Meet your new favorite snack obsession — Spicy Korean Style Blistered Shishito Peppers! These gorgeous bright green Japanese peppers are blistered and charred to smoky perfection in a cast iron skillet then smothered in the most incredibly bold and addictive Korean gochujang sauce made with honey, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil — finished with a glorious shower of golden toasted sesame seeds! Ready in just 12 minutes with only a handful of simple ingredients — this is the most exciting and delicious way to enjoy shishito peppers you will ever discover!
Have you picked up some fresh shishitos from your farmers market and are not sure what to do with them? Well let me solve this problem for you!
I have an awesome and easy shishito pepper recipe which will knock your socks off!
But first, let me tell you a little bit about these delicious Japanese peppers.
Jump to:
What Are Shishito Peppers?
The Shishito pepper, which has a beautiful bright green color, comes from East Asia. They are around 3"-4" long and slender, and are thin-walled peppers that blister and char quite easily.
Typically they are mild peppers. However you may find the odd hot pepper here or there which does carry a bit more heat. It's a bit like a game of Russian roulette!
These small green peppers fall in the range of between 50-200 Scoville heat units. And as mentioned you may find hotter ones up to 2500 SHU!
Shishitos are fun little peppers that are also healthy. BaywaterFarms.com has a great article on the Health Benefits of Shishito Peppers. After reading this article, I aim to include and enjoy more Shishitos in my diet!
Why You Will Love This Recipe!
If you love Korean food or spicy food, you will absolutely love this Spicy Korean-Style Blistered Shishito Peppers Recipe because:
- These shishitos are coated in a Korean style spicy sauce featuring delicious gochujang, a Korean pepper paste.
- This recipe is super easy and quick! All you need are a few simple ingredients and you'll have these shishitos ready in less than 15 minutes.
- You can experience a new way to enjoy shishito peppers, which are normally served blistered and charred with lemon juice and sea salt.
So now allow me to tell you what you'll need to make these delicious chili peppers!
🥘 Ingredients
So here's what you will need to make this delicious Korean side dish:
- Fresh shishito peppers
- Avocado oil or grapeseed oil (preferred over olive oil for their high smoke points)
- Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
- Rice wine vinegar
- Honey
- Soy sauce
- Sesame oil
- Water
- Sesame seeds
🔪 Instructions
Add the sauce ingredients to a small bowl, and stir to combine well. Set the sauce aside for now.
Add the avocado oil to your large skillet or cast-iron skillet and set it on a medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the shishito peppers. Cook them until they blister and soften, turning often.
Some of the peppers may cook faster than others. If this is the case, simply remove the cooked peppers to a small bowl while the other peppers finish cooking. Place all the cooked peppers in the small bowl, and put the heat on low.
Once the pan has cooled down, return the peppers to the pan. Give the sauce another stir, and then add the sauce to the peppers and stir to coat the peppers with the sauce. This will only take a few seconds.
Remove from the heat, and then add sesame seeds as a garnish.
Suggestions For Serving
My favorite way to serve this is simply as a healthy snack. They also make for a delicious and easy appetizer or great side dish!
Actually all I need is these chili peppers, a bowl of rice, and a little Korean Soju and I'm in heaven!
FAQ
You should be able to find shishito peppers at major grocery stores including Whole Foods and Trader Joe stores. Korean grocery stores and Asian markets may also carry them, and look for them at your local farmers' market as well.
Store leftover shishitos in an airtight container in your refrigerator. Best enjoyed within 4-5 days.
Some Other Great Recipes You May Enjoy!
Here are some other great recipes that you may enjoy:
- Easy and Delicious Blistered Japanese Shishito Peppers Recipe
- Spicy Edamame
- Korean Spicy Bean Sprouts
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Finally, I invite you to come along on this food journey with me! Please sign up to get the latest recipes and inspiration for you to expand your food comfort zone! It's an incredible journey, please join me by signing up here.
Cheers!
Grace
Spicy Korean-Style Blistered Shishito Peppers Recipe
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet is preferable (or large skillet)
Ingredients
- ½ lb shishito peppers
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil can sub grapeseed oil
Sauce Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon gochujang Korean red pepper paste
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- ½ tablespoon honey
- ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ tablespoon water
Garnish
Instructions
- Add the sauce ingredients to a small bowl, and stir to combine well. Set the sauce aside for now.
- Add the avocado oil to your large skillet or cast iron pan and set it on a medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the shishito peppers. Cook them until they blister and soften, turning often.
- Some of the peppers may cook faster than others. If this is the case, simply remove the cooked peppers to a small bowl while the other peppers finish cooking. Place all the cooked peppers in the small bowl, and put the heat on low.
- Once the pan has cooled down, return the peppers to the pan. Give the sauce another stir, and then add the sauce to the peppers and stir to coat the peppers with the sauce. This will only take a few seconds.
- Remove from the heat, and then add sesame seeds as a garnish.
- Place the peppers on your serving dish and enjoy either warm or at room temperature. You can also chill them in your fridge for awhile and enjoy them cold!
Grace
I love munching on these as a spicy appetizer or snack. So yummy!!