Shishito Peppers with Furikake

Jump to Recipe

Shishito peppers are small green peppers that resemble a smaller serrano pepper. These fun little peppers are a trendy and delicious appetizer and taste amazing when served with beer! But they are so tasty on their own, that beer is optional!

small, long green peppers cooked and placed in a small wooden bowl

In this recipe, we blistered shishito peppers in a hot cast iron pan and then tossed them in furikake, soy sauce, and grilled lemon juice! I love shishito peppers because they are fast and easy, and so delicious!

Are Shishito Peppers Hot?

Most shishito peppers are mild but every so often, you’ll get a very spicy one! I like to say it’s like a game of roulette. You never know what you are going to get. And I say that as someone who thinks black pepper is spicy.

Of course, the first one I tried was hot!

What is the best way to eat Shishito peppers?

Blistered shishito peppers are the best! They are soft, they soak up all kinds of flavors and you can hold on to the stem to eat them. Just don’t eat the stem.

To make blistered shishido peppers, we are going to grill them on a cast iron grill pan. If you don’t have a grill pan, you can also do this in a very hot skillet. The trick is to use a pan that can get very hot, so stainless steel would be a great alternative.

@naturaldeets
Shishido peppers with furikake and grilled lemon! #appetizers #learnontiktok #howto #shishido #shishidopeppers #barfood #beertime #easyappetizers #appetizeridea #nomoretakeout #tipsfromthekitchen
♬ 7 years latch sped up – ❥︎mxmlln

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED

Shisito peppers – Ours come in a clamshell but if I had to guess, I’d say it is about 1/2 pound. Look for them in the refrigerated produce section, at the farmer’s market or from online boxes like Imperfect Foods or Misfit Market.
Furikake – This is a Japanese rice seasoning that includes small pieces of seaweed, sesame seeds and other ingredients depending on which flavor you use. You can find it in the Asian aisle and sometimes Trader Joe’s will carry it. It’s highly recommended but optional if you can’t find it in the store.
Half a Lemon – We are going to grill the lemon which makes it soft and easy to squeeze over the shishido peppers
Soy Sauce – Your favorite soy sauce will work but I prefer Kikkoman in this recipe.
Olive Oil or Avocado Oil

How to Prepare Shishito Peppers

top view of a round black grill pan with oil on it — Add Olive Oil to the pan and place it over medium heat

top view of black round grill pan with green peppers in it — Carefully add peppers to the pan in a single layer. You do not have to wait until it is preheated.

top view of round black grill pan with green peppers and a lemon half on it — Once the pan is hot, add the lemon half, sliced side down. Stir the peppers so they don’t burn

round glass bowl with soft cooked peppers — Cook shishito peppers until they are lightly charred, and place them in a bowl. Add the soy sauce and furikake to the bowl, then squeeze the lemon juice over the top. Mix well. Put in a serving dish and serve immediately!

Important Teaching Tips

Do not preheat the pan – In my experience, adding the peppers to a preheated pan causes the oil to splash and it hurts when it hits your skin! Instead, place the peppers on the pan while it is preheating and they will stilll char nicely
Wash and dry them completely – Any water left on the peppers will splash when it touches the oil. Be sure that your shishito peppers are completely dry before cooking them.
Storing cooked Shishito peppers – Leftover peppers can be stored in an airtight container. They taste best fresh, but are still good when reheated in the microwave the next day!
Peppers pop while cooking – Some of the peppers will pop and splash. Keep kids away from the stove and protect yourself from the splashes.
Try grilled shishito peppers! – We love to grill these peppers on the BBQ. We either add them directly to the hot grill, perpendicular to the grill grates and cook them until they start to brown, or we heat up the skillet on the grill and cook them in a skillet. The skillet method is easier if you are making a large batch.

top view of shishito peppers in a wooden bowl with a glass of beer, chopsticks, a grilled lemon and a green napkin in the corner

Frequently Asked Questions About Shishito Peppers

Can Shishito peppers be eaten raw?

Since the peppers have a soft skin, you can eat them raw. When raw, they tend to be slightly sweet. You could try chopping them up and adding them to a salad.

Do you have to remove the seeds from a shishito pepper?

You do not need to remove the seeds. Since most shishito peppers are mild, there is no harm in leaving the seeds, which usually have the spice.

What if I don’t have furikake?

The furikake is delicious, but optional in this shishito peppers recipe. If you leave it out, add just a sprinkle of coarse sea salt for more flavor.

Does furikake seasoning have MSG?

Many brands of Furikake have MSG but there are also several options that do not. Read the ingredients before buying it. The Trader Joe’s brand is MSG free but it also doesn’t have salt, so you’ll want to add a little salt.

More Party Foods You Might Enjoy: