Whip up these Air Fryer Shishito Peppers for a quick, easy, and satisfying snack or delicious appetizer! Made with only 5 simple ingredients, and ready in 10 minutes or less!
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Disclosure: This post was originally published on August 23rd 2020, but has since been updated on August 23rd 2023 with better photos, clearer instructions, and a tastier recipe. We hope you enjoy the new look!
If you haven't tried shishito peppers before, you're in for a treat! These little peppers pack a mild and sweet flavor, with the occasional spicy pepper in the mix. While shishito peppers are generally mild, about 1 in every 10 peppers can actually be a touch spicy, which is part of the fun!
We love air frying them to make the perfect snack with little effort. You avoid taking up space on the stove or making an extra mess with oil popping with the peppers.
This recipe also makes a great side dish or the perfect appetizer. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce, like this Wingstop ranch recipe or pesto aioli!
Looking for more delicious air fryer recipes? Try these air fryer waffle fries, this air fryer zucchini, this air fryer garlic bread, or these air fryer steak tips!
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❤️Why we love this recipe
- Simple ingredients. This tasty snack calls for only 5 main ingredients including salt, pepper, and oil. You can find these little peppers at nearly all grocery stores year-round usually, especially in the peak season of late summer and early fall. Everything else you probably already have in your pantry.
- Quick preparation. From start to finish, you need only 15 minutes from prep time to cooking time. The whole peppers are consumed without any need to peel or cut anything. These mild peppers have thin skin that roasts up well with a nice char.
- Fun to eat. These little peppers have a very mild heat, most of the time! However, you never know if you might end up with a rare spicy little pepper. Most of the time, they are just a great savory bite, and you can eat the whole pepper, with the exception of the stem! These bite-sized peppers make for a fun appetizer or finger food for gatherings.
- Suits multiple diet types. This recipe is naturally low carb, gluten free, vegan friendly, soy free, and nut free, so it suits multiple diet types without any additional need for modifications.
🍋Ingredients
Here are the ingredients we used for this recipe. You can find more information for substitutions below.
- Whole shishito peppers.
- Salt and black pepper. We like to season these with a bit of kosher salt and pepper before popping them into the air fryer, and then we finish them off with flaky sea salt!
- Avocado oil. We like using this oil because it is very neutral in flavor and has a high smoke point, You can of course use olive oil if you prefer.
- Lemon juice and lemon zest. Optional, but adds a lovely brightness and acidity to the dish.
Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.
✨Substitutions & variations
Here are a few suggestions on additional flavors to try, or simple variations to this recipe.
- Swap out the oil. You can use olive oil or sesame oil to switch up the flavor profile.
- Switch lemons for limes. Lime juice and zest would also complement the peppers really well.
- Spicy. If you prefer a kick of heat to your peppers, try adding some red chili flakes, cayenne pepper, or a little bit of chili powder.
- Savory. Add a bit of onion powder and garlic powder to the seasoning blend for some extra savory flavor.
- Smoky. Love smoky flavors? Try adding some smoked paprika.
- Herbed. Italian seasoning, oregano, or thyme would make excellent choices for addition additional flavor to these peppers.
- Buttery. Love buttery flavor? Try tossing the peppers with a butter of butter after cooking! We don't recommend coating the peppers in butter before air frying, because the butter will burn at high temperatures.
🔪Prep work
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
- Spray the air fryer basket or trays with cooking spray if necessary.
- Wash and dry the shishito peppers well. Make sure there is no extra water on the peppers.
- Measure out all remaining ingredients.
📋Instructions
Toss the shishitos with a little oil, salt, pepper, and lemon zest. (Image 1)
✨Pro Tip: If making this recipe for the first time, reserve some salt and pepper for later to adjust the seasonings to your taste.
Place peppers in the air fryer basket or trays in a single layer. Cook for 8-10 minutes, shaking the air fryer basket or flipping the peppers on a tray halfway through cooking, until the peppers are soft and slightly charred and blistered on all sides. (Image 2)
✨Pro Tip: Please note, our air fryer is 1500 watts. It is a good idea to check the wattage of your air fryer before cooking. Higher wattage may want to use a lower temperature/shorter cooking time.
Squeeze the fresh lemon juice over top of the peppers, and season with more salt and pepper if desired. (Image 3)
Transfer the peppers to a serving dish. Serve with a small bowl of your favorite dipping sauce, extra salt and pepper, and some lemon wedges. We paired ours with this pesto aioli!
✨Tips & tricks
- Start with dry peppers. Make sure the shishito peppers are dry before seasoning. Any moisture can prevent them from getting crispy in the air fryer.
- Coat them evenly. Tossing the peppers in a mixing bowl with the avocado oil, salt, pepper, and lemon zest ensures they're evenly coated, which helps them to crisp up nicely and make sure every bite is tasty.
