How to Cut a Bell Pepper (The Easy Way)

How to cut a bell pepper may not be something you put a lot of thought into. 

Maybe you’re saying, “You just cut it, right? Does it matter?” Me: I love finding easy ways to simplify my work in the kitchen.

Why? Honestly. . . because I really don’t like cooking all that much.
Shh! It’s true.
So I like little tricks and hacks that help me get in and get it done. That’s why I like finding new ways to simplify things like preparing various fruits and vegetables. 

 The Fastest And Easiest Way To De-Stem and Un-Core a Bell Pepper

While I was growing up and for the first few years of our marriage, I had a habit of cutting the bell pepper in half, vertically, from top to bottom, splitting the core and seeds into both halves. Then you cut the core out of both sides and you start slicing, right? But there is the down side of having to clean out both halves of the pepper and cutting through the core spread the seeds everywhere. 

A few years into our marriage, I became a Pampered Chef consultant, and they taught me to cut the bell pepper in half horizontally, which now kept the core and seeds only in the top half. And that’s great for cutting the bell pepper into cute little pepper rings, but there is still the matter of scooping and cutting the seeds out of the top. Being something of a messy cook, I still scattered many of the seeds.

And then one day I realized I was doing it all wrong; there is still a better way!

Free the Stem and Core

My trick now is to simply slice into the top, around the outside edge, freeing the stem and the core from the bellpepper in one fell swoop. 

Step 1: Cut into the top of the bell pepper, around the stem, deep enough to cut the sides of the core free from the inside of the bell pepper. 

Remove the Stem and Core

Now give the stem a little turn and lift the entire thing out.

The whole thing.

If you see a few seeds that have fallen into the bottom, a quick rinse in the sink takes care of that in a splash. Poof: nothing but bell pepper to enjoy.

Step 2: Twist and pull the entire stem and core out of the pepper.

Slice and Dice

And now you can slice the bell pepper however you need it: quarter it and slice it, slice it and chop it, or slice it sideways into rings. Your choice.

Step 3: Cut into quarters and slice into strips. 

Red, yellow, orange or green, we like to slice it into strips and eat it raw as a side with a main dish. It’s one of the few veggies my husband will eat. 

Eat and Enjoy

Tasty! And that’s the easiest way to get that done. Enjoy!