How to Freeze Peppers and Onions
Save money and time by learning how to freeze peppers and onions. Frozen peppers and onions can be used in a breakfast hash or cooked with steak slices or chicken cutlets for an easy dinner like fajitas or stir fry. This is a great way to avoid wasting extra peppers and onions.
Freezing Peppers & Onions
Peppers and onions are a great addition to many meals. You can often buy them in bulk or marked down for a great deal. But, as fresh peppers tend to go bad really quickly, this post shares how how to prep and freeze sweet peppers and onions!
Even if you aren’t a big meal prepper, I guarantee that having these ingredients on hand and ready to go will be a big time saver (see all my other meal prep tips for beginners).
How-To Steps
Step One
Slice onions from root to tip, then slice off a bit of the top to get a clean edge. This will let you easily peel off the skin. If freezing in halves, cut off the root end.
Slice peppers in half, cut off the stem, and remove seeds and ribs. You can use red peppers or green peppers, or any color of sweet bell pepper that you like.
I would skip the hot peppers as they aren’t as versatile as the sweet ones.
Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.
Step Two
Lay out halves on a parchment-lined baking sheet or cookie sheet.
Freeze for 8-12 hours – this ensures they will be individually frozen and not stuck together.
Step Three
Label zip-top freezer bags with item and date, then add fully frozen produce.
Recipe Tips
- Feel free to slice or dice your onions and peppers into smaller pieces if you like – keeping bags of various sizes means you are ready for any recipe.
- Have a food processor? You can use the dicing disk to make quick work of this prep work!
- No matter the shape of your peppers and onions, be sure and freeze them in a single layer first before putting them into a heavy duty freezer bag or any other type of airtight container or vacuum-sealed bag.
- Looks for fresh bell peppers and onions in the produce section of your local grocery store or at the farmers market.
Recipe FAQs
Raw peppers are easy to freeze without the work of blanching them. You can likely still eat them raw once thawed without losing too much texture.
Both should last nicely for 10-12 months – the key to getting them to last longer is to get as much air out of the bag as possible each time you seal it.
Freeze cooked peppers and onions the same way you would do with raw ones. Let them cool down after cooking, lay them in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and freeze for 8-12 hours before placing them in a zip-top bag for long-term storage. Try them in my recipe for Air Fryer Sausage and Peppers!
Recipes Using Frozen Bell Peppers and Onions
- Honey Sesame Chicken (Panda Express Copycat)
- Chili’s Shrimp Fajitas (Copycat)
- Keto Chicken Fajitas
- Keto Mexican Rice
- Air Fryer Sausage and Peppers
Don’t Miss These Freezer Guides
How to Freeze Peppers and Onions
Save money and time by learning how to freeze peppers and onions. Frozen peppers and onions can be used in a breakfast hash or cooked with steak slices or chicken cutlets for an easy dinner like fajitas. This is a great way to avoid wasting extra peppers and onions.
- Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 2 whole onions (red, white, yellow)
- 2 whole sweet bell peppers (any color)
Instructions
- Wash and dry produce.
- Slice onions at least in half, or go ahead and slice or dice to desired “recipe ready” format.
- Slice peppers in half and discard seeds and ribs. Slice and dice to desired shape.
- Freeze in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet for 8-12 hours.
- Once frozen, add to labeled and dated zip-top freezer bags for long term storage.
- Use in any recipe for easy meal prep!
Notes
- Freezing in a single layer first ensures they don’t all stick together in the bag.
- Gently press your zip-top bag after filling to remove as much air as possible out of the bag before freezing.
- Store in the freezer for 10-12 months.
- To save even more time, feel free to slice or dice your onions and peppers – keeping bags of various sizes means you are ready for any recipe, whether it is soup or fajitas.
- Have a food processor? You can use the dicing disk to make quick work of this prep work!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Healthy
- Method: Freezer
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 47
- Sugar: 5.8 g
- Sodium: 5.5 mg
- Fat: 0.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10.1 g
- Fiber: 2.7 g
- Protein: 1.4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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About the Author: Carrie Forrest has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition. She is a top wellness and food blogger with over 5 million annual visitors to her site. Carrie has an incredible story of recovery from chronic illness and is passionate about helping other women transform their health. Send Carrie a message through her contact form.
Thanks so much for these easy steps; and great instructive photos. I’ll be saving money and time in the future!
Love this easy technique that prevents food waste.