• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Veggie Desserts
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Vegan Recipes
    • Vegan Cake and Desserts
    • Vegan Dinner
    • Vegan Breakfast
    • Vegan Guides
  • Cookbook
    • About My Cookbook
    • Buy Veggie Desserts + Cakes
  • About Me
    • About Me
    • Contact
    • Work With Me
    • Press
    • Newsletter
  • Subscribe
  • Instagram Posts
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Tumblr
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • About Me
  • Cookbook
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • Contact
    • About Me
    • Cookbook
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Appetizers

    Blistered Padron Peppers

    Published: Sep 22, 2021 by Kate Hackworthy · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    Jump to Recipe
    Dish of blistered peppers.

    Blistered Padron Peppers are a delicious, 10-minute authentic Spanish tapas recipe that's incredibly easy to make with just 3 ingredients. About 1 in 10 of these peppers are hot, so it's a game to see who gets a hot one! Enjoy these cooked Spanish pimientos de Padrón with a cold glass of beer or as a starter to a hearty meal.

    We love serving them for a Spanish tapas night, along with Spanish Beans, Sopa de Ajo (garlic soup), or Spanish Tortilla.

    Close up of a dish of blistered padron peppers.

    If you’re looking for a quick and easy appetizer that’s made of vegetables and ready fast, then this recipe for blistered pimientos del Padron is the perfect food to make.

    Padron peppers originated in northwestern Spain. They are small and green and look similar to a flattened jalapeno pepper or a shishito pepper. These peppers have a mild garden pepper taste for the most part unless you get a spicy one!

    About one out of every ten Padron peppers are as spicy as chili pepper and there’s no way to tell except by tasting. This makes this appetizer even more fun! We love playing padron roulette at home to see who gets a hot one.

    For this recipe, you’ll simply blister the peppers by frying them up in a hot skillet with olive oil until they are blistered, lightly charred and hot. They then get served as is or with your favorite dipping sauce or on their own with a little sea salt.

    Serve Blistered Padron Peppers tapas-style or as an appetizer to keep everyone on their toes!

    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Top tips
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Variations
    • Storage
    • FAQs
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Why You'll Love This Recipe

    This classic Spanish appetizer is made with just 3 simple ingredients.

    All you need is 10 minutes of time to get these tapas on the table from start to finish.

    Padron peppers are a fun food to eat as you’ll be wondering who is lucky (or unlucky!) enough to get the spicy pepper. We consider ourselves lucky when we get a hot one!

    You can serve them as an appetizer or cut them up for soups, or you can put them over a bed of rice or your favorite grain.

    Ingredients

    You only need 3 simple ingredients for this dish!

    Table with peppers, oil and salt.
    Just 3 ingredients!
    • Padron Peppers - You’ll need about 3 cups of peppers to make this dish.
    • Olive Oil - This cooking oil is used to pan-sear the peppers to get them hot and blistered.
    • Sea Salt - Enhances the flavor of the blistered peppers once cooked.

    Please see the recipe card below for quantities.

    Instructions

    Wondering how to make this blistered Padron peppers recipe? It's easy! Just follow this step-by-step photo tutorial. Then, scroll down for the recipe card for the full ingredients list and recipe method.

    Prepare the Padron Peppers: Soak or rinse the peppers in cold water to remove any dirt or impurities. Discard any peppers that have bruises or mold.

    Heat the skillet: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat. The oil should be shiny and lightly smoking when ready.

    Skillet of uncooked peppers.

    Blister the Padron peppers: Using tongs, add the peppers to the hot skillet and allow them to sear on all sides turning occasionally. The peppers are finished cooking when they are hot and blistered with black or brown on the outside.

    Skillet of peppers.

    Serve: Remove the peppers with tongs, sprinkle with sea salt and serve immediately by themselves or with a dipping sauce.

    Top tips

    Before pan searing your peppers, make sure they are fully dried after washing. A dry surface area will help them cook easier.

    A cast-iron skillet is the best way to blister these peppers as it holds heat evenly. But use whatever pan you have!

    Make sure the skillet is not overcrowded as you don’t want the peppers to steam and become soggy. You may need to cook these peppers in batches and add more oil as necessary.

    Serving Suggestions

    Serve blistered padron peppers on their own, with a dusting of sea salt.

    Spanish pimientos de Padrón tastes great when served with a zesty dipping sauce such as Alabama White BBQ sauce, Cane's Sauce or Copycat Zax Sauce.  Perfect with Marinara too.

    Toss some into this Vegan Chili Mac & Cheese for some fresh pepper flavor and green color. 

    Make a pitcher of refreshing Vanilla Mango Soda to serve alongside the peppers as a cooling treat.

    Serve with some cold beers or a jug of Sangria.

    Variations

    Drizzle with a bit of Chili Garlic Oil after cooking for even more flavor and spice.

    A pinch of smoked paprika on the finished peppers adds a delightful smoky flavor note.

    Can’t find Padron peppers? Shishito peppers make an excellent alternative that’s almost identical!

    Flaky sea salt on top such as Maldon salt makes an excellent presentation and gives the peppers a rich salty bite.

    Storage

    Storing: Cooked peppers are best served immediately, but any leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days to be chopped up and repurposed in other recipes.

    Freezing: Because the pepper is already cooked, the texture will not hold up well once thawed. Therefore, freezing is not recommended.

    Table with a beer and dish of cooked peppers.

    FAQs

    Are Padron and Shishito peppers the same?

    While they have very similar characteristics and tastes, they vary in shape slightly. Shishito is the Japanese version of Padron peppers.

    Are Padron peppers hot?

