Air Fryer Shishito Peppers

Name: Air Fryer Shishito Peppers
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 8 oz fresh shishito peppers; Avocado oil spray (or a teaspoon of high heat oil); ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt (or Maldon sea salt or Himalayan sea salt, to taste); ½ lime (cut into wedges)

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Try these Air Fryer Shishito Peppers-a delicious, healthy snack or appetizer that's as effortless to make as tasty to eat. The air fryer gives the shishito peppers a perfect blistered texture, and you don't need to turn on the oven. This blistered shishito recipe is sure to elevate your snack game and takes only 20 minutes to make!

Air Fryer Shishito Peppers with lime wedges and coarse salt on a platter with dipping sauce.

These little shishito peppers are not just delicious; they're also so much fun to eat. They make the perfect snack, appetizer, or side dish; you'll love them paired with this Vegan Horseradish Aioli! Try this Roasted Cauliflower for another easy side dish.

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What Are Shishito Peppers?
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Substitutions & Variations
How To Make This Air Fryer Shishito Pepper Recipe
Expert Tip
Equipment
How To Serve These Air Fryer Shishito Peppers
Recipe FAQs
Related Vegan Recipes
Recipe
Comments

These blistered and tender shishito peppers are the perfect finger food for parties. They are a light, fun appetizer with an Aperol Spritz before dinner and a great side dish as well! Try these crispy Air-Fried Potatoes next!

What Are Shishito Peppers?

Have you tried shishito peppers? If you still need to, let me introduce you to these gems. Shishito peppers are small, slender Japanese peppers with a thin skin known for their mild heat and slightly sweet flavor.

They're great for snacking and have a unique feature: about one in every ten shishito peppers is spicy, which adds an unexpected punch of heat, making blistered shishito peppers such a fun, spicy appetizer.

The smoky and citrusy flavors of the shishito peppers get even better with the earthy taste from the blistering, making them an absolute joy to eat!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

The air fryer is the perfect way to prepare shishito peppers with minimal prepping time and clean-up.

You can enjoy freshly cooked shishito peppers in less than 15 minutes with an air fryer.
Using an air fryer significantly reduces the amount of oil needed than traditional frying methods, resulting in a healthier version of this snack.
You can season your shishito peppers with various spices and seasonings.
Whether served as an appetizer, snack, or a side dish, these shishito peppers always seem to disappear from the plate quickly!

I tried this Shishito Peppers recipe with my family last night, and we loved it! The peppers came out crispy and just the right amount of spicy. Definitely making these again!

- Dawn

Ingredients

Here are the simple, minimal ingredients to make this recipe:

Raw shishito peppers are easily found in grocery stores. I've found them at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and local farmers markets. Look for firm, bright green peppers without blemishes.
Fresh lime is the best! Please don't use the stuff in the plastic containers.
Salt - use your favorite salt; I used Maldon salt for the tasty large salt flakes. Another favorite is Wind-blown sea salt from Tanzania. Himalayan pink salt or Celtic sea salt are excellent choices, too.
Avocado oil - you can use an avocado oil spray or toss the peppers with oil in a bowl. Use an oil that can tolerate high heat.

A complete ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Substitutions & Variations

Shishito peppers - If you can't find these peppers at your local grocery store, you can substitute with Padron peppers, which are spicier. The cooking time may vary slightly, so keep an eye on them as they cook.
Lime - If you don't have limes, use a little bit of lemon juice instead.
Avocado Oil - You can substitute it with any other high-heat oil.
Salt - I love salt to enhance flavor; feel free to use your favorite seasonings to enhance the flavor.

You can customize this recipe by adding a dash of your favorite seasonings (garlic powder, smoked paprika) to the peppers directly before serving them. Here are a few ideas:

Spicy - Add chili pepper flakes or chili crisp.
Deluxe - Toss the shishitos with a tablespoon of teriyaki marinade before placing them in the air fryer. Or serve them with my favorite dipping sauce, vegan horseradish aioli.
Asian style - Add sesame seeds, soy sauce or coconut aminos, and a few drops of toasted sesame oil after you remove the blistered peppers from the air fryer basket.
Oil-free - Omit the oil and season the air-fried shishitos as you wish.

How To Make This Air Fryer Shishito Pepper Recipe

It is simple to air-fry shishito peppers, even if it's your first time! Here are the steps:

Drying rinsed shishito peppers on a clean kitchen towel.

Step 1: Rinse the shishito peppers under cool tap water and pat them dry. Preheat the air fryer to 390°F for 3 minutes.

