Blistered Shishito Peppers

Blistered Shishito Peppers, an appetizer that’s becoming increasingly popular! Commonly served warm with a dipping sauce like lemon garlic aioli, this Shishito Peppers Recipe is the perfect healthy snack and it comes together in less than 10 minutes!

Why I Love Blistered Shishito Peppers

• Amazing flavor and texture. The flavor of these Blistered Shishito Peppers is warm, savory, and smoky. The texture is soft and juicy.
• So easy to make. This Shishito Peppers Recipe takes only 10 minutes to make and requires minimal equipment (a cast-iron skillet and a mixing bowl); cleanup is simple.
• The perfect appetizer. When you cook these peppers you’ll be leaving the stem on them which makes them easy to dip. Additionally, pan-roasted Shishito Peppers aren’t overly spicy and can thus be enjoyed by all.

What Are Shishito Peppers?

Shishito Peppers are a bright green, slender, thin-skinned and wrinkly little pepper which is native to Japan. I love these chilis so much that I wrote an entire guide on everything you need to know about Shishito Peppers.

How Hot Are Shishito Peppers?

There’s a big buzz that eating Blistered Shishito Peppers is like playing Russian roulette because only 1 out of 10 peppers is hot. Trust me, I’ve done the testing; I ate about 20 of these in one sitting and was unphased. However, if you have a sensitivity to spicy foods, proceed with caution. To further illustrate, let me turn to the science. The Scoville scale is used as a guide to determine the spiciness of chili peppers wherein a heat value (heat units) are assigned to each type of chili pepper. For example, jalapeno pepper (2,500 heat units) is considerably hotter than the Shishito Pepper (250 heat units). Thus, if you have no trouble with the spice level of jalapeno peppers, you’ll be just fine eating these.

Also remember, when chili peppers are cooked they become a little less spicy.

Blistered Shishito Peppers Recipe

• Shishito peppers – Make sure you select peppers with stems on them. This makes them easier for dipping.
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt – Use a coarse salt like flaky sea salt.
• Fresh squeezed lemon juice – This is optional if you plan on serving your Blistered Shishitos with lemon garlic aioli.

How To Cook Shishito Peppers

1. Thoroughly rinse peppers and then dry them by patting them down with a paper towel.
2. Add shishito peppers to a mixing bowl, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Toss to combine.
3. Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Add peppers to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers begin to show signs of charring, about 5 to 8 minutes.
4. Remove peppers from the skillet and transfer to a serving plate with lemon wedges.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve warm with lemon garlic aioli. This is my favorite way to eat Blistered Shishito Peppers!
• As a topping for burgers and sandwiches. Try them with my lentil burgers, so good!
• You can also use Blistered Shishito Peppers as a topping for salads.
• Serve with other appetizers like my lemon dill hummus or garlic wedge fries.

Where Can I Buy Shishito Peppers?

Shishito Peppers have become more popular over the last five years (likely because of the Blistered Shishito Pepper recipe); as a result, many large grocers now offer them. You will find them in the fresh produce section, likely next to the jalapeno and bell peppers.

Are Shishito Peppers Healthy?

Blistered Shishito Peppers are a great healthy snack. They’re loaded with vitamin C, A, B6, and antioxidants. Peppers are also beneficial for weight loss and digestive healthy. (1)(2)

Vegan Appetizers

• Vegan Ceviche
• Garlic Bread Recipe
• Fried Okra
• Healthy Vegan Nachos
• Homemade Tortilla Chips
• Beet Hummus
• Duritos
• Sugar Snap Peas Recipe