Deliciously caramelized sauteed peppers and onions are a crowd-pleasing side dish for just about any meal! Made with herbs, seasonings and a splash of red wine vinegar. (gluten free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan)
Sauteed peppers and onions are the perfect side dish to go with just about every meal. Made from sweet bell peppers, red and yellow onions, a touch of olive oil and flavorful herbs and spices, this quick and easy vegetable recipe will add beautiful colors to you dinner plate.
And don’t even get me started on how healthy and nutritious they are. Just one serving of these veggies is filled with healthy fats, fiber and an impressive amount of vitamin C!
Besides the typical salt and pepper seasoning in most peppers and onions recipes, I’ve added in some red pepper flakes and dried oregano for extra flavor.
The end result isn’t spicy at all, so don’t worry if you’re sensitive to spicy foods. If you prefer a little spice, I recommend doubling the amount of red pepper flakes.
How to make sauteed peppers and onions
Slice 4 bell peppers, 1 red onion and 1 yellow onion into strips. (photo 1)
Add them into a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat along with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. (photo 2)
Add in the salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and dried oregano. (photo 3)
Stir everything together and cook for 15-17 minutes, until the veggies are softened and caramelized. Add in 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute. (photo 4)
Remove from heat and serve.
Tips and Tricks for the best peppers and onions
If the peppers and onions are starting to burn, turn down the heat on your stovetop just a little and adjust from there. We want caramelized peppers and onions, not burned peppers and onions.
If you’re not using a non-stick skillet, you may need to add in a little more olive oil. The veggies shouldn’t really stick to the bottom of the skillet, so add in more olive oil if needed.
Make sure to add in the minced garlic at the end so it doesn’t burn. If you add it in the beginning with all the seasonings, it’ll burn and that’s no bueno!
Ways to use Sauteed Peppers and Onions
Looking for different ways to eat these veggies throughout the week? Here are some of my favorite ideas!
- in burrito bowls with chipotle chicken and cilantro lime rice
- on burgers like this sweet potato black bean burger
- in tacos like these easy chicken tacos
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! To get more easy Mexican recipes delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for my weekly email newsletter. You can also follow Isabel Eats on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 medium bell peppers, sliced into long strips
- 1 medium red onion, sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
Instructions
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add in olive oil, sliced bell peppers and sliced red and yellow onions.
- Add in the salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper and dried oregano.
- Stir to coat the vegetables with the olive oil and seasonings. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-17 minutes until the peppers and onions have softened and started to caramelize.
- Add in the red wine vinegar and minced garlic. Mix together and cook for 1 more minute. Taste and season with more salt if necessary.
- Remove the peppers and onions from the heat and serve.
Isabel’s Tips:
- If the peppers and onions are starting to burn, turn down the heat on your stovetop just a little and adjust from there. We want caramelized peppers and onions, not burned peppers and onions.
- If you’re not using a non-stick skillet, you may need to add in a little more olive oil. The veggies shouldn’t really stick to the bottom of the skillet, so add in more olive oil if needed.
- Make sure to add in the minced garlic at the end so it doesn’t burn. If you add it in the beginning with all the seasonings, it’ll burn and that’s no bueno!
Nutrition Information
I gotta tell you. I’m 54 years old and trying to “spice up” my menu. You know how you get used to a set of dishes and that’s all you make? Well I saw some colorful peppers and thought to buy some but didn’t know what to do with them. I made a copycat Chipotle carnita dish and needed some fillers. These peppers were DIVINE!! The vinegar was the missing ingredient all these years. They keep a level of firmness, not just flavor. You GO GIRL! Thanks, Isabel. I’m making a second batch now and almost had a panic attack when I couldn’t find this recipe. THANK HEAVENS FOR CHROME HISTORY!!!!! So here I go again. Made them first 2 weeks ago.
Hi Patricia! Thank you so much for the feedback! We’re glad you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
Great way to get your veggies as a side with Mexican food! Adding vinegar will dull the color of the peppers a bit so waiting til just before finished works. The vinegar gives the peppers a little boost that tastes great.
Hi Mary! Thanks for the tip!
I made that tonight will oven baked pork chops…I used balsamic vinegar instead, but it turned out scrumptious! Thank you!
Delicious!!!!!!!! Thank YOU!!
Thank you for the recipe. I made it to go with my chicken in a wrap. Delicious!
Peppers! Omg! Always looking for healthy recipes. Had them in a Wrap with some parmigiana chhese
Made this tonight and it turned out great. Thanks for the recipe. Red wine vinegar was a nice touch.
Do you think I could use just balsamic vinegar if I don’t have red wine? Or could I use a splash of regular white vinegar and then the balsamic?
Hi Anne-Marie! Either one should work!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. So easy to prepare and really delicious.
This was delicious and easy to make! I also added a dash of balsamic vinegar and it tasted a bit sweeter.
Can these be frozen after they are sauteed?
Yes, they can!
Two thumbs up. Two of us tore through all 4 servings. Can’t wait to make again.
This is so easy and delicious! Never put vinegar in my peppers and onions before, so thought I’d try it. Thanks!
Impressive recipe! Thank you!
You have just upped our quick cheese quesadilla lunch, wow!
Thank you for another great recipe.
The veggies we so good. I will make this dish again.
I just made these for the family for the first time and they were very good. Thank you for putting the recipe out there.
Unbelievably good. I added these to our veggie burgers and there are no words for how good they are. My 9-year-old son ate every bite. Yum!
I made this tonight (along with your marinated flank steak, Mexican rice, and chimichurri) and I wanted to comment to let you know how much my whole family liked EVERYthing. For this particular recipe, I did have to make one adjustment. Ever since I first discovered poblano peppers earlier this year – seriously I have been missing out for a LONG time! – I vowed to never again eat another green bell pepper. So I swapped two bells for two poblanos and it was perfect! Thank you for all bringing all this deliciousness into my life!
Aw thank you SO much, Cheri! I’m so happy everyone enjoyed everything!
Made these earlier in the week for a burrito bowl! They were absolutely delicious. I had enough left overs for the morning too, so I made breakfast street tacos. I added fresh pico from your recipes too. Amazing.
I’m so glad you liked them! They’re seriously one of my favorite ways to eat bell peppers 🙂