Uncooked and oiled shishito peppers in air fryer basket.

Step 2: Toss the shishito peppers with a teaspoon of oil in a medium bowl and transfer them to the air fryer basket. Alternatively, spray the shishito peppers with avocado oil spray after placing them in the basket, shaking to distribute the oil evenly.

Cooked air fryer shishito peppers in air fryer basket.

Step 3: Cook the peppers for 10 minutes, shaking the basket a few times to ensure they cook evenly. They'll be ready when they're blistered and browned in spots.

Air Fryer Shishito Peppers on a platter with wedges of lime and coarse salt.

Step 4: Transfer the air-fried shishito peppers to a serving plate. Sprinkle with salt and squeeze some fresh lime juice over them.

Serve the Air-Fried Shishito Peppers immediately. They are best enjoyed hot and delicious with a tasty dip like this vegan horseradish aioli.

Expert Tip

Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the shishito peppers in batches to avoid overcrowding, which can lead to uneven cooking and steaming, affecting the final texture.

Equipment

Air fryer - I love my air fryer because it is a quick and easy way to cook food with much less oil than cooking on the range. Depending on the size of your air fryer and the quantity of shishito peppers, you may need to do multiple batches. I cook 8 oz shishito peppers in my 3-quart air fryer.

How To Serve These Air Fryer Shishito Peppers

Serve this great appetizer with:

Vegan horseradish aioli, vegan garlic lemon aioli or garlic aioli as a dip
Everything Bagel seasoning sprinkled on top
coconut bacon crumbles on top
Cocktails for happy hour - try this Tamarind Margarita or Blood Orange Pomegranate Margarita
Serve as part of your party spread with 4-ingredient guacamole, roasted beet hummus, and mango habanero salsa with tortilla chips and pita chips.
Serve them as part of a meal with an easy stir fry recipe and pan-fried tofu.

Close up of air fryer shishito peppers with lime wedge resting on top.

There you have it. Air-fried shishito Peppers are an easy, tasty, healthy snack or side dish perfect for any occasion. Enjoy!

Recipe FAQs

How do I cook these shishito peppers without an air fryer?

You can broil them in the oven, like in this roasted Hatch chile recipe. It takes approximately 4 to 5 minutes, and they blister both sides. An alternative is to cook them in a cast iron pan on the range, with or without oil.

How do I eat these shishito peppers?

After these shishito peppers are cooked and seasoned, eat them whole, including the seeds, except for the stem, which conveniently acts as a handle as you pop them in your mouth.

How do I store these air fryer shishito peppers?

If you have any leftovers (though, honestly, they're so tasty, it's rare!), store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. To reheat, pop them back into the air fryer for a few minutes until they're heated through.

If you try this recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

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Recipe

Air Fryer Shishito Peppers

Author: Emily Miller

Air Fryer Shishito Peppers make a delicious side or snack with a squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkling of salt! If cooking for a crowd, cook these shishito peppers in batches.

5 from 43 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 15

Servings: servings

Calories: 62.7kcal

EQUIPMENT

Air fryer

INGREDIENTS

▢ 8 oz fresh shishito peppers
▢ Avocado oil spray or a teaspoon of high heat oil
▢ ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt or Maldon sea salt or Himalayan sea salt, to taste
▢ ½ lime cut into wedges

INSTRUCTIONS

Rinse the shishito peppers and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Preheat the air fryer to 390°F for 3 minutes.
Spray the shishito peppers in the air fryer basket with avocado oil spray or toss the peppers with a teaspoon of oil in a medium bowl, using your hands to combine.
8 oz fresh shishito peppers, Avocado oil spray
Place the peppers in the air fryer basket and cook for 10 minutes. Shake the air fryer basket occasionally until the peppers are blistered and slightly charred.
Place the shishito peppers on a serving platter. Sprinkle the peppers with coarse salt and serve with lime wedges immediately.
½ lime, ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt

NOTES

Serve immediately.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. To reheat, pop them back into the air fryer for a few minutes until they're heated through.

NUTRITION

Serving: 1 servingCalories: 62.7 kcalCarbohydrates: 9.3 gProtein: 2.6 gFat: 2.3 gSaturated Fat: 0.3 gSodium: 292.6 mgPotassium: 17.1 mgFiber: 5.5 gSugar: 5.3 gCalcium: 6.2 mgIron: 1 mg

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Resplendent Kitchen offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site as a courtesy. Although resplendentkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information from online calculators, these figures are estimates.

Comments

5 from 43 votes (34 ratings without comment)