My love for blistered shishito peppers knows no bounds. No joke, I could sit down and eat this entire tray for dinner solo. Here’s everything you need to know to make these cute little peps a reality. And P.S. these make the absolute BEST snack while hanging out and drinking with friends. Trust me.
Are shishito peppers spicy?
9x out of 10 the answer will be no. The thing about shishito peppers is that most of them are extremely mild, having practically no spice at all and instead being mildly sweet. Unfortunately, there’s usually 1 or 2 in each bunch that is uber spicy. It’s basically a game of Russian roulette whenever you eat shishitos. WORTH IT.
How to cook shishito peppers
Okay, these are the absolute simplest appetizer or side dish. They take mere minutes to cook, have practically no prep work (no need to remove the stem!) and disappear just as fast. You eat the whole thing, include the shishito pepper seeds.
In order to blister the shishitos, cook then over very high heat for a short period of time. Heat a couple teaspoons of a light oil (grape seed, vegetable, or canola work great) and some sesame oil until almost smoking, then add shishito peppers and cook, stirring or tossing often, until all sides are blistered and the skins have become very soft, about 5 minutes. The key here is to cook until all sides are blistered.
Can you eat the stem?
You can, but I prefer to hold onto the stem, bite off and eat the rest of the pepper (including seeds!) and discard the top. Nothing bad will happen if you eat it, though.
Looking for similar side dishes? Be sure to check out our Asian Brussels Sprouts or our Spicy Kani Salad!
How to serve blistered shishito peppers
First and foremost, make sure you sprinkle those shishito peppers with kosher salt the second you take them off the heat! You’re gonna thank me for that extra special chef tip.
My favorite way to serve them? Right before they’re finished cooking, add a couple cloves of minced garlic, a splash of soy sauce, and then sprinkle on the sesame seeds with abandon. It’s so simple, but SO flavorful. Serve with additional soy sauce on the side for dipping. Seriously, these blistered shishito peppers are the best – absolute heaven!
Whether you serve them solo or alongside your favorite Asian dishes, you’re about to see how completely addictive these little cuties are!
Looking for another fantastic Asian-inspired side dish? Check out our kani salad — creamy with the most wonderful pop from the tobiko!
If you make these Blistered Shishito Peppers, please let me know by leaving a review below!
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For inspiration on what to serve these with, check out the following recipes:
- Asian stuffed peppers
- Ramen eggs
- Miso-marinated salmon bowls
- Crispy grilled chicken wings
- Ultimate black bean burgers
Blistered Shishito Peppers Recipe with Soy Sauce and Sesame
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp canola vegetable, or grape seed oil (use a light oil that has a high smoke point)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 lb shishito peppers
- 2 small cloves of garlic minced
- ½ Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce can substitute coconut aminos, plus more for serving
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat 1 Tbsp grape seed and 1 tsp sesame oil over high heat in a large cast iron or heavy bottom skillet until very hot, but not smoking. Add shishito peppers and cook, stirring often, until blistered on all sides. This can take 5-10 minutes depending on how hot your pan is. You're looking for the peppers to be tender, but not mushy.
- When the peppers are almost there, add garlic, ½ Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp sesame seeds. Cook until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds then remove from heat. Sprinkle with 1 tsp kosher salt, then serve immediately with additional soy sauce for dipping.
Ok, wow – I’ve made other shishito recipes before, but this one beats them all! I ran out of sesame seeds, so I’m sure it’s even better with those and will have to add next time I make them. Serving them tonight for dinner alongside your Korean Gochujang Chicken Meatballs. Perfect complement! As always, thank you for upping my food game!
Blistered shishitos forever! Our favorite recipe, so happy you enjoyed them too! xo, Ari