Furikake and Lemon Shishito Peppers are sweet, spicy, and add a little kick to a weeknight dinner or whet your palate as a zesty appetizer. They only take 15 minutes to make and are loaded with umami flavor!
Sweet and Spicy Shishito Peppers with Lemon and Furikake
When Alec and I lived in Santa Monica, we had a little garden on our balcony. We grew cherry tomatoes, butter lettuce (that our dog Peeps loved to munch on), Japanese eggplant, and shishito peppers. My absolute favorite were the fresh shishito peppers and it was such a treat having them grow right at home!
Shishito peppers are Japanese sweet peppers that are mildly spicy. They thrive in sunshine and are in season during the spring and summer. Shishito peppers are long and skinny and taste delicious when blistered or grilled.
My favorite way to prepare Shishito peppers is with a few simple ingredients that highlight the taste of the peppers. I often season them with garlic, furikake, and a squeeze of lemon juice. The garlic adds a tasty aroma, the furikake adds an umami flavor, and the lemon brightens the dish. This recipe takes less than 15 minutes, which is perfect for a last-minute appetizer or a weeknight dinner.
What is Furikake?
Furikake is a Japanese seaweed seasoning. The most common furikake is made of dried nori, or seaweed, sesame seeds, and salt. There are other types of furikake, which have bonito flakes, rice puffs, shrimp, and other bits of umami-packed ingredients.
Furikake adds a lot of flavor to any dish, without overpowering it. I add furikake to vegetables, rice, salmon, chicken, and more.
How to Make Furikake and Lemon Shishito Peppers
First, add oil to a medium skillet on medium heat. Once the oil gets hot, but does not smoke or burn, add the peppers and toss in the oil.
Then, allow the Shishito peppers to cook until they blister, occasionally turning the peppers over with tongs. After a few minutes, add the minced garlic and toss until the peppers are evenly coated with the garlicky oil. Continue to cook the peppers until the garlic becomes fragrant, or for about 2-3 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.
For a final touch, add a squeeze of lemon juice, the furikake, and salt to taste. Toss the peppers in this mixture until evenly coated and serve. These peppers go particular well with an ice cold Japanese beer or with a tasty donburi.
I recommend enjoying Furikake and Lemon Shishito Peppers immediately, but if you have leftovers, you can store and refrigerate them in an airtight container to enjoy the next day.
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Furikake and Lemon Shishito Peppers
- Prep Time: 3
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 13 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Ingredients
- 8 oz shishito peppers
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- ½ lemon
- 2 tablespoons furikake
- Kosher salt to taste
Instructions
Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat. Once oil gets hot, add peppers.
Allow the peppers to cook until they blister, occasionally turning the peppers over with tongs. After 5-7 minutes, add garlic and toss until the peppers are evenly coated. Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
Add a squeeze of lemon juice, furikake, and salt to taste. Toss until evenly coated and serve.
Keywords: shishito peppers, blistered shishito peppers, furikake, gluten free appetizer, vegan appetizer, vegetarian appetizer, easy summer appetizer, japanese appetizer
These were so delicious! Made them to be a side dish with our dinner but they were so good we ended up finishing them before we got to the meal!
★★★★★
Love the seasoning on these shishito peppers, a nice new twist.
★★★★★