How To Make Shishito Peppers On The Grill

Learn how to make shishito peppers on the grill at home and elevate your grilling game! These vibrant green peppers are a popular Japanese delicacy, with a mild heat and a slightly sweet flavor that pairs perfectly with the smoky char from the grill.

Why This Recipe Works:

Spicy Perfection: Learning how to make shishito peppers on the grill is the perfect way to make these peppers shine. Shishito peppers are only slightly spicy but they also have a bit of sweet flavor to them that is complemented by the char that they get on the grill. They are the perfect finger food that are mildly spicy and so delicious!

Versatile: You can simply grill these peppers and have them on their own as an appetizer, or serve them as a side dish to any of your favorite Asian-inspired meals. I wanted to jazz them up a bit and made them into a ricotta shishito crostini that was absolutely to die for! Seriously, these crostini have so much flavor. I toasted the bread on the grill to get it crispy and then topped it with creamy ricotta, spicy chili crunch oil, grilled shishito peppers, and a drizzle of runny honey to get every flavor imaginable in just one bite!

Crostini topped with grilled shishito peppers on a black serving tray.

What Are Shishito Peppers?

If you have never had shishito peppers, you are in for a treat! Shishito peppers are Japanese peppers that are sweet, slightly smoky, and mildly spicy. Be careful though! About 1 in 10 shishito peppers are actually pretty spicy. Personally, it feels like I’m winning the lottery when I get a hot one!

The spice level on even the spicy shishito peppers is still not as hot as a jalapeño pepper, so if you aren’t a fan of spice, you might still appreciate the taste of shishito peppers!

Supplies Needed:

Grill
Mixing Bowls
Tongs

Ingredients:

Grilled Shishito Peppers:

Shishito Peppers: These are the star of the show! You can generally find shishito peppers year-round at your local grocery store.
Sesame Oil: Sesame oil adds a slightly nutty flavor that pairs well with the peppers! Plus, it has a high smoke point. If you don’t have sesame oil, choose another oil that has a high smoke point like canola or grapeseed oil.
Salt: Season them with a bit of salt.

Shishito Pepper Crostini:

French Baguette: Slice your baguette up into pieces that are about 1/2 inch thick.
Olive Oil: Olive oil will help the bread get toasty and crispy!
Ricotta Cheese: You can make ricotta at home or buy it from the store! The creamy flavor cools down the spice from the shishito peppers and the chili crunch oil.
Chili Onion Crunch Oil: If you have never had this, it is amazing. It is super versatile but adds a lot of flavor to the ricotta we are using in this recipe!
Honey: A little hint of sweetness makes this a total flavor explosion!
Sesame Seeds: Sesame seeds are great for garnish if you have them on hand.

How To Grill Shishito Peppers:

Preheat & Prep: Start by preheating your gas or charcoal grill and set it to medium-high heat for direct grilling. Rinse the shishito peppers and pat them dry.
Season: In a bowl, toss them in sesame oil (or other high smoke point oil) and lightly season with sea salt.
Grill: When the grill has preheated, place the peppers directly over the flame on the grill grate (work in batches as they blister fast). Let them cook for about 1 minute and move them around the grate carefully using tongs. Continue to cook them until they are lightly charred and blistered all over, about 3-4 minutes total.
Remove: Once you have grilled all of your peppers, remove them from the grill and use them as desired. To make crostini, keep following along!

Serving And Eating Shishito Peppers:

One of my favorite ways to eat shishito peppers is in the form of a crostini. This makes the perfect flavorful appetizer that I love to share with friends and family! Here’s how to make the crostinis:

Make Ricotta Mixture: In a bowl, combine the chili oil with the ricotta and mix well.
Slice Bread: Slice the baguette into individual pieces about 1/2 inch thick. Coat both sides of each piece of bread with a little olive oil.
Grill: Place the pieces of bread onto the grill and grill until lightly crispy. This will happen quickly! About 20-30 seconds on each side.
Assemble: Take a few teaspoons of the chili ricotta mixture and spread it over the grilled bread. Add 1-2 shishito peppers over the top and then drizzle it with the honey and sesame seeds. Repeat until all of the crostini are made.
Serve: Set them onto a platter, serve with extra honey on the side and enjoy!

Shishito pepper crostini on a black serving tray.

Expert Tips:

Try serving grilled shishito peppers on tacos, nachos, and on sandwiches!
Sprinkle them with some lemon juice if eating on their own for a nice little tang!
If you don’t have a grill or don’t want to start the grill up, try blistering the peppers in the air fryer instead!
Don’t eat the stem! You will want to avoid eating the stem, so serve these with a little bowl to discard the stems in.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are shishito peppers hot?

While shishitos are hotter than the average green pepper, they are typically very mild. However, it is a bit of a game when eating shishito peppers since one in every ten pepper is quite spicy!

Are padrón peppers and shishito peppers the same?

While similar, padrón peppers and shishito peppers are not the same thing. Shishitos are longer and thinner whereas padrón peppers are more round. Padrón peppers also tend to be a bit more spicy!

Can I eat shishito peppers raw?

You technically can eat them raw, but the flavor is much better when grilled or charred in some way.

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