Blistered Shishito Peppers

Name: Blistered Shishito Peppers recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 quart fresh shishito peppers; 1 orange; 1/4 C red pepper, thinly julienned; 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes; 2 Tbsp olive oil; coarse salt to taste

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·Leave a Review

Blistered Shishito Peppers are a restaurant style appetizer that's easy to make, sprinkled with flaky sea salt and orange zest. Ready in 20 minutes, they're a healthy alternative to traditional bar food.

blistered shishito peppers in black serving bowl on blue napkin, sprinkled with orange zest

We recently discovered Shishito Peppers, and we are forever changed. We had noticed these mild peppers on menus all over the place, and we could no longer ignore it once one of our favorite bars started serving them with craft beer. Most shishitos are sweet and quite mild, but once in a while you bite into a hot one. And that's half the fun!

Our Shishito Pepper recipe is baked in the oven to bring out the natural flavors of the peppers. We soak them in fresh squeezed orange juice, bake them until they blister, then sprinkle them with coarse salt and orange zest. Like our Cauliflower Bites and Edamame, the flavor combination is magical and addictive, without all the calories.

Jump to:

Ingredients
Instructions
Top tip
Variations
Storage
FAQ
Related recipes
Blistered Shishito Peppers recipe

Ingredients

SHISHITO PEPPERS: fresh peppers (if you can't find shishitos, Pimento de Padrón peppers are the closest variety).
ORANGE: for zest and juice. Navel oranges, Valencia oranges, or blood oranges work
RED PEPPER: use mini red peppers or red bell pepper, thinly julienned
RED PEPPER FLAKES: dried red pepper flakes add a kick
OLIVE OIL: use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can afford
SALT: coarse sea salt or coarse kosher salt (to taste)

*see recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Zest Orange: Zest one orange and set aside
Soak Peppers in Orange Juice: Juice orange (to equal ¼ C) and place in medium mixing bowl. Add crushed red pepper and shishito peppers. Toss to coat. Soak for 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400° F.
Bake: Remove peppers from orange juice and place on baking sheet. Sprinkle red peppers on top and drizzle with olive oil. Bake peppers for 12-15 minutes or until peppers are blistered.
Remove from oven and place in serving bowl. Salt and toss with orange zest.
Serve warm.

Top tip

Eat the whole shishito pepper (seeds and all), just not the stem.

Would you like to save this recipe?

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

blistered shishito peppers in wooden bowl on blue napkin, sprinkled with orange zest, red pepper shavings

Variations

Dip them in Beer Cheese Dip , Black Bean Hummus or soy sauce
Sprinkle them with smoked salt, truffle salt, toasted sesame seeds, or lemon zest
Substitute sesame oil for olive oil for more traditional Asian flavor

Storage

Store uncooked peppers at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Cooked peppers should be eaten immediately. They do not taste as good the next day.

blistered shishito peppers in black serving bowl on blue napkin with tongs, sprinkled with orange zest

FAQ

What are shishito peppers?

Shishitos pepper are small, finger length peppers from Japan. They have mild flavor and thin skins, making them an excellent to nibble on.

Are shishito peppers spicy?

Shishitos are mild in flavor, but about 1 in 10 peppers will have a surprising kick of heat.

Where can I buy shishito peppers?

You can find shishitos at most specialty grocery stores (like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's). You can also find them at local farmers' markets.

🍅 Making this recipe?

Please feel free to reach out with questions. We're happy to help.
If you enjoyed it, please leave us a comment with ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️