Step 1: Choose the Pepper

• Select bell peppers that are firm and vibrant in color, with shiny skin. Avoid peppers with wrinkles, soft spots, or blemishes.

Step 2: Wash the Pepper

• Rinse the bell pepper under cold water to remove any dirt or residue clinging to the pepper (and be sure to peel off the sticker, if it has one). Pat it dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel.

Step 3: Prepare Your Tools

• Place a cutting board on a flat, stable surface. The cutting board should be clean and dry to avoid cross-contamination, and free from warping. Make sure your knife is sufficiently sharp, clean, and dry. A sharp knife makes cutting vegetables much easier and is also much safer than using a dull knife.

Slicing Bell Peppers into Strips

Step 1: Cut the Ends Off

• Using a sharp chef's knife, carefully cut off both ends of the bell pepper.

Step 2: Remove the Seeds

• Stand the pepper up on the cutting board and make a vertical cut down the side of the bell pepper. Run the edge of the knife along the inside of the pepper, removing the seeds and white membrane as you go. Discard the seeds and membrane. Our video, featured in this guide, shows how to remove the seeds efficiently.

Step 3: Slice the Pepper into Matchsticks

• You should have a long strip of pepper. With the bell pepper skin side down, use your knife to make vertical cuts along the short sides of the pepper to create slices of your desired thickness. You can adjust the width of the slices according to your recipe requirements.
• Continue slicing until you have cut the entire bell pepper into uniform slices. If you encounter any seeds or membrane, simply remove them as you go!

Optional: Dicing the Pepper

• Once you've cut the pepper into strips, you can very easily dice it by lining up the strips and cutting in the opposite direction at the thickness you desire, whether that's a fine dice or thicker.

Slicing Bell Peppers into Rings

Step 1: Removing the Stem, Membrane, and Seeds

• Using a sharp knife, carefully slice a ring around the stem of your bell pepper without cutting through the center of the stem.
• After you've sliced a ring around the stem, carefully pull the stem to dislodge the membrane and seeds from the pepper. It should easily come out, but if it does not, run your knife along the inside of the pepper to separate the membrane.

Step 2: Begin Slicing into Rings

• Carefully hold your bell pepper steady with one hand, and use the other to cut slices starting at the stem end of the pepper at your desired thickness. Be very careful when slicing and work slowly.