This recipe for blistered shishito peppers is both easy and quick to make. It makes for a great side dish or can be served as an appetizer or snack alongside your favorite drinks. I also show you how to make a simple tangy and savory Japanese citrus ponzu sauce as a dipping sauce as well.
Table of Contents
- What are Shishito Peppers?
- Why You'll Love This Blistered Shishito Recipe
- Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Shishito Peppers At Home
- How to Make Shishito Peppers (Step-by-Step)
- Joyce's Tips For Making the Best Blistered Shishito Peppers Every Single Time
- Serving Suggestions
- Shishito Peppers Variations
- How to Store Shishito Peppers
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Recipes To Use Up Leftover Bonito Flakes
- More Japanese Recipes You Make Like
- Did You Make This Shishito Pepper Recipe?
- Recipe Card
If you're like me, you're always snacking, and my go-to snacks are not always very healthy but that doesn't always have to be the case!
These Japanese charred and blistered shishito peppers are not only light and healthy, but they also take just a few minutes to make, making this dish truly awesome.
The most common way they are cooked is by blistering them quickly over high heat and serving it immediately sprinkled with salt or with a dipping sauce.
Once the peppers are cooked, they taste slightly sweet from the natural sugars, but 1 out of 10 may be spicy which I find is a great conversation starter and fun to eat whenever I have these with my friends.
For my recipe, I show you how to make it with a simple Japanese citrus sauce called ponzu sauce, but the skies the limit when it comes to flavoring these, so you can be very creative.
A few easy ways I like to serve them is to drizzle them with a chili oil (chili crisp and my miso garlic chili oil are my favorite.), but if I am looking for something on the sweeter side, I thin out my hoisin dipping sauce and have that as a dipping sauce as well.
What are Shishito Peppers?
Shishito peppers are small green peppers, the length of your fingers. They are slightly wrinkled in texture and thin walled.
These peppers are native to Japan and are frequently enjoyed as an appetizer with a meal or as a snack or appetizer with some drinks.
Once they have been cooked, they are slightly sweet but there is a 1 in 10 chance that it would get a very spicy one (about 10% chance).
Shishito peppers are about 50-200 Scoville on the heat scale, but the spicy ones can jump to to about 2500 Scoville which is the same as a mild jalapeno. For reference, a green bell pepper is 0 Scoville.
If you find a red shishito pepper, they are also fine to eat as well. They have turned red because they haven't been picked early and they have been over ripening on the plant.
Fresh shishito peppers can be store in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
Why You'll Love This Blistered Shishito Recipe
- Quick and Easy to Make: Whether you are making this for yourself and your family or making it as an appetizer to entertain with, they are incredibly easy to make, and quick too!
- Versatile: You can switch up how you serve this. You can keep it simple with just a sprinkle of salt, chili oil or, furikake, but alternatively, you can also make different type of dipping sauces as well. For this recipe, we make a simple Japanese citrus sauce called ponzu sauce.
- Healthy: Look for a way to add more greens to your diet? This would be it.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Shishito Peppers At Home
For the Blistered Shishito Peppers:
- Shishito Peppers - I use shishito peppers for this recipe, which I find at Asian grocery stores, but I have also seen them recently at my local grocery stores as well in the produce section.
- Toasted Sesame oil (Optional) - To give the peppers a bit more flavor, you can also toss it in a few drops of sesame oil after it has finished cooking.
For the Ponzu Dipping Sauce (Japanese Citrus Dipping Sauce:
- Lemon - To balance the salt and sugar flavors, I use fresh lemon juice, which also gives it a fresh lemony flavor. If you like a stronger lemon flavor, you can grate in ½ teaspoon of lemon zest as well. Alternatively, you can also use limes or lime juice as well but it will be a much stronger flavor. Do not use bottled lemon juice for this recipe, it tastes best with fresh lemons.
- Soy Sauce - For the soy sauce, I like to use low sodium soy sauce for the dipping sauce.
- Mirin - (or sugar water) - To balance out the saltiness, I use mirin to sweeten the sauce. If you can't find mirin, you can substitute it with 2 tablespoon of water mixed with 1 ½ teaspoon of sugar)
- Bonito Flakes - To give the sauce bit more umami and smoky flavor, I like to soak bonito flakes in it. You can discard the bonito flakes right before you serve it. If you can't find bonito flakes you can omit it or use hondashi granules.
- Hondashi (Optional) - If you can't find bonito flakes, you can use ¼ teaspoon hondashi granules to add a bit of umami and smoky flavor but it is very salty so you will need to an additional 1 tablespoon of water and ½ teaspoon of sugar. Do a taste test and adjust it to your taste.
How to Make Shishito Peppers (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Make the Sauce
We want to make the sauce first, so that when the shishito peppers are ready and off the pan, we can have the sauce ready.
To make the sauce, you want to squeeze lemon juice into a small bowl and mix in mirin, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil (optional) and water.
