Italian Fried Peppers

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Italian Fried Peppers are delicious and easy to prepare. These are so good, so tasty, and smell divine! Be prepared for the heady scent to bring the whole neighborhood to your doorstep.

White plate of multi colored strips of fried bell peppers.

The smell of these Italian peppers takes me right back to my childhood and to my mother who made them regularly. We especially enjoyed them with steak or roast chicken.

While these fried peppers are a great side dish, they also make a delicious bruschetta and excellent appetizer. And it’s hard to beat a summer lunch of Italian fried peppers with some crusty bread or grissini breadsticks and a little wedge of cheese.

Make double the amount, and keep it in the fridge for a quick lunch or side dish. In my house, we love to serve it with some Italian rice balls or some fried potatoes and onions.

If you love all types of peppers as we do, don’t miss these recipes – peperonata, roasted peppers and stuffed cherry peppers.

For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Table of Contents

Ingredients

Bell peppers – Choose firm, unblemished bell peppers that are heavy for their size. This means they’ll have thick flesh. Different colored bell peppers can be used but always include at least one red pepper because they are the sweetest.
Extra virgin olive oil – This gives the best flavor but if you only have regular olive oil that will be fine.
Black olives – I like to leave them whole because my family are accustomed to eating around the stones. However it’s a good idea to use pitted black olives to lessen the chance of any mishaps with olive stones.
Capers – For this recipe, I’ve used capers in vinegar. If you have salted capers, you can use those. Be sure to wash off excess salt.
Garlic cloves – Fresh garlic cloves gives the best flavor. The garlic cloves goes in whole so the flavor is subtle. At a pinch, you could use ½ teaspoon of bottled, minced garlic. The flavor will be different but still good.
Ground black pepper – Grind the black pepper freshly for the best result.
Salt – Use sea salt with no additives.

Variations

When in season, you can use Italian frying peppers. These are the long, tapered variety and are excellent for frying. Also known as Italian sweet peppers or Cubanelle. My personal favorite is the Corno di Toro variety. Italian frying peppers are sweet at every stage from green through to red. The flesh is thinner than bell peppers which means they’ll cook more quickly.
Substitute pitted green olives instead of black olives.

Instructions

Four step process of making this recipe.

Wash and dry the bell peppers, core, deseed, and remove any white ribs. Slice into ¼ inch (6mm) strips.
Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. When hot add the peppers and fry for 10-15 minutes.
Add olives, capers, and garlic, and continue to fry for a couple of minutes.
Reduce the heat a little and continue to cook over medium heat until the peppers are tender. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Equipment

You’ll need a wide shallow frying pan or skillet for this recipe. The wide pan allows the bell peppers to be spread out and the moisture to evaporate. A pan that is too small will mean the bell peppers will stew instead of fry.

Tips for Success

Overhead view of fried multi colored bell peppers on white plate.

Be sure to dry the peppers well before slicing and if they’re really juicy, pat dry with a paper towel. This is important because you’ll be adding them to hot oil and any moisture will cause the hot oil to spit.
Use a wide shallow pan so that the moisture evaporates quickly out of the bell peppers and it doesn’t stew. As the peppers cook spread out in the pan to ensure the moisture evaporates and the peppers fry well.
The real secret to making Italian fried peppers is to watch them closely and pay attention that they don’t burn, stick, or stew. Frying at medium-high heat is important because peppers contain a lot of water which is released as the vegetable cooks. If the moisture doesn’t evaporate quickly the peppers won’t fry but instead will stew.
It’s important for the peppers to brown and caramelize on the edges for optimum flavor. Don’t cover it with the lid or the steam will be trapped and the peppers won’t fry.
Add salt at the end. Salt draws out moisture which again means the peppers will stew instead of fry.

FAQ

Which peppers are best for frying?

Red or yellow bell peppers are good for frying. Green bell peppers are a little bitter so be sure to mix them up. Italian frying peppers are great if you can get them. We grow them in our backyard garden but you can also find them at most supermarkets when in season.

Can this recipe be doubled?

Yes however be sure to have a pan large enough that doesn’t crowd the peppers. As I said earlier, the enemy of these Italian-style fried peppers is moisture and if the peppers are crowded, evaporation is limited.

Q. How long will Italian fried peppers last?

Store in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Serving Suggestions

Close up of fried multi colored peppers on a white plate.

These flavorful peppers make a tasty sandwich tucked into crusty bread with some marinated eggplant. We also love eating this with mozzarella in carrozza – a delicious fried sandwich.

You can serve these Italian fried peppers warm or cool and they make a great side dish to grilled, barbequed or roast meats like my butterflied roast chicken. Complete the meal with a serving of cauliflower made in the instant pot and pasta with garlic butter sauce. I’ll guarantee that you’ll make these Italian fried peppers once and want to make them all the time. Yes, this recipe is that good!!

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