Easy 3-Ingredient Blistered Shishito Peppers
This 3-Ingredient Blistered Shishito Peppers Recipe is an easy and quick one. Subtly smoky, slightly spicy, and scrumptiously salty, these shishito peppers make a delicious appetizer, snack, or side dish.
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If you are looking for a snack that is absolutely delicious, high in fiber and nutrients while being low in calories, this 3-Ingredient Blistered Shishito Peppers recipe is for you. This is a tasty snack that’s hard to resist. And, this recipe can be made with only 3 main ingredients in only 8 minutes!
What are shishito peppers?
Shishito peppers (also called Shishitōgarashi or Japanese Pimiento) are vibrant green, finger-like, mild peppers that are popular in Japanese cuisine. They are usually about 2-3 inches in length and have woody stems. Shishito peppers can be eaten raw or cooked. They tend to cook quickly and absorb flavor easily.
What do shishito peppers taste like?
Raw shishito peppers tend to taste mild and slightly sweet. When shishito peppers are blistered or charred, they taste slightly sweet, smoky, and a tad bit peppery. They also tend to absorb whatever flavors they are sautéed with.
Are shishito peppers healthy?
Shishito peppers might be small, but they pack a hefty nutritional punch. They are high in dietary fiber, antioxidants, vitamin C, A, and E. They are said to aid in everything from gut health to skin health to cardiovascular health. They are very low in calories and often incorporate well into a weight-loss diet.
Are Shishito peppers hot?
These little peppers are typically not very spicy at all. The heat range for shishito peppers on the Scoville scale is 50-200 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), which puts them in the mild range along with padron peppers. For context, Jalapeno peppers and about 160 times hotter than shishito peppers. With that said though, 1 out of every 10 to 20 shishito peppers might have a surprising kick of heat.
Where can you buy shishito peppers?
The last time I bought shishito peppers, I got them from Trader Joe’s. But I have also seen them at Kroger, Whole Foods, and a few other grocery stores.
What are the ingredients needed for this 3-Ingredient Blistered Shishito Peppers Recipe?
You will need the following 3 main ingredients and some salt too:
- Shishito peppers
- Olive oil
- Harissa
Optional ingredients are some fresh parsley and red pepper flakes to garnish this dish with.
Instructions
- First off, rinse the shishito peppers by placing them in a colander under running water. Then place them on a kitchen towel and dry them off thoroughly.
- Using a fork or knife, puncture a hole or two in each shishito pepper.
- Then, add some oil to a large frying pan or cast-iron skillet and place the pan over a stovetop set to medium heat (on a gas stovetop) and medium-high heat (on an electric stovetop).
- When the oil is heated, add the shishito peppers to the pan and spread them out so they are in a single layer.
- Let the shishito peppers sauté for about 2 minutes, undisturbed, so they can blister. Now, stoves tend to be different, so keep an eye on your shishito peppers as they might blister quicker if the heat is high. Then, using a spatula, flip them over and let them sauté a couple more minutes.
- Add in the harissa.
- Using the spatula, stir the shishito peppers so the harissa is well distributed. Let the shishito peppers sauté for about a minute or two longer, flipping them around during this process.
- Season with salt and enjoy warm.
An optional step is to sprinkle the blistered shishito peppers with some chopped fresh parsley and some red pepper flakes before serving.
Tips when Making this Dish
- Thoroughly dry the shishito peppers after washing them, as you will be adding the shishito peppers to a pan with hot oil.
- Use a fork or knife to poke a hole or two in the shishito peppers (or stand back) as these peppers tend to pop and jump as they blister and/or char.
- Use a generous amount of salt or flaky sea salt when seasoning this recipe, as it helps the flavor of the shishito peppers shine.
Adaptations to this recipe
- Olive oil
The olive oil can be substituted with sesame oil, avocado oil, vegetable oil, or butter.
- Harissa
A combination of 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon of coriander, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, and 1 teaspoon of diced fresh garlic would work well as a substitute for the harissa. Shishito peppers are mild, so I like to add a bit of smoky heat to them to accentuate their natural flavor.
Shishito peppers taste delicious when blistered with some olive oil and seasoned with just salt. But they taste even more delicious when tossed with some harissa, so I would urge you to give this recipe a try.
What pairs well with these blistered shishito peppers?
These 3-Ingredient Blistered Shishito Peppers can be enjoyed without any accouterments. They can also be served with a drizzle of sriracha, fresh lime juice, or lemon juice.
Another option is to serve them with a dipping sauce such as soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, cherry sauce, spicy mango sauce, or this pumpkin chili sauce.
Storage and Reheating
These 3-Ingredient Blistered Shishito Peppers are best made just before they are to be consumed. They tend to get a bit mushy when they are stored and reheated in a microwave.
With that said, there have been a few times when I have had leftovers of this dish. Those rare times, I have stored the leftover blistered shishito peppers in an airtight container in the fridge. When it comes to reheating, I usually leave them out to get to room temperature and enjoy them at room temperature or cold.
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Ingredients
Instructions
- First, rinse the shishito peppers by placing them in a colander under running water. Then place them on a kitchen towel and dry them off thoroughly.
- Using a fork or knife, puncture a hole or two in each shishito pepper.
- Then, add some oil to a large frying pan or cast iron skillet and place the pan over a stovetop set to medium heat (on a gas stovetop) and medium-high heat (on an electric stovetop).
- When the oil is heated, add the shishito peppers to the pan and spread them out so they are in a single layer.
- Let the shishito peppers sauté for about 2 minutes, undisturbed, so they can blister. Now, stoves tend to be different, so keep an eye on your shishito peppers as they might blister quicker if the heat is high. Then, using a spatula, flip them over and let them sauté a couple more minutes.
- Add in the harissa.
- Using the spatula, stir the shishito peppers so the harissa is well distributed. Let the shishito peppers sauté for about a minute or two longer, flipping them around during this process.
- Season with salt and enjoy warm.
- An optional step is to sprinkle the blistered shishito peppers with some chopped fresh parsley and some red pepper flakes before serving.
Notes
- Thoroughly dry the shishito peppers after washing them, as you will be adding the shishito peppers to a pan with hot oil.
- Use a fork or knife to poke a hole or two in the shishito peppers (or stand back) as these peppers tend to pop and jump as they blister and/or char.
- Use a generous amount of salt or flaky sea salt when seasoning this recipe, as it helps the flavor of the shishito peppers shine.
