Roasting Chiles- How To

Here are a couple of easy techniques for roasting your fresh green chiles at home. To prepare the chiles for roasting you will want to rinse them then dry them well. All you’ll need is a pair of tongs to handle the hot chiles and a paper bag to steam the skin loose once roasted. Your aim is to char the outside skin and steam the inside just enough for the skin to blister loose, making it easy to peel. Some varieties of green chiles are almost flat and you can easily char the two sides. Other types of peppers have more intricate shapes. You’ll want to char as much skin as possible but the steaming should help loosen any skin that didn’t get blackened.

Oven or Toaster Oven:

This method is great if you have several green chiles to prepare. Spread cleaned chiles out in a single layer on a baking sheet and put under the broiler to char the skins. Better yet, use a toaster oven to avoid heating the house up. You’ll want to flip over the chiles once the first side blackens and blisters. If the chiles are fuller/rounder, try to prop them up against each other to char any remaining green spots.

Grill:

If you are cooking on the grill, it’s easy to toss your cleaned chiles on a hot spot to char them well. Check frequently and turn as needed to get a well blackened skin.

Gas Stovetop:

This is an easy method if you are only roasting a couple of peppers. Turn your gas stovetop burner to medium high and place chiles directly on stove grates. If stove grates are too far apart or chiles too small for this you can keep the chiles held in a pair of metal tongs. Rotate as needed to get evenly distributed char.

steaming chiles

Once you have charred the skin on your chiles you will want to place them immediately into a paper bag. Fold the top over to prevent heat and steam from escaping. This last step will help make the charred skin easier to remove and help loosen any stuck bits. After 10 minutes the chiles should be ready to peel. Slip off skin, stem and remove seeds (use gloves if handling very spicy peppers!) Remember to always wash your hands after handling any hot pepper.