Looking for a super easy under 10-minute appetizer? These blistered shishito peppers are perfectly charred and tossed in a sweet and savory honey garlic soy sauce!
This blistered shishito peppers recipe is probably the easiest yet super flavorful appetizer or snack. The shishito peppers are cooked on a stove until they are beautifully charred on each side and tossed in an addicting sticky, garlicky, honey, sesame, soy sauce. This recipe is incredibly easy to make and even more satisfying to eat! Let’s get cooking.
Shishito peppers are a bright green East Asian pepper that is most commonly grown in Japan. The pepper is small and thin-walled and 9 out of 10 peppers are mild and slightly sweet. However, every once in a while you may come across one that is very spicy. The name refers to the tip of the pepper that looks like a lion’s head or “shishi” in Japanese which is abbreviated as shishito.
Ingredients
You can buy shishito peppers at your local Asian grocery store, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, or your local grocery store.
Shishito peppers: are mild most of the time and have a slightly sweet pepper flavor.
Vegetable Oil: is a neutral flavored oil with a high smoke point
Soy Sauce: is the base of the sauce that adds savory, umami depth.
Garlic: is the main aromatic that adds a pungent garlic flavor.
Honey: is the main sweetener that lightly thickens the sauce to evenly coat the blistered shishito peppers.
Sesame Oil: adds a layer of umami nutty flavor.
Sesame Seeds: for garnish and added nutty crunchy texture.
Flaky sea salt: for garnish and additional flavor.
Substitutions and Additions
Substitutions
Oil: any neutral flavored oil with a high smoke point like canola, peanut, avocado oil, etc. will work.
Soy sauce substitute: instead of soy sauce, you can alternatively use tamari or liquid aminos.
Sweetener: instead of honey, you can use sugar, brown sugar, agave, or maple syrup.
Additions
Spice: You can make a spicy sauce by adding chili flakes, hot sauce, or fresh chili peppers to the sauce.
Aromatics: you can add grated ginger and diced green onion for more aromatic flavors.
Lemon juice or zest: for added brightness a few drops of lemon juice or zest over the shishitos.
How to Cook Blistered Shishito Peppers
See the recipe card below for detailed measurements and instructions.
Use a knife to make a slit in each pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large pan over a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the peppers working in batches and cook on each side until blistered, about 4-6 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, add soy sauce, garlic, honey, sesame oil, and sesame seeds and mix until combined. Toss the peppers in the sauce until evenly coated or serve it on the side. Sprinkle the blistered shishito peppers with flaky sea salt and serve.
Expert Tips
Poke a hole in the peppers before cooking. Puncturing the pepper beforehand keeps it from expanding too much with the hot air and exploding.
Use a hot skillet. Heat your skillet and oil over medium-high heat until it is hot this will ensure that the shishitos will have a good char on each side.
Leave them undisturbed for 1 minute. Don’t touch the peppers for at least a minute or until charred before flipping.
Serve the sauce tossed or on the side. You can either serve the sauce on the side or toss it with the shishitos.
Storage Instructions
You can store any leftover blistered shishito peppers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheat: microwave the peppers covered until warm or warm them on a skillet over medium heat until warm.
Pairing Suggestions
These blistered shishito peppers are most commonly served as an appetizer or as a quick and healthy snack. You can pair this recipe with the following suggestions for a full meal.
9 times out of 10 shishito peppers will not be spicy. Most are mild and are not spicy at all. However, there may be one or two in every batch that will be very spicy. This recipe is basically a game of shishito roulette.
Can you eat shishito pepper stems?
Yes, you can eat the entire blistered shishito pepper including the seeds and stems however the stems are very fibrous and not exactly appetizing.
Are shishito peppers healthy?
Yes! Shishito peppers are full of vitamins C, A, and B and antioxidants, making them great immune boosters and beneficial for heart and bone health.
Looking for a super easy under 10-minute appetizer? These blistered shishito peppers are perfectly charred and tossed in a sweet and savory honey garlic soy sauce!
Prepare the shishito peppers. Use a knife to make a slit in each pepper. It will allow steam to escape from and prevent them from bursting.
Cook the shishitos peppers. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large pan over a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot add the 1/2 of the peppers to avoid overcrowding the pan, let them brown before flipping. Cook on each side until blistered on all sides, about 4-6 minutes.
Toss with sauce. In a mixing bowl, add soy sauce, garlic, honey, sesame oil, and sesame seeds and mix until combined. Toss the shishito peppers in the sauce until evenly coated. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and serve.
Notes
See the above “Expert Tips” section for more guidance.
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