Shishito peppers are a chili pepper that are commonly found in East Asian cuisine.
However, if you’ve never heard of shishito peppers, then you likely don’t know how to cook them or what to serve them with.
In this article, I will provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to make easy roasted shishito peppers and a delicious ranch dipping sauce that pairs well with them.
Keep reading to find out more.
What are shishito peppers?
Shishito peppers are small, bright green, wrinkled chili peppers in the capsicum annuum family. Shishito peppers are typically mild chili peppers that are popular to bring spice to a variety of East Asian dishes.
The name shishito is derived from the Japanese word ‘shishi’ which means lion. The pepper gets its name because the tips of the peppers resemble the head of a lion.
Are shishito peppers spicy?
No, for the most part, shishito peppers are fairly mild in terms of spice. They are typically marketed as a mild chili pepper that is slightly sweet, coming in between 50-200 scoville heat units.
That being said, you will occasionally find a shishito pepper that is much spicier than they normally are. It is thought that 1 in 10 shisito peppers will be hot.
This can also happen if you plant a shishito pepper plant next to your jalapeño pepper plant and they cross-pollinate.
Where can I buy shishito peppers?
You can buy shishito peppers in a variety of places. You will want to check your local farmer’s market, Asian grocery stores, and keep an eye in the grocery store seasonally.
You might find that your local Trader Joe’s often carries them in addition to this!
If you can’t find shishito peppers, you can try growing your own. They’re easy and low maintenance.
When are shishito peppers ready to pick?
If you’re new to growing shishito peppers, it can be tricky to know when to harvest your plant. Well, when it comes to picking your shishito peppers, you definitely don’t want to leave it too late.
You will need to pick your shishito peppers when they’re a bright green color for the most flavorful result in your dishes.
If you leave them on the plant for too long, then the shishito peppers will be too ripe. They will first begin to turn yellow and will then turn red as a result of you leaving them on the plant. That being said, you will need to make sure that you pick them when they’re green and going to taste their best.
How do you know when shishito peppers are cooked?
A good tip to remember when looking to see if your roasted shishito peppers are cooked is to observe how puffy they are.
If they are done and ready to come out of the oven, they should be puffy and look almost white. After around 10 seconds after you pull them out, they will deflate similarly to popped balloons.
How do you cook shishito peppers?
There are a variety of different ways to make shishito peppers and incorporate them into your dishes. This recipe is a quick and easy way to roast Japanese shishito peppers for a delicious appetizer or snack.
You can also change up the method in which you cook them. Some people like to sauté them in a cast iron skillet over high heat to get them blistered as opposed to roasting them in the oven.
When it comes to cooking shishito peppers, I like to keep things simple. I find that tossing them in oil, seasoning with salt, and roasting them for a short period of time is my favorite way to cook these peppers.
I also love to serve these shishito peppers with homemade ranch, as it makes the perfect cooling dip if you come across a hot shishito pepper!
A Guide On How To Make Easy Roasted Shishito Peppers
Equipment That You Will Need
- A large mixing bowl
- A baking sheet
- Baking parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 packet of shishito peppers
- 2-3 tablespoons of avocado oil
- A good pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Step One – Preheat The Oven To 450° Fahrenheit: Before you start preparing the shishito peppers, you will need to preheat the oven to 450° Fahrenheit.
- Step Two – Grab A Large Mixing Bowl: While the oven is preheating, grab a large mixing bowl and place the shishito peppers in it ready to be seasoned.
- Step Three – Cover The Shishito Peppers In Oil: Next, it’s time to season the shishito peppers. Pour the avocado (or other high heat oil) over the peppers and toss to coat. Feel free to use any oil or spices of your preference here – sesame seed oil, spices, or anything else you’d like to add. Shishito peppers are mild, so anything goes depending on how much spice you can tolerate.
- Step Four – Prepare A Baking Sheet: Prepare a baking sheet with baking parchment paper as this will significantly help with the oily clean up process later on.
- Step Five – Place The Shishito Peppers On The Baking Sheet: Next, you will need to place the shishito peppers onto the prepared baking sheet. Make sure that you evenly spread the shishito peppers around the baking sheet to ensure that they will all roast evenly.
- Step Six – Season The Shishito Peppers: Once you have evenly spread the shisito peppers out, it’s time to season them. Sprinkle each pepper with a generous pinch of sea salt.
- Step Seven – Roast The Shishito Peppers In The Oven: Once seasoned, you will need to pop your shishito peppers into the oven. Roast them in the oven for 5-7 minutes, or until the shishito peppers have blistered and appear puffy.
- Step Eight – Remove The Shishito Peppers From The Oven: Remove from the oven, watch the magic peppers deflate, and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Tips When Roasting Shishito Peppers
- Avoid Over-Roasting Shishito Peppers: Shishito peppers don’t take long to cook! To avoid over-roasting them, make sure that you are keeping a watchful eye over them as they roast.
- Avoid Reheating Shishito Peppers: When making shishito peppers, only make as many as you can eat in that particular sitting. They don’t reheat well, and tend to completely lose their texture and turn mushy. That being said, it’s best to avoid reheating them.
- Poke Holes In Them: To keep your shishito peppers from ‘inflating’, make sure that you poke holes in them before placing them into the oven.
- Experiment With Seasonings: I tend to keep the seasonings quite simple with this recipe. However, if you want to switch up the oil or incorporate more spice into this recipe, you absolutely can. As shishito peppers are mild, you can get experimental and really go to town with a variety of spices to help add a bit more heat to the dish.
- Provide A Cooling Dipping Sauce: It’s important to note that while shishito peppers are, for the most part, considered to be mild, one in ten shishito peppers can be spicy. It’s good to be prepared if you’re not so good with spice. Have a cooling dipping sauce, such as ranch, at the ready. While you can opt for store bought ranch, I personally love making homemade ranch to go with these roasted shishito peppers. Check out the recipe for this below!
A Guide On How To Make Homemade Ranch
Equipment That You Will Need
- A knife
- A chopping board
- A mixing bowl
- A fork
Ingredients
- 1 cup of mayonnaise
- ½ cup of sour cream
- 1 clove (to 2 cloves) garlic
- 1/4 cup of Italian flat-leaf parsley
- Handful of fresh chives
- Buttermilk (as needed to desired consistency)
- White vinegar (optional, to taste)
- Worcestershire sauce (optional, to taste)
- Fresh dill (optional, to taste)
- Cayenne pepper (optional, to taste)
- Paprika, to taste (optional)
- Fresh oregano (optional, to taste)
- Tabasco (optional, to taste)
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Step One – Gather And Weigh Out All Of The Ingredients: Before you begin this recipe, you will need to gather and measure out all of the ingredients so that you’re prepared.
- Step Two – Mince The Garlic: Next, you will need to mince the garlic with a knife. Add the garlic to a mixing bowl and then sprinkle about an 1/8 to ¼ teaspoons of salt on it and mash it into a paste with a fork. Set aside.
- Step Three – Chop The Herbs: Next, you will need to chop the parsley, chives and any of the optional herbs very finely and add it to the garlic paste that you made.
- Step Four – Combine All Of The Ingredients In The Mixing Bowl: You will need to combine all the ingredients, adding other optional ingredients as you wish. Make sure that you are tasting as you go, and adjust the seasonings as needed and to suit your tastes.
- Step Five – Place The Ranch In The Refrigerator To Chill: Chill for a couple of hours before serving. You can thin the ranch out with milk or buttermilk if you would prefer a thinner consistency.
- Step Six – Serve And Enjoy With Roasted Shishito Peppers: Lastly, serve your ranch dip with your roasted shishito peppers and you’ll have a delicious dipping sauce! Enjoy.
Notes On Making Homemade Ranch
- As you will need to chill your ranch for a few hours before you serve it with your shishito peppers, it’s best to plan ahead and make the ranch ahead of time. As the cooking time for the shishito peppers isn’t long, making the ranch earlier will ensure both are good to go at the same time! Simply take your ranch out of the refrigerator and you’re good to go.