10 Restaurant-Worthy Shishito Pepper Recipes That You Can Make at Home

Grilled Skirt Steak with Shishitos and Charred Lemon
Photo: © Con Poulos

Whether grilled, charred, or skewered, shishito peppers add a kick of flavor to any dish. Just watch out: While the majority of these small green peppers are mild, about one in 10 is spicy enough to make your eyes water. Char shishito peppers, sear with steak in a wok, or use them to punch up the flavor in a zippy vinaigrette. We've got 10 restaurant-worthy shishito recipes for you to try.

01 of 10

Charred Shishito Peppers with Furikake

Charred Shishito Peppers with Furikake
Charles Masters

Quickly charred shishitos are tossed with a squeeze of lime juice and umami-rich furikake in this fast appetizer. While chef Ryan Smith likes to make his own blend, store-bought furikake works just as well here.

02 of 10

Shishito Peppers with Bonito Sand and Tofu Mustard

Shishito Peppers with Bonito Sand and Tofu Mustard

Chef Michael Voltaggio uses bonito sand — a combination of bonito flakes, almond flour, sugar, and butter — to provide depth of flavor to his shishito peppers and tops them with a spicy tofu mustard sauce.

03 of 10

Wok-Seared Steak Majong with Shishito Peppers

Wok-Seared Steak Mah-Jongg with Shishito Peppers
© Barnard & Meyer

This dish is aptly named, as chef George Chen of China Live sears shishito peppers with pieces of steak that are intended to be the size of mah-jongg tiles.

04 of 10

Blistered Shishito Peppers with Miso

Blistered Shishito Peppers with Miso
© Fredrika Stjärne

Though cookbook author Nancy Singleton Hachisu is originally from California, she has lived in Japan since 1988 and has since become an expert in the varied cuisines within the country. While shishito peppers are often eaten raw in Japan during the summer, this version is beautifully blistered.

05 of 10

Grilled Skirt Steak with Shishitos and Charred Lemon

Grilled Skirt Steak with Shishitos and Charred Lemon
© Con Poulos

The ultimate accompaniments to spicy shishito peppers? Chef Dave Beran's skirt steak and lemony salad, complete with blue cheese and mint.

06 of 10

Blistered Shishitos with Furikake Ranch and Crispy Quinoa

Blistered Shishitos with Furikake Ranch and Crispy Quinoa
Kevin J. Miyazaki

Chef Sheldon Simeon serves charred shishito peppers with a swoop of cooling ranch and a topping of crunchy fried quinoa and a homemade furikake blend, but feel free to use a store-bought furikake for this quick recipe.

07 of 10

Striped Bass Crudo with Popcorn Crema and Shishito Vinaigrette

Striped Bass Crudo with Popcorn Crema and Shishito Vinaigrette
© Douglas Friedman

Chef Michael Scelfo's zippy shishito pepper vinaigrette and luscious popcorn crema make a playful topper for pristine raw fish.

08 of 10

Sinigang Na Hipon

Sinigang Na Hipon
Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Kay E. Clarke

Sinigang is a soup from the Philippines with a tangy broth, often made using sour fruit like tamarind or unripe guava. For her sinigang na hipon (prawn sinigang) chef Melissa Miranda uses fresh grapefruit and lemon juice for the sour notes in the full-bodied fish broth that bathes succulent, grilled head-on Argentinean prawns and earthy charred shishitos.

09 of 10

Braised Pork with Ginger-Pickled Shishito Peppers

Braised Pork with Ginger-Pickled Shishito Peppers

Braised pork over rice with a fried egg and pickled peppers may sound eclectic, but "it's a combination of two of my favorite Japanese dishes," Sang Yoon explains: donburi (meat and an egg with rice) and kakuni (slow-braised pork served with hot mustard).

10 of 10

Pepper Jelly–Glazed Chicken Thighs with Grilled Peppers

Pepper Jelly Glazed Chicken Thighs with Grilled Peppers
Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Sweet, spicy, and sticky pepper jelly–glazed chicken thighs pair perfectly with grilled shishito peppers, Anaheim chiles, and scallions. Grilled limes squeezed over the cooked chicken add smoky acidity to the dish. Serve the chicken and vegetables with rice for a simple dinner.

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