after testing, freezing outweighs canning. At least for me. It’s easier and more practical for me since I often need just a couple of tablespoons. I like to freeze pure pepper puree or seasoned pepper paste in ice cube trays. Once frozen, I store cubes in a freezer-safe container. Small frozen pepper paste cubes are perfect for seasoning sauces, soups, or making a quick cream cheese spread, or you can swirl it into a homemade hummus (via Givemme Some Oven)

If you decide to can pure pepper paste, you can preserve it by canning in glass canning jars. Use a pressure canner, as peppers are low-acid vegetables and not suitable for water-bath canning unless a tested recipe specifies it (via The Spruce Eats).

Canned jar on a table.

PEPPER PASTE SUCCESS TIPS AND FAQ

I can’t remove pepper skins

Slow roasting takes time; give it 4-5 hours. Test a couple of peppers to see how easy it is to remove the skin. Let roasted peppers cool covered; the steam helps loosen the skin further. This is especially useful when using a high-temperature roasting method.

Pepper paste is watery

This can happen when using a fast-roasting method to remove the skins. Significantly less water evaporates during high-temperature roasting than during slow roasting. If the pepper puree is too runny, cook off the moisture in a skillet or a pot, stirring frequently to prevent burning. I use the same technique to thicken pumpkin puree.

How do I make paste smooth?

Roast peppers until very soft; any hard bits will make the puree and paste coarser. Remove seeds and skin before blending.

Can I freeze red pepper paste?

You can freeze homemade pepper paste or pure pepper puree in cubes or in small freezer-safe tubs, and it keeps for up to 12 months.

Can I safely can pepper paste using the water-bath canning method?

  • Peppers are low-acid vegetables, so water canning isn’t recommended unless you’re using a tested recipe with enough acidity (5% vinegar, tomatoes, or both).
  • I have successfully canned this recipe with vinegar using a water bath. (See the recipe card for ingredient details)
  • If you don’t want to use vinegar, you will need to use a pressure canner to can the pepper paste or pure pepper puree.
  • I prefer to freeze it; then I can omit vinegar, portion it into small cubes more easily, and it works better for my cooking style.

Pepper paste checklist

  • Peppers: Use mature red peppers. Meatier peppers like bell peppers yield more paste, but thinner varieties work too.
  • Prep Peppers: Wash peppers well, remove any blemishes and seeds before roasting
  • Roasting: Slow roasting takes time, but it’s worth it: it concentrates flavor, loosens the skin so it slides off easily, and, as water evaporates, it yields a thick paste.
  • Roast in a pot or on a baking sheet: If you have a lot of peppers, slow-roast them in a large oven-safe stainless steel pot, or layer them skin side up on a heavy-duty baking sheet. When slow-roasting 2 sheets at a time, rotate them every hour or so.
  • Make batches: If necessary, make it in batches. In a standard oven, I fit 30 large red peppers (washed, halved, seeds removed) on 2 rimmed baking sheets.
  • Blend until smooth: Use a food processor or immersion blender to blend the skinless peppers until smooth.
  • Cool and portion: Let it cool before freezing. Freeze in practical portions.
  • How to use pepper puree: You can use unadulterated red pepper puree in many dishes, or blend it with other roasted vegetables such as roasted garlic, onions, carrots, eggplant, celery, and tomato paste. Then season it to your liking with salt, pepper, ginger, and cayenne pepper
  • Using vinegar in the recipe: You can omit or scale down the vinegar when freezing the paste. I use the full amount of vinegar when using the water bath canning method or I scale it down with for flavor. But in recent years I’ve been skipping it all together as I’ve been freezing the paste.
  • Make it your own: If you prefer blend roasted garlic, olive oil and red pepper puree with some salt and black pepper. Keep it simple and make it happen. Enjoy.

MORE PEPPER RECIPES

Print Pin

Homemade Pepper Paste

Use red pepper paste as a flavor booster, condiment, or an ingredient in sauces, stews, spreads, and soups.
Serving size depends on the dish.
Use 1 to 2 tablespoons per sauce and soup. You can use more when making meat stews.
Serving size 2 tablespoons, recipe yields about 4 cups of paste.
Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Spreads
Cuisine American, Mediterranean, Slovak
Keyword homemade pepper paste, pepper paste, red pepper paste, red pepper puree
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Servings 32 servings
Author Hani Bacova

Ingredients

Basic Plain Red Pepper Puree

  • 10 large red peppers ( bell pepper or aruba)
  • 1 tbsp salt

Vegetable Base (red pepper pure = vegetable base puree=red pepper paste)

  • 1 large onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 large size carrot, peeled and halved
  • 1 celery stalk, washed, roughly chopped
  • 5 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
  • 1/4 salt to season, kosher or table salt is fine
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 ½ tbsp olive oil

Spices

  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar, or rice vinegar( I’m using vinegar with 5% acidity)
  • 1 tsp mustard
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
  • small bay leaf
  • salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Red Pepper Puree

    Wash Peppers

    • Wash peppers (10 large red peppers), cut them in half, remove the inside, discard seeds. If there are any blemishes or spots on the skin remove those as well. Wash well.

