Southwest Blistered Shisito Peppers

You need these Southwest Blistered Shisito Peppers to get your next party started! Japanese shisito peppers are paired with southwest-inspired spices for an amazing fusion of flavors. Vegan, gluten-free, and Ketogenic Diet friendly!

Blistered Shisito Peppers have always been a popular appetizer at Japanese restaurants, but have slowly been creeping their way into other cuisines. These tasty little peppers are likely related to Padron peppers, which you will often find prepared in similar ways. I love spicy food, so these have always been one of my favorites.

Typically, shisito peppers have just a moderate amount of heat. They rank somewhere between 50-200 on the Scoville Scale, which is between a bell pepper and a mild jalapeño. But every once in awhile, you may bite into an extra hot one. It’s like the Russian roulette of the food world – and I love it.

I have been trying to keep an eye on my carbs lately, so I especially love this recipe because it is naturally keto-friendly. It’s packed with healthy fats from the extra virgin olive oil and low in carbs.

Here are my peppers waiting to be cooked – aren’t they beautiful?

Southwest Blistered Shisito Peppers

I’ve made basic blistered peppers quite a few times, and there are lots of ways to go about this. Most recipes will tell you to blister the peppers over an open flame, like on a gas stove top or an outdoor grill. This works great, and is actually kind of fun.

Sadly I am stuck with an electric stove, and don’t always feel like firing up the grill, so I’ve figured out how to make my blistered shisito peppers an easier way. I roast mine in the oven, on a big baking sheet or in a cast iron pan. I know, it’s blasphemous. But it’s really simple, and they taste just as good this way.

Blistered shisito peppers are most often served with just a little bit of sea salt, but I wanted to amp up the flavor. I made my own Southwest-inspired spice blend. My spice mix includes smoked paprika, cumin, onion powder, and sea salt. Feel free to experiment with your own favorite spices!

Oven-Blistered Shisito Peppers Appetizer

Once I had my spice blend all mixed up, I simply coated my peppers in olive oil (healthy fats!) and tossed them with the spices. I always use the olive oil spray for this kind of task because you can get a nice even coating.

Roast the peppers in the oven until they are blistered to your liking. Mine took about 15 minutes, but it will vary depending on your oven and how close your tray is to the heating element. I put mine on the top shelf and checked every five minutes so that I didn’t accidentally burn them!

These peppers would be so perfect paired with my Japanese-inspired Miso Glazed Eggplant. If you really want to spice things up, try it with a tequila mojito cocktail.