Smoky Blistered Shishito Peppers Recipe

Made in the smoker, these shishito peppers are blistered to perfection in a cast iron pan and kissed with just the right amount of smoke. They are an irresistible balance of sweet, smoky, and salty with a hint of citrusy brightness.

With each bite, you get a delicate char, a touch of sea salt, and the thrill of never knowing when you’ll hit that one fiery pepper, making them the ultimate crave-worthy snack!

Blistered and Craveable Shishito Peppers

There’s something undeniably addictive about shishito peppers—their mild sweetness, the occasional fiery surprise, and that perfectly blistered skin that makes them so irresistible. While they’re traditionally pan-seared, smoking them takes their flavor to an entirely new level. The gentle kiss of wood smoke adds depth, complementing their natural sweetness and the light char from a hot cast iron pan. You can turn these into the ultimate smoky snack with just four simple ingredients in no time.

These smoked shishito peppers aren’t just easy to make; they’re also incredibly affordable and pair well with almost anything. Serve them as an appetizer, a side, or even a snack to enjoy alongside a cold drink. Whether entertaining guests or just making a quick bite for yourself, this recipe is as effortless as it is crave-worthy. Let’s fire up the smoker and get started!

Blistered Shishito Peppers Ingredients

This recipe could not be more straightforward as you only need 4 ingredients for these peppers to shine.

• Shishito Peppers
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt
• Lemon

How to Smoke Shishito Peppers

Using a smoker, like my Yoder Smokers YS640, allows for controlled heat while infusing each pepper with subtle, savory smokiness. The key is to keep things simple—fresh shishito peppers, a drizzle of oil, a generous pinch of flaky salt, and a squeeze of bright, citrusy lemon at the end. The result? A perfectly blistered, slightly smoky, and deeply satisfying bite. Plus, there’s always that element of surprise—will you get a sweet or rare spicy kick? It’s part of what makes eating them so much fun.

1. Place the Pizza Oven into the Yoder Smokers YS640 and preheat to 450F.

Chef Lori’s Tidbit: What are Shishito Peppers?

Shishito Peppers are initially from Japan and aren’t known to be super hot. On the Scoville Scale, they range from 50 to 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 said, one out of every 10 peppers can typically be spicy. This is why they are sometimes called the “Russian Roulette” Peppers. You could eat nine that are mild, a tad smoky, and salty from the blistering. But then you eat that 10th one and reach for that glass of water, milk, or beer.

So why is that 10th one spicy? 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.

Prepare Smoker Shishito Peppers

2. Add the shishito peppers to a 12″ cast iron pan and drizzle over the olive oil and sea salt.
3. Using tongs, toss the peppers around gently to coat them all with the salt and oil.
4. Slice up a whole lemon and nestle the lemon wedges into the peppers.

How to Blister Shishitos

5. Place the cast iron pan into the pizza oven and “smoke cook” the peppers for ~6-7 minutes.
6. Remove the peppers from the oven, gently turn them over to blister on all sides, and place them back into the pizza oven for another 5-7 minutes or until the peppers are blistered and bubbling. Serve immediately.

How to Store Blistered Shishito Peppers

Blistered Shishito peppers are best eaten as soon as they are cooked. However, they can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Reheating Blistered Shishitos

You can keep them cold or add them to a dry skillet and reheat them over medium heat until warm.

What to Serve With Blistered Shishito Peppers

You have a pretty diverse way to serve these:

• Dipping Sauce: Peanut Sauce, Lime Crema, Sour Cream
• Appetizer: eat them as-is
• Crostini: place on a crostini with a creamy-style sauce and a zest of lemon and grilled shrimp
• Pizza Topping

Shishito Pepper Recipe FAQs

• Are these hot? As I mentioned above, they usually are very mild, but ~ one in every 10 has a zing of heat. They are way less hotter than a jalapeno.
• How do you eat a shishito pepper?: You eat the whole pepper, seeds, and all, but do not eat the stem.
• What does a shishito pepper taste like?: They have a fresh pepper taste, almost like a bell pepper, with their bright flavor and sweetness. However, you can get a jolt of heat in a random one.

Other Ways to Cook Shishito Peppers

Grilled Shishitos:

1. Preheat the grill on medium-high heat (about 425F). Add the peppers, olive oil, sea salt, and lemon wedges; mix to coat evenly.
2. Place the peppers directly on the grill,l 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.

Shishitos Made In a Pizza Oven:

Check out this post to learn how to make it in a pizza oven!

Oven Blistered Shishitos:

1. Place the oven on broil with the rack in the upper third. Place a cast-iron pan on the shelf to preheat. Add the peppers, olive oil, sea salt, and lemon wedges; mix to coat evenly.
2. When the pan is super-hot (carefully put a drop of water into it. If it evaporates instantly, it is hot enough), CAREFULLY pour the pepper mixture and oil into the pan. Watch as the peppers will start to sizzle immediately.
3. 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.

Smoked Cast Iron Blistered Shishito Peppers Recipe

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Made in the smoker, these shishito peppers are blistered to perfection in a cast iron pan and kissed with just the right amount of smoke. They are an irresistible balance of sweet, smoky, and salty with a hint of citrusy brightness. With each bite, you get a delicate char, a touch of sea salt, and the thrill of never knowing when you’ll hit that one fiery pepper, making them the ultimate crave-worthy snack!

• Author: Lori
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: ~4-5 servings
• Category: appetizer, snack, sweet heat, spicy, hot pepper, smoked peppers, grilled peppers
• Method: smoker, grill, oven
• Cuisine: appetizer, snack, sweet heat, spicy, hot pepper, smoked peppers, grilled peppers

Ingredients

• 1 pound Shishito peppers
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 whole lemon, cut into wedges

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Instructions

1. Place the Pizza Oven into the Yoder Smokers YS640 and preheat to 450F.
2. Add the shishito peppers to a 12-inch cast iron pan and drizzle over the olive oil and sea salt. Using tongs, toss the peppers around gently to coat them with the salt and oil. Slice up a whole lemon and nestle the lemon wedges into the peppers.
3. Place the cast iron pan into the pizza oven and “smoke cook” the peppers for ~6-7 minutes.
4. Remove the peppers from the oven, gently turn them over to blister on all sides, and return them to the pizza oven for another 5-7 minutes or until they are blistered and bubbling. Serve immediately.

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