Blistered Shishito Peppers with spicy shishito sauce, some awesome seasoning combos and sauces, plus all my favorite tips and tricks for cooking these tasty peppers!

Blistered Shishito Peppers with Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

I posted about my love of shishito peppers last week or so, but I decided to hop back on here to give ya’ll even more essential info about these snacky little peppers including some stellar seasoning options, a spicy shishito sauce, and some tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way.

This recipe is pretty snack-tastic and makes a great appetizer to pair with ramen bowls, vegetarian quinoa fried rice, honey garlic tofu, spicy sriracha shrimp, or your protein of choice!

It also makes a stellar side dish so no need to wait until an appetizer is called for, they’re quick and easy enough to throw together as part of a busy weeknight dinner.

How to Cook Shishito Peppers

Shishitos are typically cooked in a small amount of hot oil until blistered and tender. The skin of these peppers is super thin so they cook fast and they’re delicate to eat — it’s not like chomping into a jalapeño pepper or bell pepper.

They’re intended to be eaten whole (minus the stem – which makes an excellent handle)

1. Wash peppers then rub/pat dry with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel to remove any moisture. We want them nice and dry when the hit the pan.

2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. I like using my cast iron skillet here for even cooking.

3. Once the oil is hot, add shishito peppers and mix well to coat them in oil.

4. Cook until they begin to blister on multiple sides, mixing around occasionally every minute or so for even blistering. Cook to desired level of tenderness. They should be done in approx. 8-12 minutes with some sizzles and pops along the way.

5. Finish them off with some kosher or flaked salt and an optional sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes for some spice.

Below you’ll find some alternate seasonings, sauces, and dips to try with these snack-y little peppers!

How to Season Shishito Peppers

There are so many ways to season your shishitos! Popular flavors are garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds and even Sriracha. I even love them straight up with just a pinch of kosher salt.

Here are some tasty ideas to get you started:

1. Sriracha Shishito Peppers – blistered shishito peppers are tossed in a flavorful Sriracha kissed soy sauce with fresh garlic and toasted sesame seeds — I love to top them with an extra drizzle of Sriracha chili sauce before serving for some extra heat. So good!

2. Garlic Chili Oil Shishito Peppers – I absolutely adore my easy homemade garlic chili oil on ramen, dumplings, and now shishito peppers too! You can use it in place of regular oil when you’re cooking your peppers. Have store-bought chili crunch handy? That works great too!

3. Ginger, Garlic, and Soy Sauce Shishitos – combine 1-2 cloves of fresh minced garlic with 1 TBSP low-sodium soy sauce and 1/4-1/2 tsp fresh minced or grated ginger. Spice it up with some crushed red pepper flakes (spicy and optional) and finish it off with a pinch of kosher salt.

4. Sesame Oil – I often cook my peppers in avocado oil because of it’s mild flavor and high smoke point. To give the oil some smoky sesame flavor, you can replace some of the avocado oil with a little sesame oil (start at 1/4 tsp and increase to taste) when you sauté or blister your shishitos.

5. Kosher Salt or Flaked Maldon Salt – along with red pepper flakes, this is one of my favorite finishers.

Blistered Shishito Peppers with Spicy Sauce

This spicy sauce is inspired by the Zen Sauce on the back of my Frieda’s Produce Shishito Peppers bag and is so crazy addictive!

Spicy Shishito Sauce

2 TBSP tahini
1.5 TBSP low-sodium soy sauce
1 TBSP seasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp fresh minced fresh garlic (I used one clove)
1/4-1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper plus extra to taste
a pinch of sea salt

This sauce is great for dipping! Blend the above ingredients into a smooth sauce using an immersion blender (my fav tool ever) or a small food processor. This recipe makes enough for 8 oz cooked shishito peppers.

Looking for another fun sauce to dunk your peppers into?

Thai Peanut Sauce

2 TBSP natural creamy peanut butter
1-2 TBSP orange juice (lime juice works too)
1-2 TBSP low sodium soy sauce (gluten-free or regular)
1/2 TBSP pure maple syrup or honey
1/2 TBSP seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 TBSP sesame oil
1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 small clove garlic, finely minced
1-2 TBSP warm water to thin sauce as desired

To make the peanut sauce, add the above ingredients to a small bowl and whisk well.

Where to Find Shishito Peppers

After doing some serious shopping in my area (twist my arm why don’t ya! haha) and some extra digging online, here are some of the grocery stores you can find either bagged or loose shishito peppers.

Most seem to carry them in little pre-portioned 8 oz bags.

Kroger
Publix
H-E-B
Central Market
Sprouts Farmers Market
Tom Thumb
Albertsons

If you have any to add to this list, let me know in the comments and I’ll add them. Thanks loves!