Your Air Fryer Is The Secret To Super-Fast Roasted Chile Peppers

From a smoky salsa or hearty chile relleno to a spice-tinted stew, roasted chile peppers have a place in many different recipes. They provide dishes with earthy undertones accented by whispers of sweetness, spiciness, and tanginess. Although your grandma may seem to be able to roast chiles over an open flame on the stove, creating the perfect chile char by rotating them with her seemingly fireproof bare hands, a grandmother's cooking powers can take a lifetime to develop. In the meantime, you can quickly roast chile peppers in your air fryer.

Air fryers use rapid hot air circulation to cook food evenly, and, as importantly, quickly. Air fryers work twice as fast as conventional ovens, making them the perfect cooking method for roasting chile peppers on the fly. And since you're freeing up some precious space in your oven, you can roast a chicken, caramelize veggies, or bake a dessert while your favorite chile peppers are air-frying. Air-frying chile peppers requires less effort than stove-top roasting or backyard grilling: Simply set the temperature and timer and seal the basket shut — et voilà — hands-free roasted chile peppers ready to eat faster than you can say poblano.

Thanks to most air fryers' convenience and easy-to-navigate functions, recipes you can make in your air fryer are terrific for when you want low-maintenance cooking. However, even the simplest of recipes come with instructions; by keeping a few low-stakes tips in mind, you can make a high-quality batch of air fryer-roasted chiles.

Although oven-roasted chiles can benefit from a small coating of oil, air fryers are designed to cook foods without oil, which means you can save your favorite cooking fats for other recipes. Just wash your chiles before you start the air-frying process to remove any residual soil or other debris.

Avoid overcrowding the chiles in your air fryer to prevent uneven cooking. If you need to make a large batch of roasted chile peppers, air-fry them in batches. To prevent a mess in your air fryer, line the basket with parchment paper. Unlike aluminum foil, which foods often cling to, non-stick parchment paper allows chile peppers to slide right off. Bear in mind that parchment paper can only withstand temperatures up to 428 degrees Fahrenheit.

The roasting process for chile peppers should only take a few minutes in your air fryer. Once your chilies are blistered and browned to perfection, they're ready to be added to your favorite recipes.

Air fryer-roasted chile peppers are done in a flash, making them ideal for timely weekday meals when you just don't feel like cooking. There are many ways to put them to use while still keeping your cooking time short, sweet, and satiating.

Use air fryer roasted chile peppers as a topping for a low-effort pizza. If you're not in the mood for pizza, but still craving Italian cuisine, blend air-fried peppers with cream, herbs, and spices for a spicy, earthy pasta sauce that's ready in just a few pulses of your blender or food processor.

Soups and stews are a tried-and-true, easy-to-make meal. Simply add your freshly air-fried chiles and your favorite soup ingredients to a pot of simmering broth and you'll have a spicy, spoonable meal like tomato cauliflower soup with roasted red peppers, with minimal effort in no time.

Air fryer-roasted chiles can also elevate burgers and sandwiches, serve as the foundation of a hot sauce recipe, fill out an omelet, or support a barbecue-loving side dish featuring black beans, corn, and roasted poblanos. With this quick and customizable roasted chile hack, the culinary world becomes your oyster ... or ... your pepper!