We have successfully synthesized peripheral phenyl-substituted tetrabenzoporphyrins by the precursor methods. Thermal conversion and the oxidative aromatization methods afforded the corresponding tetrabenzoporphyrins. The distorted structures due to the steric hindrance between phenyl groups and insertion of phosphorus atom resulted in marked red-shifted absorptions. The Q bands reached over 700 nm. The X-ray crystallographic analysis revealed the saddle conformation due to steric hindrance between peripheral phenyl groups of the neighboring isoindole moieties and the ruffle conformation similar to tetraazaporphyrin phosphorus complexes. The synthetic strategy based on the precursor method afforded p-expanded porphyrins with the fine tuning of their optical properties.