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My Blistered Shishito Peppers recipe with dipping sauce is out of this world delicious! Mildly spicy Japanese shishito peppers tossed with olive oil, lemon, and salt are ready in 10 minutes. They pair deliciously with a fresh citrus pesto dip for the perfect finger food appetizer!
Shishito Peppers
Blistered shishito peppers are easy to make and so addictive. These tasty Japanese peppers cook in an olive coil coating with freshly squeezed lemon and crunchy salt for a smoky char you will crave!
Complete with a citrus pesto dip fresh out of one of our favorite Florida restaurants, you’ll want to make these easy appetizers for a crowd for game day and more. These peppers make one of the best game-day appetizers, especially because they’re ready in just 10 minutes!
What are Shishito Peppers?
Shishito peppers are a type of chili pepper frequently found in East Asian cooking. They are small, long, and thin, and blister easily when you cook them with oil.
These tender Japanese peppers are bright green in color and have a similar texture to Spanish Padrón peppers.
Blistered Shishito Peppers Ingredients
- shishito peppers
- olive oil
- lemon
- sea salt
Shishito Peppers Pesto Dip Ingredients
- parsley, large stems removed
- lemon
- garlic, minced
- Parmesan cheese
- black pepper, more to taste
- salt, more to taste
- olive oil
How to Make Blistered Shishito Peppers
- Wash and dry shishito peppers.
- After drying, puncture each pepper before cooking.
- Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high.
- Toss the peppers in olive oil and add to the skillet.
- Cook in batches, depending on the size of your pan. Cook until the peppers blister in a few places, then flip to blister on the other side.
- Remove the peppers to a bowl. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice from lemon and sprinkle with sea salt to taste.
- Toss, serve with citrus pesto dip, and enjoy!
Shishito Pepper Dipping Sauce
- Blend parsley with the stems removed, the juice of lemon, minced garlic, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, and salt in a food processor.
- Once well combined, slowly begin adding olive oil, then continue to process until combined.
- Place in a bowl, serve with shishito peppers, and enjoy!
I cannot wait for you to try this dipping sauce. This Citrus Pesto dip is fresh out of the kitchen from Three Birds Tavern in St. Petersburg, FL.
Three Birds Tavern serves their own blistered shishito peppers appetizer with this dip, and they were gracious enough to share the recipe with us! Needless to say, this is a restaurant-quality dip recipe we know you’re going to love.
Shishito Peppers Recipe Tips
- Puncture the peppers. Puncturing the peppers after washing and drying them allows them to vent hot air and avoid bursting when you cook them, so do this before placing them in the skillet.
- Taste before serving. Taste the citrus pesto dip recipe to check if the salt and pepper levels are to your liking. Adjust as necessary before serving.
Top Tip: Try cooking the peppers on your grill or in your oven! I personally love to make grilled shishito peppers, especially when I’m cooking up Portuguese Beef Skewers and Elotes Mexicanos on the grill already.
Grilled Shishito Peppers
Toss the Japanese peppers on your grill in a grill basket. Grilled shishito peppers make one of the best side dishes for BBQ. Along with the citrus pesto dip, they are perfection!
Roasted Shishito Peppers
Make roasted shishito peppers by cooking the peppers in your oven under your broiler. Broilers cook these peppers quickly. Flip in the middle of the cooking to char both sides.
Shishito Peppers FAQs
Shishito peppers are sweet, with just a little kick of heat. They have a light, crunchy texture and a slightly smoky flavor, which intensifies when the peppers char.
The seeds of shishito peppers are soft and do not need to be removed when you eat them. They are mostly near the stem and you can eat right up to them!No, actually! While these Japanese shishito peppers may resemble hot peppers, they are actually quite mild. One in ten will surprise you with a bit more heat.
Yes, you can eat shishito peppers raw just as with other peppers. However, they taste much better when you cook them! They are especially delicious blistered, as in this recipe, or grilled or roasted.
Like other peppers, shishito peppers are full of good-for-you vitamins and minerals.
Easy Appetizers
Try my low carb Stuffed Peppers Recipe next!
Enjoy this dish as a part of a Tapas Menu!
📋 Recipe
Blistered Shishito Peppers
Ingredients
For Shishito Peppers:
- 2 dozen shishito peppers
- ½ Tbsp. olive oil
- juice of 1 lemon
- sea salt
For Citrus Pesto Dip:
- 4 bunches parsley large stems removed
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- ¼ tablespoon black pepper add more to taste
- 1 /4 tablespoon salt add more to taste
- ¼ cup olive oil
See our Cooking Conversions Chart for help converting measurements!
Instructions
For Shishito Peppers:
- Wash and dry peppers.
- Heat a large heavy skillet (like cast iron) to medium-high.
- Toss peppers in olive oil and add to skillet.
- Cook in batches depending on the size of your pan. Cook until blistered in a few places, then flip to blister on the other side.
- Remove from heat to a bowl. Add lemon juice and sprinkle with salt. Toss and serve.
For Citrus Pesto Dip:
- Blend all ingredients except oil in a food processor until well-combined.
- Slowly add oil and continue to process until combined.
- Place in a bowl for dipping.
Notes
- Shishito peppers can also be prepared on the outdoor grill using a grill basket.
- You can also prepare roasted shishito peppers by roasting the peppers under your broiler in the oven.
- Try other dips with these delicious peppers! They are sure to be a hit!
- We recommend you puncture each pepper before cooking in order to vent hot air that could cause the pepper to burst.
Let us know what you think or ask a question about the recipe!