Just a few ingredients, a cast iron pan, and a hot fire are all you need to make these Wood-Fired Blistered Shishito Peppers. One truly addictive dish that’s ready in minutes!
So living in Pittsburgh, shishito peppers weren’t something I could very easily. They were like figs – maybe once a year in some obscure store 1-2 hours from where I lived. However living here in Arizona, they are everywhere and pretty much my latest obsession.
Little bites of Asian peppers that are well, kind of surprising to eat. What I mean is you’ll get mild flavors 9 times out of ten but it’s that tenth one where your taste buds are set ablaze (but in a good way!)
Now they aren’t that hot but they are hot enough to let you know, ‘Oh hey, I’m got some heat and you’re gonna know it!”. With this recipe, you’ll see that I made it in Bella, my Authentic Pizza oven but I’ll also be giving you in the post how to make these in the oven and the grill.
Grab your ingredients
All you need are a few items:
- Cast Iron Pan
- Shishito Peppers
- Olive Oil
- Seasonings
- Whole Lemon
What are Shishito Peppers?
Shishito Peppers are originally from Japan and aren’t known to be super hot. On the Scoville Scale, they range from 50-200 Scoville Heat Units (SHU). Think of it this way, a typical jalapeno pepper averages over 5,000 SHU. So like I said, these are pretty mild.
That being said, typically one out of every 10 can be spicy. This why they sometimes are referred to as the “Russian Roulette” Peppers. You could eat 9 that are mild, a tad smoky, and salty from the blistering. But then you eat that 10th one and you’re reaching for that glass of water, milk, or beer.
So why is that 10th one spicy? Honestly, it all has to do with growing conditions, stress on the pepper plant, or other outside variables. And no, coloring difference doesn’t mean one is hotter.
Interested in growing these? Try these seeds!
Let’s Make Blistered Shishito Peppers!
I’m a HUGE fan of wood-firing stuff. I mean I do have a phenomenal outdoor wood-fired pizza oven named Bella. The longest part of this whole recipe is getting the pizza oven up to temp. After that, the rest is crazy simple!
- Preheat the wood-fired oven to 500F.
- Put some oil in the bottom of the pan. Add the peppers, lemon slices, and sprinkle over the seasoning.
- Drizzle over some more oil and open up the wood-fired oven door.
BLISTERED BABY!
- Place the pan in the pizza oven about 12-15” away from the fire and cook for about 3 minutes. Using fire-safe gloves and tongs, pull the pan out, flip the peppers and push the pan back in, cooking for another 2-4 minutes or until the peppers start to blister and char.
Cooking Shishito Peppers on the Grill
You can use a preheated cast iron pan or cook directly on the grates. If using a preheated cast iron pan, follow the ‘oven blistered’ method’ cooking until fully blistered. If cooking on the grates, do the following:
- Preheat the grill on medium-high heat (about 425F. In a bowl, add the peppers, oil, and seasonings. Mix to coat evenly.
- Place the peppers directly on the grill turning every couple of minutes or until all sides are blistered. Remove from the oven, plate, sprinkle with a pinch of salt if desired, and enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce.
Cooking Shishito Peppers in the Oven
For this, you’ll need a cast-iron pan.
- Place the oven on broil with the rack in the upper third. Place a cast-iron pan on the rack to preheat. In a bowl, add the peppers, oil, and seasonings. Mix to coat evenly.
- When the pan is super-hot (carefully put a drop of water into the pan. If it evaporates instantly, the pan is hot enough). CAREFULLY pour the pepper mixture and oil into the pan. Watch as the peppers will start to sizzle immediately.
- Put the pan back under the broiler and cook for about 2 minutes, flip and continue broiling until the peppers are blistered. Remove from the oven, plate, sprinkle with a pinch of salt if desired, and enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce.
*Note if you do not have a cast-iron pan, you can preheat your oven to 425F, rack in the middle, and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the peppers on that and cook for about 10-12 minutes or until fully blistered.
What to Serve with Shishito Peppers
Honestly, they pair well with many things. As you can see below I put them as an appetizer with cilantro lime rice and Mexican pulled chicken. Yep, I went all fusion-like. However, it’s great with a dipping sauce or with grilled chicken or shrimp.
For a dipping sauce, you can go with an aioli of mayo, garlic. cilantro and lemon juice. It’s simple, light, and refreshing.
You could also pair it with a Soy & Ginger sauce of just low sodium soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, sriracha, and lemon juice.
I also love it dipped in a Thai Peanut Sauce because well, I love that sauce!
Wood-Fired Blistered Shishito Peppers
Just a few ingredients, a cast iron pan, and a hot fire are all you need to make these Wood-Fired Blistered Shishito Peppers. One truly addictive dish that’s ready in minutes!
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 12 minutes
- Category: grilling, vegetarian, vegan, snacking
- Method: wood fired, grilling, bbq, home oven
- Cuisine: asian, vegetarian, japanese
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the wood-fired oven to 500F. Drizzle the bottom of a 12” cast iron pan with 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the peppers, lemon slices, and sprinkle over the seasoning. Drizzle on the remaining 2 tablespoon of oil.
- Place the pan in the pizza oven about 12-15” away from the fire and cook for about 3 minutes. Using fire-safe gloves and tongs, pull the pan out, flip the peppers and push the pan back in, cooking for another 2-4 minutes or until the peppers start to blister and char.
- Remove from the oven, plate, sprinkle with a pinch of salt if desired, and enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
See post body for grilling and home oven cooking instructions.
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