    Most are very mild in spice. If you happen to get one of the hot peppers (around 1 in 10), the spice level is similar to jalapeno or mild chili pepper.

    Collage of quick vegan dinner recipes.

    Sign up for our free newsletter and never miss a recipe!

    Plus, you'll get a free eBook: 15 Minute Vegan Dinners!

    📖 Recipe

    Terracotta dish of blistered padron peppers.

    Blistered Padron Peppers

    Kate Hackworthy | Veggie Desserts
    Blistered Padron Peppers are a delicious, 10-minute authentic Spanish tapas recipe that's incredibly easy to make with just 3 ingredients. About 1 in 10 of these peppers are hot, so it's a game to see who gets a hot one!
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    SaveSaved!
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 5 mins
    Total Time 10 mins
    Course Appetizer
    Cuisine Spanish
    Servings 4
    Calories 43 kcal

    Equipment

    • skillet / frying pan

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 3 cups (500g) padron peppers
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt

    Instructions
     

    • Heat the oil until hot, then add the padron peppers and fry, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until blistered and hot.
    • Serve warm sprinkled with a little sea salt.

    Notes

    Before pan searing your peppers, make sure they are fully dried after washing. A dry surface area will help them cook easier.
     A cast-iron skillet is the best way to blister these peppers as it holds heat evenly. But use whatever pan you have.
    Make sure the skillet is not overcrowded as you don’t want the peppers to steam and become soggy.
    You may need to cook these peppers in batches and add more oil as necessary.
    Variations
    Drizzle with a bit of Chili Garlic Oil after cooking for even more flavor and spice.
    A pinch of smoked paprika on the finished peppers adds a delightful smoky flavor note.
    Can’t find Padron peppers? Shishito peppers make an excellent alternative that’s almost identical!
    Flaky sea salt on top such as Maldon salt makes an excellent presentation and gives the peppers a rich salty bite.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 43kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 235mgPotassium: 157mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 331IUVitamin C: 72mgCalcium: 9mgIron: 1mg

    The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @kateveggiedesserts or tag #veggiedesserts! I love seeing your recreations.

    More Appetizer Recipes

    • Zucchini Chips
    • Easy Baked Polenta Fries
    • Broad Bean Salad
    • Artichoke Hearts (Air Fryer, Fried or Baked)
    • Tweet
    • Share
    • Email

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jacqueline Meldrum

      October 02, 2021 at 1:47 pm

      5 stars
      Those were so good Kate. We loved them!

      Reply
    2. Wayne Lind

      September 23, 2021 at 3:35 am

      5 stars
      Hope I get the hot one! sounds good, will hunt down the peppers. My wife makes me cook out side when I have scrambled eggs . I fry up peppers from hell and she chocks from the fumes.
      Thanks for the recipe
      Wayne Pepper Head
      Nakusp B.C.
      Canada

      Reply
    3. Michele

      September 22, 2021 at 2:57 pm

      5 stars
      I'm from Texas and so I'm used to roasting all kinds of peppers. However, I was not familiar with Padron peppers. Thank you for introducing them to me. I followed the recipe and blistered them, and they were wonderful. Ours were not too spicy, which is quite a nice contrast from the other hot peppers that we have down here. Thanks for the recipe. I'll be making these from now on.

      Reply
    4. Shadi Hasanzadenemati

      September 22, 2021 at 2:55 pm

      5 stars
      My family is going to love this! The flavors are perfect and I can’t wait to try this recipe!

      Reply
    5. Beth Sachs

      September 22, 2021 at 2:38 pm

      5 stars
      We're having a tapas night soon so I will be giving these beautiful padron peppers a go for sure!

      Reply
    6. Alisa Infanti

      September 22, 2021 at 2:36 pm

      5 stars
      One of my new favourite low cal snacks instead of chips. So good.

      Reply
    7. Shashi

      September 22, 2021 at 12:53 pm

      5 stars
      I love blistered peppers and these are making my mouth water! Simply delicious!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Kate Hackworthy in the kitchen

    Hi, I'm Kate, a journalist, author and multi-award-winning food blogger. I hope you enjoy my vegetarian and vegan recipes. About Me

    Collage of press logos.

    Popular recipes

    • The BEST Easy Red Lentil Dahl
    • Easy Naan Bread Recipe (yeast-free)
    • Mini Baked Potatoes
    • Easy Lentil Soup

    Healthy Recipes

    • Butternut Squash Salad
    • Easy Healthy Cabbage Soup
    • Easy Vegan Ramen (15 minutes)
    • Rajma Masala (Kidney Bean Curry)

    My cookbook

    Veggie Desserts and Cakes Cookbook cover.

    Check out my Veggie Desserts Cookbook, full of tasty desserts with vegetables!

    Kate Hackworthy in the kitchen

    Hi, I'm Kate, a journalist, author and multi-award-winning food blogger. I hope you enjoy my vegetarian and vegan recipes. About Me

    Collage of press logos.

    Popular recipes

    • The BEST Easy Red Lentil Dahl
    • Easy Naan Bread Recipe (yeast-free)
    • Mini Baked Potatoes
    • Easy Lentil Soup

    Healthy Recipes

    • Butternut Squash Salad
    • Easy Healthy Cabbage Soup
    • Easy Vegan Ramen (15 minutes)
    • Rajma Masala (Kidney Bean Curry)

    My cookbook

    Veggie Desserts and Cakes Cookbook cover.

    Check out my Veggie Desserts Cookbook, full of tasty desserts with vegetables!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About me
    • Contact
    • Work with me
    • Press
    • Veggie Desserts Cookbook

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up for newsletter updates

    Disclaimers

    • Disclosures & Affiliate Policies
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Kate Hackworthy / Veggie Desserts