Blistered Shishito Peppers

Blistered shishito peppers are a delicious appetizer or bar snack you can make at home. I’m showing you how to cook them on the stove, grill or in the oven – whichever way you choose, they’re very easy to make.

Today I’m sharing this super easy shishito pepper recipe which you can make on the grill, in the oven or on the stove. Mr. K and I adore them and order them often at our favorite Japanese restaurants They’re also very easy to make at home on the stove, in the oven or on the grill.

What are Shishito Peppers?

Shishito peppers are a subtly sweet and mild pepper commonly used in Japanese and other Asian cuisines. For the most part, they are sweet with a few spicy surprises (about 1 in 10 are spicy). Even if you do get one of the spicy ones though, it’s a pretty manageable level of heat. They are most often served “blistered” by roasting, grilling or sautéing them.

I’ve been seeing them a lot more at the market and you can usually find them at Asian markets, farmer’s markets, and at Trader Joe’s. I often see people asking how to prepare them, so I thought I’d share how we do it at home. In Japanese restaurants, they are often offered as an appetizer, bar snack, etc. They are fun to nibble on.

Three Ways to Cook Them

The key to making blistered peppers is high heat whether you cook them on the stove, in the oven or on a grill. The process is very simple and they don’t take long so keep an eye on them. Before you cook them brush each with a light coating of olive oil.

• Oven: Turn on the broiler. Place the peppers in an even layer on a baking sheet. Broil them until the tops start to blister and turn black in spots. Flip them over and cook them until the other side starts to blacken in spots.
• Stovetop: Heat the pan over high heat. Place the peppers in the pan and, just like the oven method, cook them on both sides until the skins start to blacken in spots.
• Grill: Preheat your grill to high. You can grill them directly on the grates and cook them just as you would on the stove or in the oven.

Recipe Tips

• Depending on the size of your peppers and the method you choose to cook them the cooking time will vary.
• As they cook, you will hear a popping noise which is the air pressure being released. It’s usually at this point that I turn them over.
• The peppers, after they’re blistered, will be tender but not soft. This is the texture you want.
• To serve, I like to sprinkle them with sea salt.

At this point, I’ve been buying my peppers at the market but we’re planning to grow them in our garden since we love cooking them so much. This is such an easy snack – I hope you enjoy it, too.

More Easy Appetizers

Here are a few more easy appetizers you might like to try, too!

• Garlic Mushrooms
• Foil Pack Garlic Fries
• BBQ Tofu Fries

Sauteed Blistered Shishito Peppers

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Asian

These pan sauteed blistered shishito peppers make a delicious snack or bar food and are ridiculously easy to make.

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Ingredients

• shishito peppers
• olive oil
• sea salt

Instructions

• Heat pan on the stove. The peppers can also be cooked on a grill or in the oven. Brush peppers with olive oil. Place peppers into heated pan and cook a few minutes on each side. You will hear the peppers make a slight popping sound, which is the air pressure releasing. That's usually when I flip mine over. Both sides should be slightly blistered and peppers should be tender but not completely soft.
• Remove from heat. Sprinkle sea salt on the peppers before serving.

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Mention @KirbieCravings and tag #kirbiecravings!