    Slow Roasting

    • Layer peppers skin side up into a stainless steel pot or onto a baking sheet. Season each layer with salt (1 tablespoon). Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to sit for 2-3 hours. Then drain the liquid from a pot/baking sheet into a kitchen sink.
    • Preheat oven to 220℃F/(105℃
    • Place the baking sheet or large pot with the peppers in the oven, uncovered.
      Slow-roast for about 5 hours, stirring the peppers once every hour. The longer the peppers roast, the easier the skins will be to remove.
      After 4 hours, test one pepper. If the skin doesn’t peel away easily, continue roasting. The roasting time can vary depending on the thickness of the peppers and the amount of peppers you're roasting: thicker peppers may need more time for the skins to loosen.
    • Once the skins peel away easily, remove the pot from the oven, cover them and let the peppers cool covered so they’re easier to handle. Steam during cooling helps soften peppers further. Using your hands or a small knife, peel the skins away from the meaty part of the peppers. The skins should come off easily. Peel all the peppers and discard the skins.

    Blend Peppers to Make Puree

    • Once you have removed all the skin, process all of the peppers' “meat” in the food processor until smooth. Congratulations, you just prepared pepper puree.
      You should have about 1 ½ to 2 cups pure red pepper puree. You can use it as it or blend with vegetable base.

    Vegetable Base

    • Preheat the oven about 400°F/200℃.
      Pour vegetables: onion (1 large onion), carrot (1 large carrot), celery (1 large stalk), unpeeled garlic (6 large cloves) on the baking sheet lined with parchment. Season with salt (1/4 teaspoon) and ground black pepper (1/4 teaspoon). Drizzle over olive oil (1 tablespoon). Toss together.
      Roast vegetables, until very soft and caramelized. Once vegetable as done, let them cool slightly. Push the roasted garlic cloves out of the shells. Then process roasted vegetables in the food processor until you have a thick paste. If it appears too chunky you can run it through a food mill.

    Pepper Paste

    • Into a pot add plain red pepper paste, pour in vegetable paste and stir well.
      Pour in vinegar (1/3cup), Dijon mustard (1 teaspoon), cayenne pepper (1/8 teaspoon, optional) and a small bay leaf.
      Bring mixture to boil, then lower to simmer and cook on low heat for 30 minutes and up to an hour. Paste is thick, it's important that you stir it frequently so it doesn't burn on the bottom of the pot.
      Tip: Cover the pot with a splatter shield to prevent pepper paste splattering all over.
    • Remove small bay leaf. If the mixture appears too chunky use stick blender to break up small piece of vegetables until smooth. Test the seasonings and season with salt and black pepper to taste as needed.

    Storage

    • I freeze my pepper paste into ice cube trays and once frozen I unload the cubes into a freezer safe container and freeze for long term. Frozen pepper paste cubes keep for at least a year in the freezer.

    Video

    Notes

    • How long does pepper paste last? It keeps in the fridge for up to a month. In the freezer for up a year. You can also can it, it keeps in a dark pantry spot a couple of years.
    • Can I make it spicy? Absolutely, use couple of hot peppers, slow roast them to remove the skin. Wear the gloves when working with hot peppers.
    • Can I skin vinegar in the recipe? You can completely omit it or use less if you plan on freezing the paste or canning it using a pressure canner.
     
     

    This post was originally published on September 11th, 2012. On June 10th, 2020, I updated this post with new photos and written text.

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    Hi, I’m Hani

    Welcome!
    Thank you for visiting Haniela’s. On my blog, you’ll find delicious sweet & savory recipes made with simple ingredients. Why not start a new adventure? Discover a world of cookie decorating with my step-by-step tutorials.

    Read more about me

    Hi, I’m Hani

    Welcome!
    Thank you for visiting Haniela’s. On my blog, you’ll find delicious sweet & savory recipes made with simple ingredients. Why not start a new adventure? Discover a world of cookie decorating with my step-by-step tutorials.

    Read more

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    11 Comments

    1. Hi! I just found your recipe and am working with 1.5 bushel of red bells.
      Question: the first salt seems like should be cut side up, rather than skin side up. Could you please confirm that skin side up is correct as instructed?
      Many thanks.

      Reply

      1. Hello,
        sorry to hear that. To get to the recipe quickly you can use jump to the recipe button.
        I’m a blogger, and this is my job and how support my family, hence the adds.
        Thank you for your patience.

        Reply

    3. Hello, I am wondering…I have a contraption that separates skins/seeds/guts into one bowl and juice into another. Can I use that instead of roasting in the oven method? I have 11LBs of Aruba peppers. I would love to can them.
      Thank you for your information

      Reply

      1. Hi Chris,
        I’m sorry, I’m just seeing your question.
        I’m not familiar with your gadget; however if it does the job, why not use it?
        The only thing I find is that roasting also enhances the flavor. I also have pickled peppers in the past, and that’s also lovely.
        Pepper paste is my favorite, though.

        Reply

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