If you don't have mirin, you mix 1 teaspoon of sugar sugar with 2 tablespoon of water to substitute instead.
If you are using bonito flakes to give the dipping sauce a smokier flavor, soak them in the dipping sauce for about 5 minutes and then strain them out and discard it.
Step 2: Wash the Shishito Peppers, Puncture and and Oil Them
After you wash the shishito peppers, it's important to dry them as much as you can because you'll be blistering these in a very hot pan and the water will make the oil splatter everywhere.
I like to use paper towel or a dish towel to dry them off.
Although this is optional, I highly recommend puncturing each pepper with a toothpick or fork before you cook them. This will give the steam a way to escape and not be trapped inside. Any steam that is trapped within the pepper can make them rupture and pop during the cooking process and splash really hot liquids on you.
Then drizzle some oil on the peppers and toss it light so they are all coated evenly with the oil.
Step 3: Cook It In A Hot Frying Pan or Cast Iron Skillet
I like to use a cast iron pan for this because it gets really hot, but any type of frying pan will work as well.
You don't need to oil it, since you have already oiled the shishito peppers.
Once the pan is very hot, add the shishito peppers in and cook them for about 6 minutes, flipping them every minute.
Shishito peppers have very thin walled flesh, so it doesn't take long to cook them. You want them to be blistered, but still be crisp and not soggy.
Alternatively, you can also blister shishito peppers in a hot BBQ or grill on medium heat with the same cooking time.
Step 4: Plate Them and Serve With Dipping Sauce
Once the shishito peppers have finished cooking, serve it with a side of dipping sauce or sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds, furikake and sea salt and have it on its own! You can eat the whole pepper (including the seeds) up to the stem.
Joyce's Tips For Making the Best Blistered Shishito Peppers Every Single Time
- Don't Overcook Them: Shishito peppers are very thinned walled peppers and take very little time to cook all the way through.
- Make The Sauce First: Make the sauce first, so that it will be ready to serve as soon as the shishito peppers are done cooking.
- Coat the Shishito With Oil: Since you will be blistering these shishito peppers on a very hot pan on high heat, you don't want to add oil to the pan itself because that will create a lot of smoke. Toss the shishito peppers in to coat them in oil instead to prevent your house from getting overly smoky.
- Puncture Them Before You Cook Them: When steam gets trapped inside the pepper during the cooking process, they have a chance to rupture and burst, which will spray very hot liquids on you. Puncturing them with a toothpick or fork lets the steam escape and prevents that from happening.
- Dry Them Very Well After Washing: If you put water and oil on a very hot pan, the oil will splatter everywhere and possibly burn you. To avoid this, make sure you dry the shishito peppers very well once you have washed it. I like to use paper towel, or a dry dish towel to do this.
- Use a Neutral Tasting Oil: Since you are working with very high heat, try to avoid using olive oil because it has a very low smoking point. I like to use avocado oil instead which has a higher smoking point and because it is a healthier oil as well.
- You Can Use a BBQ or Grill As Well - You can also blister shishito peppers in a hot BBQ or grill on medium heat with the same cooking time.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve shishito peppers as a appetizer or a side dish since it's a very light dish and it so easy to make, you can make it anytime.
If I feel like having a light meal, I will usually pair it with a Korean cucumber salad (oi muchim), or a Japanese crab salad (kani salad) with a delicious and tangy Thai tom kha ga soup.
When I want to have it with a more full and hearty meal to serve with guest, I love to pair this up with a chewy Korean glass noodle stir fry (japchae) and have it alongside with grilled meats like Vietnamese lemongrass chicken, or Thai coconut chicken skewers.
They are also great plain and sprinkled with a bit of salt and furikake or served with a side of miso garlic chili oil (don't worry it's not spicy, it has more of a sweet and savory flavor).
Shishito Peppers Variations
This shishito peppers recipe is very versatile and you can definitely switch this up to your tastes. Here are a few variations you can try.
Simple: Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds, furikake and sea salt and serve them without a dipping sauce to keep the flavors simple.
Spicy: Mix sriracha chili sauce or chili pepper flakes into the dipping sauce to make this shishito pepper dish spicy and savory.
Smoky: Using bonito flakes will give you a hint of smokiness but adding hondashi granules will give you a much stronger smoky flavor. A little goes a long way, and make sure you mix more water into the sauce if you use this because hondashi has a lot of salt in it. You may also need to add more mirin or sugar to balance out the saltiness.
Sweet: Instead of using the Japanese lemon ponzu sauce, you can switch up the sauce and use a sweet and savory hoisin dipping sauce made with hoisin sauce, chili oil, toasted sesame oil and water. Alternatively, you can also use tonkatsu sauce as well.
Sweet and Tangy: If I am looking for a sweet and sour sauce to use, I like to use Vietnamese fish dipping sauce (nuoc cham). It's light, refreshing and has the perfect sweet, sour and salty balance. Alternatively, you can also use something heavier like a Chinese sweet and sour sauce as well.
