Spanish Tapas-style Blistered Padrón Peppers

In tapas bars you will usually find either Padrón or Shishito peppers as an offering. They taste basically the same, but Padróns have a smokey, earthy flavor with a complexity that comes from the heat that is lurking just behind the curtain. Shishitos are not usually hot—you may find 1 in 10 that is medium-spicy. Padróns are also mild with slightly more chance of being spicy—2 in 10. Shishitos are sweeter, less complicated, and have thicker walls that can handle more time in the hot pan and make for a satisfying bite.

Shishito peppers are the East Asian variety of the cultivar and are named because the tips of the peppers resemble the head of a lion—shishi (or jishi) in Japanese. On the other hand, Padrón peppers are from Spanish seed of the cultivar from the municipality of Padrón in northwestern Spain, hence its name. Both peppers are very trendy right now, along with the rise of tapas bars, izakayas (Japanese bars with food), gastropubs, and small plate offerings.

Padrón peppers are quite similar to Shishito peppers. So if you are in the US and struggle to locate them, swap for their Japanese cousins, the shishitos. You may be able to find Shishito peppers at your local Japanese or Korean store where they may be labelled as Twist peppers. They are incredibly similar to Padrón peppers.

Traditionally Padrón peppers are fried whole in little olive oil. Season the peppers simply with salt or with an addition of Spanish paprika.

Shishito or Padrón peppers
olive oil
flaky sea salt
smoked Spanish paprika, optional
lemon slices

Wash and dry the peppers. Keep the stems, so your guests can pick them up and hold by their stems while eating them.

Bring a large frying pan (I like cast-iron for this) to high heat. Add a glug of olive oil, then add the peppers. Allow to fry for about one minute before turning; they should be blistered and darkened on the first side.

Fry on the other side for another minute or so. Then cover with a lid and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft and cooked all the way through. The peppers will first puff up, then collapse. The peppers are done when they are charred on the outside but soft all the way through. You can see they are done once they wilt and collapse.

Drizzle a bit more olive oil, then use your fingers to sprinkle on some sea salt and Spanish paprika, if desired. Squeeze lemon over peppers, to taste. You can always soak up the excess olive oil with some bread.

Enjoy them while they’re hot!