Try these Air-Fried Shishito Peppers—a delicious, healthy snack or appetizer that's as effortless to make as tasty to eat. This blistered shishito recipe is sure to elevate your snack game!
These little 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! The air fryer gives the peppers a perfect blistered texture, and you don't need to turn on the oven.
These blistered and tender shishito peppers are the perfect finger food for parties. They are a light, fun appetizer with a beverage before dinner, and they make a great side dish as well!
For another air fryer recipe, try these crispy Air Fryer Potatoes next!
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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 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.
- Quick & Convenient: You can enjoy freshly cooked shishito peppers in less than 15 minutes with an air fryer.
- Healthier Option: Using an air fryer significantly reduces the amount of oil needed than traditional frying methods, resulting in a healthier version of this snack.
- Customizable: You can season your shishito peppers with various spices and seasonings.
- Crowd-Pleaser: Whether served as an appetizer, snack, or a side dish, these peppers always seem to disappear from the plate quickly!
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.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions
- Shishito peppers - If you can't find shishito 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.
Variations
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:
Step 1: Rinse the shishito peppers under cool tap water and pat them dry. Preheat the air fryer to 390°F for 3 minutes.
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.
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.
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 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 peppers, you may need to do multiple batches.
I cook 8 oz shishito peppers in my 3-quart air fryer.
How to serve
Serve this great appetizer with:
- vegan horseradish aioli for dipping
- 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
Storage
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.
There you have it. Air–fried shishito Peppers are an easy, tasty, healthy snack or side dish perfect for any occasion. Enjoy!
FAQ
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.
After these 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.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Thanks for stopping by!
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Recipe
Air Fryer Shishito Peppers
Equipment
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
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.
Anonymous
Easy and versatile recipe. Thank you!
Emily Miller
Thank you very much!
Nicole
My family loved this!
Emily Miller
Thank you, Nicole!
Eiizabeth
This recipe is tasty and easy to make.
Emily Miller
Thank you for sharing, Elizabeth! I'm glad to hear it!
Meg
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I love peppers and these were so easy to make perfectly in the air fryer. Thanks again.
Emily Miller
Thanks so much, Meg! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a review.
Anonymous
Andrea
These peppers turned out so good! Love how easy they are to make in the air fryer too! Love it!
Emily Miller
Thanks so much, Andrea! I'm glad you enjoyed these air fryer shishitos!
Helen
These little peppers are delicious! They are great as an appetizer or as a side with barbecue. My adult grandson really loved them!
Emily Miller
That's wonderful, Helen, I'm so glad to hear it!
Amy
Wow! This is such a great treat that everyone will gonna love and enjoy. A snack food that will be great to any occasion! Loved it!
Emily Miller
Thank you for your feedback, Amy! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it!