A hot cast iron pan creates the perfect char for this bite-sized blistered pepper appetizer tossed with flavored salts and fresh squeezed lemon.
I’m lucky when I pull the rabbit out of the hat. Those are the days I count my lucky stars and fist pump the universe.
I’m a bit of a planner, but I’m also a go with the flow kind of gal. I like schedules, but I don’t feel like I always have to stick to them. Impulse is the key to some of life’s best adventures.
I have a bevy of recipes on the list to share. But when I’m inspired by food that is totally fresh (like picked this morning at 6 a.m.) plans change. For the better.
Try it sometime. I’m betting you’ll agree.
Yesterday’s farmers market booty is today’s blog post. I pushed aside a few other recipes in the blog sharing queue for these blistered babies. They’re too fresh not too. They can’t wait.
Last week I was at the Korean grocery store and bought a basket full of shishito peppers (remember this photo?) and popped the little buggers in the cast iron skillet for a super quick appetizer with friends. 5 minutes was all it took. They were so good, so easy to make and left me wanting more.
So when I spied baskets of shishitos at one of my favorite vendor’s tent, I scooped them right into my cotton bag. And when we got home, we had a snack that’s even better than popcorn. In just 5 minutes. Pop-a-licious.
If you can’t find shishitos at your local farmers market or Asian store, Trader Joe’s has them bagged and ready to go.
About the Recipe
Shishitos are a mellow pepper and while there are reports of once in a while biting into a spicy one, I’ve yet to do so. What are the odds? The skin is usually quite tender so a quick sear is all thats needed for cooking.
I use a cast iron skillet to sear the peppers. Many recipes call for adding oil to the pan before adding the peppers but when I’ve done this in the past, the smoke from the oil is pretty heavy. And I hate a smoky kitchen. Searing in a dry pan did the job just fine, minus the smoke.
I added slices of lemon to the skillet because I am a big fan of seared lemons and the extra juice they produce. You can skip this step if you’d like.
I used three different flavored salts for flavoring the peppers: Natural Crystal Flakes with Wild Garlic, Smoked Applewood Salt and Truffle Salt. It was fun to experiment and see how the different salts flavored the same basic preparation of the peppers. You could of course use plain kosher salt or any other salt you have a hankering for. I think a saffron flavored salt would be dyn-o-mite.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram or Twitter with #foodiecrusheats.
5-Minute Blistered Shishito Peppers Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces shisito peppers
- ½ lemon sliced
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher or flavored salts
Instructions
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat until the pan is hot. Add the peppers to the hot skillet and cook the peppers, turning occasionally then add a few slices of lemon. Cook until the peppers become fragrant and begin to blister, and the nudge the lemons so they don't stick, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil plus a squeeze more lemon then sprinkle with flavored salts. Serve immediately.
Shishitos are the Sh*t!
There’s more than one way to blister a pepper. Here are a few ideas to take yours to the next tasty level.
Roasted Shishito Peppers
Jeanine wraps her shishitos in foil and pops them in the oven for a toasty, roasty roll in the heat. Bonus: She shares 2 dipping sauces to give a go.
Get the recipe | Love and Lemons
Corn Tomato Shishito Pepper Pizza
This pizza is straight from the farmers market, abundant with fresh tomato, corn and heck yes, let’s #putaneggonit.
Get the recipe | Shutterbean
Blistered Shishito Burrata and Bread Salad
Now this is my kind of twist on panzanella salad. More burrata please!
Get the recipe | I Am a Food Blog
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I just made this from fresh shishito peppers I got in my veggie box. This was so quick and tasted amazing! I ended up eating them all! What a wonderful idea to blister lemons with them, so yummy!!
YUM! That sounds great!
I’d never had shishito peppers before trying this recipe. OMG!!! Huge flavor! Very tasty and enjoyable. The salt, lemon juice and olive oil really adds depth of flavor. This is my new favorite snack
Evidently, you don’t de-seed the peppers?
Jeees, 5 mins, probably take 20 to read the article. please provide TLDR summary in the future
Love this. I enjoy these types of healthy recipes.
Absolutely love my shishitos! They are amazing blistered and served with coarse sea salt, and I’ve been served them with aioli at a restaurant. Just tried a new thing. Blister (thank you, Heidi ~ I, too, can’t have a smoky kitchen), slice them on the side and fill with goat cheese (I used feta) and top with caramelized shallots (regular onions are fine) & garlic. They were a huge hit!
Looks delicious AND healthy. I can’t wait to try this!
I’m glad I found this recipe. I made it for the super bowl party, and it was a big hit! Thank you!
Thanks Troy, glad to hear you liked it.
A new food yummy for me. I’ve had them in restaurants, BUT I bought some in a grocery store and must warn consumers…. any shishitos longer than 2-3 Inches were too hot for me. For braver folks go for longer ones!
I love this dish when I go out to eat! I just found these peppers at my local farmers market, so I will be making this recipe tonight :)
I would caution people against cooking with lemons in a cast iron pan until it’s highly seasoned. Otherwise, it will cause the seasoning to strip off a bit. But it a well-seasoned pan it should be fine.
MMM, I can’t wait for dinner tonight!
i serve up pan fried shishitos with chopped cilantro, lime juice, and smoked salt. Resistance is futile.
I did this before and it was great! The second time I roasted the peppers then hit them with sea salt , freshly ground black pepper and fresh grated Romano cheese. Yummmmm
Oh Chuck, you’re making me want to get back to the store and find more shishitos! Sea salt is key, but Romano sounds like a delicious addition! Thank you for the tip!
Whoa! I’ve never tried these before. I’m a pepper addict so I’d love to give them a shot!
I am soooo going to do this. I’ve had shishito peppers before, but never blistered them myself! AWN IT.
Hi Heidi, I love this recipe! In Italy my family would roast sweet bell peppers and long green peppers (cubanelles) in the very hot bread and pizza stone ovens. The flavour levels achieved are hard to match in a traditional stove. I will be trying this one very soon, thanks for sharing!
Yum! We had something like that in Spain! I will try your recipe! Also, your blog looks so good! Love the art. I’ve been working on mine a lot lately. You inspire me! :)
I despise a smoky kitchen! Make shishitos all the time & am SO happy to know I don’t need the oil. Totally trying it out next time, thanks! And lemons? Yum!!
My market lady told me to toss them with a little olive oil in a brown paper bag before throwing them in a hot dry skillet. Genius!
I love shishito peppers, and these in only in 5 minutes!!
I do love shishito peppers when I go out to eat, but I have yet to make them at home. These look absolutely wonderful!
This looks delicious. I’ll have to pin it for later. I love peppers mild and hot but haven’t even heard of shishitos. I feel like I’ve been missing out!
Bought a bag after buying the plants! Bought a second bag after I blistered the first! AWESOME! Cant wait till the plants produce!
You sound like my husband Linda. He is obsessed too!
I have never cooked with shishito peppers. There’s clearly something wrong with me.
Can you believe I’ve never tried these little babies? Gah, I’m going to need to change that NOW!
Blistered shishito peppers really are the sh**. They are so addicting. And putting them on a pizza sounds pretty gosh darn awesome! Going to have to try that one out soon!