These blistered shishito peppers are a lazy persons DREAM! They pack some serious flavor thats salty and a little tangy, with a slightly charred outside that’s completely irresistible. Not only that, they’re done in 15 minutes start to finish! These work as a perfect appetizer, healthy snack or side dish too. Once you see how easy these are to make, I don’t think you’ll ever order them out at a restaurant again!
Why you should make this blistered shishito peppers recipe:
This easy recipe is a great appetizer and my favorite way to have something colorful and flavorful on the table without a ton of work. These little peppers are healthy, high in dietary fiber and are done start to finish in a matter of minutes.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- Shishito peppers: I used a 6 oz package from Trader Joes. Padrón peppers work as well.
- Olive oil: Avocado oil works great with high temperatures so you could use that here too.
- Fresh lime juice: you are more than welcome to use fresh lemon juice as well. I just like the acidity of either here.
- Soy sauce
- Sesame seeds
- Little salt and pepper to taste
How to make Japanese blistered shishito peppers:
- Start by washing and drying the peppers.
- In a large cast iron skillet, warm up a little oil.
- To the hot skillet, add the peppers in a single layer.
- Give them a good toss in the oil and add in the lime juice and a little soy sauce.
- Let them form a nice char on all sides.
- Transfer them to a serving dish, sprinkle on sesame seeds and a little more lime juice and soy sauce for good measure.
FAQ:
Shishito peppers are small, bright green peppers that are in the capsicum annuum family. These Japanese peppers have a thin skin and are nick-named the lion head pepper because they have a bulbous end that some say looks like a lions head. They are distinctive in flavor, mildly spicy and sweet peppers. I’ve heard that sometimes you’ll come across a few in a batch that are very hot peppers but that’s yet to happen to me! Not knowing the spice level of each pepper is part of the fun!
Many people will say the best way to cook shishito peppers is on high heat, but if you live in an apartment (like me) and don’t want to set off that pesky smoke alarm, I recommend dialing down on the heat or else you’ll be dealing with some serious smoke clouds! To get that blistered/slightly charred outside I do think using a cast iron pan is a great idea. Cast iron is great at holding in steady heat and the shishitos really benefit from that. Still cook these in a hot skillet, just be patient and allow the pan some time some time to heat up.
Where can I find shishito peppers?
Most grocery stores carry them. I usually grab mine from my local Trader Joe’s location, Whole Foods, or Farmers Markets in the area. If you can’t seem to find them, try to keep an eye out for padrón peppers. Spanish padron peppers are very similar, mild peppers but taste just a touch more smokey and earthy while shishito peppers are a little more sweet and have a thicker skin.
What dipping sauce would pair well with these blistered shishitos?
I happily eat mine as is, with no sauce but if you wanted to make this more like an easy appetizer rather than snack, I’d serve them with a garlic aioli or even some sour cream. Both would add a nice touch and cooling quality to any spicy peppers you may get.
Blistered Shishito Peppers
Equipment
- 1 cast iron pan
Ingredients
- (1) 6 oz package shishito peppers
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lime juiced
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse and dry the shishito peppers.
- Start to heat a cast iron skillet on medium to low heat with olive oil.
- Once hot, add in the shishito peppers, season with salt and pepper, squeeze in the juice of half a lime and 2 tbsp soy sauce.
- Toss the peppers around and allow them to brown/blister on all sides (this should take about 10 minutes).
- Once the peppers are done to your liking, transfer them to a serving bowl.
- Squeeze over a little more lime juice, the other tbsp of soy sauce and top with sesame seeds.
Leave a Reply