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Blistered Shishito Peppers make the perfect easy appetizer, snack, or side dish that’s ready in under three minutes! They taste irresistibly smoky and sweet, with a mild spice. They are delicious on their own but also go great with your fave dips and sauces.
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Why You’ll Love This Blistered Shishito Peppers Recipe
If you haven’t had shishitos before, you might be wondering why I‘m showcasing these peppers on their own. Once you try their delightfully mild, smoky, and sweet flavor, you’ll understand! They score low on the Scoville scale, just a bit higher than bell peppers. This makes them safe to eat in their whole, raw form with seeds intact, without scorching your tongue.
Furthermore, cooking them brings out more of their sweetness and the charred exterior adds a hint of smokiness to each bite, making you want to keep coming back for more. Those blistered crinkly little nooks are full of saltiness that balances the flavors perfectly.
And if you love this blistered shishito peppers recipe, you’ll also enjoy these Southwest vegan stuffed peppers and stuffed roasted sweet peppers recipes. Looking for recipes to enjoy them with? Look no further than my easy vegan Mexican rice, sweet potato and black bean tacos, and cabbage bean soup.
Ingredients
How to Make Blistered Shishito Peppers
What I like best about this dish is how quick and easy it is to make. You will be snacking before you know it!
Step 1: First, preheat a medium pan over medium heat. Then, add the vegetable oil to the pan. Next, add the peppers, and cook for 45 seconds to a minute, or until the peppers start to pop and look charred.
Step 2: Then, turn off the heat and flip all of the peppers. Next, cook for another 45 seconds after turning it back on to medium heat. Finally, using tongs, remove the peppers from the heat and lay them on a paper towel-lined tray. The paper towels will absorb any excess oil from the peppers. Season with a pinch of salt.
Toni’s Recipe Tips
- Make sure that the peppers are completely dry before adding them to the hot oil to prevent unnecessary splatters.
- The peppers retain their moisture if you cover the the pan with a lid. Also, it will trap the smoke, which the peppers will absorb making them more flavorful!
- You don’t actually have to cover the pan with a lid, or remove it from heat during the flipping process, but I like to do it to avoid hot oil splashing me.
- You can use other seasonings or flavorings other than salt. it really depends on what you like! However, I find that the simpler the seasoning, the more you get to enjoy its natural taste.
FAQs
Charring is the process of scorching and blistering a food’s outer layer over high heat. Cooking peppers enhances their natural flavors and adds a smoky element to the food. The thin skin of these poppers makes them more susceptible to blistering compared to other peppers. This high-heat method of cooking creates a lot of smoke. So, make sure that your kitchen is well ventilated, or you may cook them (in the pan) on an outdoor grill. The procedure is super simple and quick, and the end result is incredibly flavorful and delectable.
Shishito peppers are best when they’re between 3 and 5 inches long and bright, vibrant green in the shade. Check out the beauties that I used for this recipe below. Although, they are often picked when they are green and at their greatest, they can also be harvested when they are riper and have a beautiful red color.
Shishito peppers are an East Asian cultivar variation. Its name comes from the Japanese word shishi or jishi, which means “lion’s head.” They have bright green, wrinkly thin skin and are slender and slightly long. The level of heat coming from them is nothing compared to that of a jalapeño. Though shishitos aren’t normally as spicy, be warned! You may come across that rare one where the spiciness is fiercer than the others.
What to Serve With Blistered Shishito Peppers
Dipping sauces for blistered shishito peppers:
- Classic Hummus– Hummus is a fantastic addition to any festive vegetable tray. Pairing this with blistering shishito peppers will work perfectly as well.
- French Onion Dip– This dip combines the creamy texture of cashews and the flavor of sweet onions.
- Curried White Bean Dip – This goes well with any veggies, crackers, or bread. We’re dipping shishito peppers in this case. This one-of-a-kind dip uses white beans and has a hint of curry taste.
Main dishes to serve after an appetizer or alongside a side of blistered shishito peppers:
- Mexican dishes: like sweet potato enchiladas, roasted veggies tacos, tofu fajitas, or quinoa burritos.
- Asian-inspired dishes: teriyaki noodles, garlic soba noodles, udon noodle stir fry, curried carrot noodle soup, fried rice, or ramen salad.
- More peppers: stuffed sweet peppers, Southwest stuffed peppers, quinoa stuffed peppers, or creamy red pepper soup.
Storage Instructions
You can buy shishitos by the handful or pre-packaged when they are in season. You can keep pre-packaged peppers in the warmest part of your fridge for no more than two weeks. If you buy them loose, simply seal them in an airtight plastic bag and store them accordingly. The peppers can be frozen if desired. Place them in a plastic freezer bag. However, they will be limp once thawed, although their flavor retains.
Other Vegan Appetizers to Consider….
Vegan Appetizers
Stuffed Roasted Sweet Peppers
Vegan Dinners
Crispy Baked Cauliflower
Vegan Appetizers
Fried Green Tomatoes
Vegan Appetizers
Baked Zucchini Fries
If you tried this Blistered Shishito Peppers recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!
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Blistered Shishito Peppers
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Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ tbsp of vegetable oil
- 15 shishito peppers, washed and dried
- Sprinkle of salt, to taste (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium pan over medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil.
- Add in the peppers. Cover with a lid, and cook for 45 seconds to a minute. Wait until it begins to make popping noises and look charred.
- Turn the heat off and flip all the ingredients. Turn the heat back to medium-high and cover with the lid. Cook for an additional 45 seconds.
- Remove from heat, use tongs to place all the peppers on a plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt, optional.
Notes
- Make sure that the peppers are completely dry before adding them to the hot oil to prevent unnecessary splatters.
- The peppers will retain their moisture if the pan is covered with a lid. Also, it will trap the smoke, which the peppers will absorb making them more flavorful!
- You don’t actually have to cover the pan with a lid or remove it from heat during the flipping process, but I like to do it to avoid being splashed with hot oil.
- You can use other seasonings or flavorings other than salt. it really depends on what you like! However, I find that the simpler the seasoning, the more you get to enjoy its natural taste.