- Don't overcrowd the air fryer tray or basket. Place the shishito peppers in a single layer in the air fryer basket or tray. Overcrowding can cause them to steam rather than roast, which will prevent them from getting that nice blistery char!
- Shake or flip midway through cooking. About halfway through cooking, give the air fryer basket a gentle shake, or, flip them on the air fryer tray. This ensures that all sides of the peppers get exposed to the heat, leading to an even roast.
- Add the final touches. After cooking, immediately toss the hot shishito peppers with a bit more kosher salt or sea salt, black pepper, and lemon juice. Seasoning them while they're still hot helps the seasoning stick. Also, adding the lemon juice last adds a nice citrusy flavor that's bright and pronounced.
- Be mindful that cooking times will vary. The time needed to cook the peppers is based on the model of your air fryer and your personal preference. Our air fryer is 1500 watts. It is a good idea to check the wattage of your air fryer before cooking. Higher wattage may want to use a lower temperature/shorter cooking time.
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💭Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is best enjoyed right away, and we don't recommend making it in advance. However, if you need to save them, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Reheat in the air fryer for 1-2 minutes to warm them back up. Do not freeze.
Shishitos are a unique pepper, coming from East Asia, so you can find them at almost any local grocery store in the United States. These unique peppers are a yellowish green to a bright green color.
They taste a bit savory, mild, smoky, and sweet. You can eat them raw or cooked. If eaten raw, they taste similar to a bell pepper, but a little sweeter. The most common way to eat shishitos is blistered.
Occasionally, you'll find a somewhat spicy pepper. Which is still much less spicy than your average jalapeño pepper.
Yes! If you don't have an air fryer or you prefer the oven, here's what you need to do.
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Wash and dry the shishito peppers well. Toss them in a bowl with avocado oil, lemon zest, salt, and pepper, and make sure they are evenly coated.
3. Spread the peppers in a single layer on a baking sheet. Avoid overcrowding to ensure even roasting.
4. Roast for 10-15 minutes, turning once halfway through. Once blistered and charred, toss them in a bowl with more kosher salt or sea salt, black pepper, and the juice of half a lemon.
5. Serve immediately while they are warm and crispy!
Yes! This recipe is also commonly made on the stovetop.
1. To make them, preheat a large skillet or frying pan on medium-high heat.
2. Once hot, add the avocado oil, followed by the shishito peppers with a pinch of salt.
3. Turn occasionally until the peppers begin to blister and char. This usually takes about 5-7 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat, then toss with more salt, black pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
5. Transfer the peppers to a serving dish and enjoy while they're hot!
More Recipes To Consider
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Shishito Peppers
Equipment
- air fryer (use whatever air fryer you have!)
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fresh shishito peppers (about 1 container)
- ½ tablespoon avocado oil
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)
- ⅛ - ¼ teaspoon black pepper (to taste)
- 1 medium lemon, zested
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (to taste, the juice of about ½ a lemon)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Wash and dry the peppers very well to ensure there is no leftover water on them.
- Toss the shishitos with ½ tablespoon of avocado oil, ¼ teaspoon of salt, a pinch of pepper, and the zest of one lemon. Reserve salt and pepper for serving later.
- Place peppers in the air fryer basket or trays in a single layer. Cook for 8-10 minutes, shaking the air fryer basket or flipping the peppers on a tray halfway through cooking, until the peppers are soft and slightly charred and blistered on all sides.
- Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over top of the peppers, and season with more salt and pepper if desired, to taste.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce or by themselves, and enjoy!
Save This Recipe! 💌
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Notes
- Start with dry peppers. Make sure the shishito peppers are dry before seasoning. Any moisture can prevent them from getting crispy in the air fryer.
- Coat them evenly. Tossing the peppers in a mixing bowl with the avocado oil, salt, pepper, and lemon zest ensures they're evenly coated, which helps them to crisp up nicely and make sure every bite is tasty.
- Don't overcrowd the air fryer tray or basket. Place the shishito peppers in a single layer in the air fryer basket or tray. Overcrowding can cause them to steam rather than roast, which will prevent them from getting that nice blistery char!
- Shake or flip midway through cooking. About halfway through cooking, give the air fryer basket a gentle shake, or, flip them on the air fryer tray. This ensures that all sides of the peppers get exposed to the heat, leading to an even roast.
- Add the final touches. After cooking, immediately toss the hot shishito peppers with a bit more kosher salt or sea salt, black pepper, and lemon juice. Seasoning them while they're still hot helps the seasoning stick. Also, adding the lemon juice last adds a nice citrusy flavor that's bright and pronounced.
- Be mindful that cooking times will vary. The time needed to cook the peppers is based on the model of your air fryer and your personal preference. Our air fryer is 1500 watts. It is a good idea to check the wattage of your air fryer before cooking. Higher wattage may want to use a lower temperature/shorter cooking time.
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