One-Pot Wonders

Shishito-Style Green Peppers From Michele Humes

by:
May 19, 2020
5
6 Ratings
Shishito-Style Green Peppers From Michele Humes
Photo by ROCKY LUTEN. FOOD STYLIST: ANNA BILLINGSKOG. PROP STYLIST: AMANDA WIDIS.
  • Prep time 5 minutes
  • Cook time 5 minutes
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

Smoky, bright, blistered shishito peppers have long been an izakaya staple and the thing everyone can agree on ordering. But shishitos can be pricey and hard to find, especially out of season. This brilliant, quick-cooking stand-in—the humble green bell pepper—is neither, and will quickly become your new go-to speedy green side.

As Michele writes in The Noodle Soup Oracle, “Green bell peppers, snipped off the vine before ripening into red or yellow sweetness, get the least love of all the bell peppers. It’s true that they can be mushy and bitter, but only if cooked too low and slow. The key is a screaming-hot, well-oiled wok and just enough time in it that the skin blackens and blisters. Prepared this way, green pepper wedges remind me of stemless, seedless shishitos. In this recipe, a flicker of heat from the shichimi togarashi and a shower of flaky salt drive the comparison home.”

A few tips: If you’re missing any of these seasonings, please don’t worry about it. Any vinegar or lemon juice will work. Red chile flakes, maybe lightly crushed, instead of the shichimi togarashi will, too. And if you don’t have the sesame oil, just leave it out.

Recipe adapted slightly from The Noodle Soup Oracle: Hundreds of Possibilities for the World's Favorite Comfort Food (Running Press, October 2019).

This post contains products independently chosen (and loved) by our editors and writers. As an Amazon Associate, Food52 earns an affiliate commission on qualifying purchases of the products we link to. —Genius Recipes

What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Shishito-Style Green Peppers From Michele Humes
Ingredients
  • 2 medium green bell peppers
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil (canola or peanut)
  • Salt
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • Shichimi togarashi
  • Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
Directions
  1. Core and seed the green peppers, and remove the ribs, but don’t worry about being too meticulous (if you like some extra crunch, you can even leave some seeds clinging). Slice the peppers lengthwise into 1-inch/2.5-cm-wide strips, mimicking the shape of a shishito pepper.
  2. Heat a wok or large, heavy cast-iron or stainless steel skillet over high heat until a droplet of water hisses and evaporates on contact. Add the oil, and swirl it around until the pan is evenly coated. Add the peppers and a generous sprinkling of salt and cook, tossing occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the skin of the peppers is blistered and the flesh is just soft.
  3. About 30 seconds before the peppers are done, stir in the rice vinegar and sesame oil. Remove the pan from the heat, add shichimi togarashi to taste, and sprinkle liberally with flaky sea salt.
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  • Karen Brooks
    Karen Brooks
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    Smaug
  • Christine Bills Roppel
    Christine Bills Roppel
  • Jeanette Forester
    Jeanette Forester
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    Sharon Dutton
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12 Reviews

Karen B.
Karen B. August 25, 2022
Usually when a recipe calls for green bells I sub in red,yellow or orange bells for nicer flavor. Having said that, I think this way of frying green bells tastes even better than using actual shishito peppers. This is a keeper!
 
capers
capers September 8, 2021
I never buy green peppers. And then opened my CSA box last week to find five specimens. This recipe to the rescue -- and I am enjoying them tremendously! Who knew?
 
Louisa
Louisa February 20, 2021
I enjoyed this recipe so much that I bought Michele's book. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. Everything I've made from The Noodle Soup Oracle has been a winner. The other pepper recipe in the book, Vietnamese Bell Pepper Stir Fry, is even more delicious. So easy and tasty it's a part of my regular rotation.
 
Smaug
Smaug January 1, 2021
I haven't ever gone in for fried peppers, but I believe that it's more commonly done with thin walled peppers (such as shishitos). Varieties such as Jimmy Nardello, Turkish Aci, pepperoncini, Padron, Roulette etc. might make better choices, if you can find them. I don't know that green bells are so underappreciated; they're absolutely central to New Orleans cuisine, among others, and probably the most commonly available pepper in the US. Peppers, particularly the large ones, take a long time to ripen on the plant, which does not please farmers.
 
Kristin
Kristin December 31, 2020
I agree that this is a way underrated recipe. These are DELICIOUS!! So easy and fast. I make them regularly. If you don’t have togarashi make them anyway- you can use seasoning salt, a pinch of cayenne and sesame seeds. There is a seasoning blend used in the South called Slap Ya Mama that works as a good substitute as well. Make these. They are REALLY good. In fact, I am making them for a NYE dinner tonight.
 
gandalf
gandalf December 31, 2020
Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning works well, also.
 
DebraCR
DebraCR September 4, 2020
I plant one Shishito pepper plant in my little garden and it yields a couple hundred peppers!! I use them in everything especially Gaszpacho and scrambled eggs. They can be used in canning because of their thin skins but they are super roasted or sauteed. I'm really looking forward to trying this recipe.
 
kkayfuller
kkayfuller June 10, 2020
I saw your video a couple of weeks ago and immediately ordered the shichimi togarashi so I could try it and put green peppers on my Kroger pick-up order. Finally all ingredients were in my kitchen and I made these with dinner last night and they tasted wonderful. Served with Michelle Tam's Umami Roast Chicken and Jasmine rice - delightful!
 
Christine B.
Christine B. June 5, 2020
OMGOSH! These are amazing!! I ordered the flaky salt and the spice from Amazon....my hubby loved it too! I can’t wait to try it on actual shishito peppers. BUT this recipe with the bell peppers is A-MAZ-ing! Thanks!
 
Jeanette F.
Jeanette F. June 3, 2020
These peppers are fantastic! I made it with one green and one yellow pepper. I like the idea of trying it with poblanos as another commenter suggested. I bet Anaheims would be good too. A definite keeper. Thanks!
 
Claudia E.
Claudia E. June 3, 2020
I am a nut for shesiedo peppers and these are DELICIOUS!!! Thanks for this recipe!
 
Sharon D.
Sharon D. May 28, 2020
I've been wanting to try this out and finally got around to doing it today before dinner. When I went to the refrigerator to gather the ingredients I found that I didn't have any green peppers after all. I had poblanos. I went ahead and made this anyway and oh my! This was so simple and delicious. Going to do it again with green bell peppers when I get some but I bet this would be delicious with any peppers.