Creamy and Savory: When I feel like using a heavier dipping sauce, I like to use Caesar dressing. The more garlicky it is, the better. Alternatively, you can also use a garlic aioli dip for it as well which you can make by grating a few cloves of garlic and mixing it with mayonnaise, lemon juice and salt.
How to Store Shishito Peppers
Shishito peppers are best when eaten hot and fresh off the pan, so I don't recommend storing them.
They only take about 3 minutes to cook so they are easy and quick to make if you need to make them.
You can make the sauce ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
1 in 10 shishito peppers are spicy and hot. They are about 50-200 Scoville, but the spicy ones can jump to to about 2500 Scoville which is the same as a mild jalapeno. For reference, a green bell pepper is 0 Scoville.
Yes you can, they won't be as sweet and will taste like an average green pepper.
They cook them on a very hot pan or grill and blister them until they are soft. They are usually served with a sprinkle of salt or with a dipping sauce.
Shishito peppers are great as a snack, appetizer or side dish, and they are especially a great light eat with a side of drinks.
You can store fresh shishito peppers in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
Recipes To Use Up Leftover Bonito Flakes
More Japanese Recipes You Make Like
Did You Make This Shishito Pepper Recipe?
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Recipe Card
Easy Blistered Shishito Peppers With Dipping Sauce
Joyce's Recipe Notes
- Make The Sauce First: Make the sauce first, so that it will be ready to serve as soon as the shishito peppers are done cooking.
- You Can Use a BBQ or Grill As Well - You can also blister shishito peppers in a hot BBQ or grill on medium-high heat with the same cooking time.
- Use a Neutral Tasting Oil: Since you are working with very high heat, try to avoid using olive oil because it has a very low smoking point. I like to use avocado oil instead which has a higher smoking point and because it is a healthier oil as well.
- Dry Them Very Welll After Washing: If you put water and oil on a very hot pan, the oil will splatter everywhere and possibly burn you. To avoid this, make sure you dry the shishito peppers very well once you have washed it. I like to use paper towel, or a dry dish towel to do this.
- Coat the Shishito With Oil: Since you will be blistering these shishito peppers on a very hot pan, you don't want to add oil to the pan itself because that will create a lot of smoke. Toss the shishito peppers in to coat them in oil instead to prevent your house from getting overly smoky.
- Alternatively, you can also serve this plain and sprinkled with a bit of salt or furikake.
Ingredients
- 220 g shishito peppers (approx. 22 peppers)
- 1 teaspoon oil
- ¼ teaspoon sesame oil (Optional)
Ponzu Dipping Sauce (Japanese Citrus Sauce)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (approx. ½ large lemon)
- 1½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 2½ tablespoons mirin (or 1 teaspoon of sugar mixed with 2 tablespoons of water)
- ¼ cup bonito flakes
Instructions
Make the Ponzu Dipping Sauce
- In a small bowl, squeeze 2 tablespoons lemon juice into the bowl.If you like it very lemony, you can also zest ¼ teaspoon of zest of the skin into the sauce as well. Make sure not to grate any of the white part of the skin (the pith) it's bitter.
- Mix in 1½ tablespoons soy sauce and 2½ tablespoons mirin into the bowl. (If you don't have mirin, mix 1 teaspoon of sugar with 2 tablespoons of water to substitute it.)
- Add in ¼ cup bonito flakes and let it soak for at least 5 minutes. You can prepare the shishito peppers while the bonito flakes are soaking
- After the bonito flakes had time to soak in the sauce, you can remove it and discard it.
Prepare the Shishito Peppers
- Wash the shishito peppers, and dry them very well with a tea towel or paper towel.
- (Optional, but Highly Recommended) Puncture each shishito pepper with a toothpick or a fork at the tip. This will help the steam release during the blistering stage and not build up and burst, which can spray hot liquids on you.
- Put the peppers in a bowl, and add 1 teaspoon oil. Use your hand and mix the peppers in the oil to coat them all very well.
Blister Them In A Hot Pan
- On a cast iron pan, set the stove medium heat and let the pan get really hot. Make sure the pan is really hot before you put the peppers in, that is how you will get the blistering.If you are using a regular frying pan, set it to medium-high heat.Alternatively, you can also use a grill for this as well on medium heat.
- Since you already oiled the peppers, you don't need to oil the pan.Add the shishito peppers into the pan, and spread them out so they are on a single layer.
- Cook the peppers for about 5-6 minutes, flipping every 30 seconds to a 1 minute.If you are using a frying pan, you don't need to flip them as often and you may need to add 1-2 minutes more to the cooking time since it doesn't get as hot as a cast iron pan.
- (Optional) Once the peppers are done cooking, toss them in ¼ teaspoon sesame oil and place them on a serving plate.
- If you are not tossing them into sesame oil, remove them from the pan and plate it. Serve it with a side of dipping sauce, and enjoy!
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is calculated using online tools and is an estimate*
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