Blistered Shishito Peppers with Sesame Oil and Salt

Oh so delicious Blistered Shishito Peppers with Sesame Oil and Salt! Shishitos are mild, thin-walled peppers that become incredibly tender when blistered over high heat. And it only takes a few minutes! They’re perfect as a party appetizer and are quite addicting once you get started.

Ah, the convenience factor. As much as I love shishito peppers, blistered shishitos are sometimes an afterthought for me–but a delicious one at that! It’s usually when we’re done preparing dinner and realize we need something green on the plate. Literally in 5 minutes and 3 ingredients later, we’ve got a yummy side dish that goes well with almost any meal. Not to mention they glisten beautifully when tossed in a little sesame oil and sprinkled with Maldon salt.

How to blister shishito peppers

Blistering peppers is one of the easiest things you can do in the kitchen. It’s hard to overcook something that’s meant to be browned and blistered! The most important thing is to use high heat. If not, your peppers might be mushy inside by the time the skins become blistered.

The most simple thing to do is heat your pan up on high heat for a few minutes and flick in a drop of water to check that it’s ready. The water droplet will pop around and quickly evaporate if so. Wait until it completely evaporates. Then, just toss in your peppers with a small drizzle of sesame oil and keep tossing until blistered. I would encourage you to taste a few peppers as you go so you learn how blistered you really like them. I prefer a slight bit to mine, so I don’t blister them for more than 5-7 minutes.

What to eat with shishito peppers

• Shishitos are a great complement to dishes with steamed or fried rice
• Try them in this Shishito Pepper Steak recipe
• Or with Spicy Tuna Salad Onigiri (Japanese Rice Ball)
• It’s a super quick breakfast item that pairs well with eggs.

Are shishito peppers spicy?

Shishitos are mild peppers, similar to Italian frying peppers or bell peppers. However, there is a bit of roulette at play here! Working on market farms I learned a lot of tips about produce, and shishito peppers were one of them. It’s said that 1 in 10 shishito peppers will contain heat in their seeds. I’m not sure how scientific this is, but I can tell you from personal experience it’s true! Not to worry though, even the spicy ones aren’t as spicy as a jalapeno.

Where to buy shishito peppers

Farmers markets used to be the only place you could find shishito peppers, however, I have been able to find them seasonally in some grocers. Usually from mid-summer to early fall. You can find them in Harris Teeter, Trader Joes’s and Whole Foods.

I would still suggest the farmers market as they will be fresher and a little more firm. Plus you get to support your local farmers!

Print Recipe

Blistered Shishito Peppers with Sesame Oil and Salt

Side dish, Summer, Fall, Peppers

Serves: 2

Prep Time: 5 minutes – Cooking Time: 10 minutes – Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pint container of shishito peppers (4-6 oz)
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1

Place a large wok or pan over high heat.

2

When hot, toss in the shishitos and pour in the sesame oil. Toss often until the peppers become brown and blistered. My rule of thumb is at least 30% of their surface should be blistered. This should take 5-7 minutes. If you prefer a really soft blistered pepper, you may want to cook them for 10 minutes.

3

Season with salt and enjoy!