Blistered Shishito Peppers with Crunchy Salt
These blistered shishito peppers are a quick and easy finger food appetizer or side dish that’s delicious in an unforgettable way.
Blistered (or roasted) shishito peppers topped with coarse salt and dipped in a sauce make the best finger food appetizer, side dish or even snack.
The smoky, mildly sweet pepper taste with crunchy salt is addicting.
And when dipped in a cool creamy sauce like ranch dressing, they’re so good.
ABOUT SHISHITO PEPPERS
Random Hot Peppers
One thing about these delicious peppers is that every once in a while, there’s a hot one.
The odds of getting a spicy one is about 1 out of every 8 to 10 peppers.
The hot ones may set your mouth on fire but just for a little bit, kind of like when eating wasabi where after the initial impact of heat, you keep coming back for more.
All the more reason to have a cool creamy dipping sauce close by.
When are Shishito Peppers in Season?
Shishito peppers are available all year long and are in peak season during the summer and early fall.
Other Names for Shishito Peppers
Shishito peppers may also be referred to as “Japanese peppers”, “Korean peppers“, “groundcherry peppers” or “lion head peppers”.
Where to Find Shishito Peppers
Shishito peppers can be found at Asian, Persian, ranch or farmers markets.
And they’re also available in some grocery stores (either by the hot peppers or in the international vegetable/fruit section).
Shishito peppers are sold by the bulk (where shoppers can select their own) or they’re prepackaged in a bag like in the picture of ingredients below.
If shishito peppers aren’t available, a good substitution is Spanish padron peppers. They’re very similar to shishito peppers and also have a mild and slightly sweet taste.
How to Pick the Best Shishito Peppers
The fresher the better so try to pick the peppers that are bright green and firm.
Also, check out the stems and try to pick the peppers with stems that are fresh looking and green, rather than dried up and brown.
How to Cook Shishito Peppers
These peppers are best when cooked quickly and on high heat so that they blister or char (for a smoky flavor) while at the same time the peppers still have some firmness to them.
If shishito peppers are cooked too slowly on low heat, the texture may be soft and soggy with very little char.
The idea is to char or blister all sides of the peppers as quick as possible.
This can be done by roasting, broiling, grilling, or searing them in a hot skillet.
About this Recipe
In this recipe, the shishito peppers are added to a preheated iron skillet and then cooked in the oven under the broiler.
This way the peppers char on the top and bottom.
Olive Oil is used in this recipe, but other options include avocado oil, peanut oil or grapeseed oil.
How to Serve Shishito Peppers
Shishito peppers should be served right away because the longer they sit the softer they’ll get.
Serve topped with crunchy or coarse salt such as kosher salt, Himalayan salt, sea salt or flueur de del (translates to “flower of salt” and is sea salt that’s hand-harvested from tidal pools off the coast of Brittany France).
And serve these peppers with a side of cool creamy dipping sauce such as ranch dressing.
Let’s check out the ingredients.
Shishito peppers, olive oil*, fresh lemon juice, kosher salt and ground black pepper (*other options for oil include avocado oil, peanut oil or grapeseed oil)
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
A printable recipe with the measurements and instructions is located at the bottom of this post.
Preheat the oven on broil.
For the Peppers:
Preparing the Peppers – Thoroughly wash the shishito peppers.
Then lay them onto a paper towel-lined plate and pat them dry.
To a medium to large size bowl, add the peppers…
…olive oil…
…fresh squeezed lemon juice…
…kosher salt (or other type of coarse salt)…
…and ground black pepper.
Toss the peppers until they’re evenly coated with the oil mixture.
Set aside for a moment.
For Cooking:
Preparing the Skillet – On the stove top, heat the skillet.
TIP – If the skillet starts to smoke, turn off the heat and using sturdy hot mitts, move the skillet to an unused burner.
After the skillet is hot, turn off the heat.
To the hot skillet,
…using tongs, carefully add the shishito peppers…
…arranging them in a single layer.
TIP – Reserve the liquid left in the bowl that the peppers were in for use later.
Broiling the Peppers – Using sturdy hot mitts, carefully put the skillet with the peppers in the preheated oven on the top rack to broil.
Cook under the broiler until the tops of the peppers are blistered or charred (about 3 minutes).
Watch the peppers closely to make sure they don’t burn.
Using sturdy hot mitts, carefully remove the peppers from the oven and if they’re not already blistered on the bottom, using tongs, carefully turn the peppers over and put them back under the broiler and cook until the top (was the bottom) gets blistered or charred (about 1 minute).
Watch the peppers closely to make sure they don’t burn.
For Serving:
Serving the Peppers – Serve right away.
When the peppers are in the serving dishes, drizzle the remaining liquid from the mixing bowl on top of the peppers and top with kosher salt (or other coarse salt).
Serve with a side of cool creamy dipping sauce such as ranch dressing.
If you’re the lucky one to get the rogue hot pepper, it may just have you coming back for more.
Thank you so much for stopping by CCC!
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Blistered Shishito Peppers with Crunchy Salt
Ingredients
For the Shishito Peppers:
- 1 package (8 ounces) Shishito peppers (about 3 heaping cups) thoroughly washed and patted dry
- 2 tablespoons olive oil other options for oil include avocado oil, peanut oil or grapeseed oil
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or other coarse salt such as himalayan salt or sea salt
- 3 pinches ground black pepper
For the Topping:
- Kosher salt or other coarse salt such as himalayan salt or sea salt
Equipment
- Large heavy skillet (such as an iron skillet). Not a non-stick skillet.
Instructions
- Preparing the Peppers - To a medium to large size bowl, add the peppers, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, kosher salt and pepper.
- Toss the peppers until they're evenly coated with the oil mixture. Set aside for a moment.
- Preparing the Skillet - On the stove top, heat the skillet.If the skillet starts to smoke, turn off the heat and using sturdy hot mitts, move the skillet to an unused burner.After the skillet is hot, turn off the heat.
- To the hot skillet, using tongs, carefully add the shishito peppers arranging them in a single layer. Reserve the liquid left in the bowl that the peppers were in for use later.
- Broiling the Peppers - Using sturdy hot mitts, carefully put the skillet with the peppers in the preheated oven on the top rack to broil.
- Cook under the broiler until the tops of the peppers are blistered or charred (about 3 minutes).Watch the peppers closely to make sure they don't burn.
- Using sturdy hot mitts, carefully remove the peppers from the oven and if they're not already blistered on the bottom, using tongs, carefully turn the peppers over and put them back under the broiler and cook until the top (was the bottom) gets blistered or charred (about 1 minute).Watch the peppers closely to make sure they don't burn.
- Serving the Peppers - Serve right away.When the peppers are in the serving dishes, drizzle the remaining liquid from the mixing bowl on top of the peppers and top with kosher salt (or other coarse salt).
- Serve with a side of cool creamy dipping sauce such as ranch dressing.
Notes
TIPS:
- If the skillet starts to smoke when heating it up on the stove top, turn off the heat and using sturdy hot mitts, move the skillet to an unused burner.
- Reserve the liquid left in the bowl that the peppers were in for use when they're served.
Recipes with Peppers
Here are more recipes with peppers you may like “Double-the-Cheese Nacho Jalapeno Garlic Bread“, “Jalapeno and Cheese Taquitos” and “Nacho Jalapeno Deviled Eggs“.
Finger Food Appetizer Recipes
Here are More Finger Food Appetizer Recipes You May Like:
Spicy Chicken and Lime Taquitos
Tempura Shrimp with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
