Cast Iron Blistered Shishito Peppers with Lime
Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high coals or a camp stove burner for 3 minutes. Toss 12 oz of dry shishito peppers with 1 tablespoon oil, cook in one layer for 2 minutes without stirring, then toss and cook 4 to 5 more minutes until blistered and charred in spots. Finish with salt and a squeeze of lime. Total time is about 15 minutes.
Shishito peppers are small, thin-skinned and mild. In a hot skillet they blister fast and turn sweet and smoky. You eat them by the stem, so there is no knife work and no plates needed.
This snack takes three ingredients and one pan. About one pepper in ten packs some heat, so everyone gets a little surprise. Make it while the fire settles in and the rest of dinner is still coming together.
Cast Iron Blistered Shishito Peppers with Lime
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 9 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Heat
- Medium-high coals or flame
- Pack weight
- 1.5 lb
- Campfire
- Camp stove
- Backpacking
- Cooler optional
- One burner
- Low water
- One-pan cleanup
Ingredients
Gear you'll need
- 12-inch cast-iron skillet
- Tongs
- Heat-resistant glove
- Mixing bowl or pot
- Clean towel
- Knife and small cutting board
Steps
-
Heat the skillet
Set a 12-inch cast-iron skillet on a grate over medium-high coals, or on a camp stove burner over medium-high. Let it heat for about 3 minutes, until a drop of water sizzles and vanishes.
-
Wash and dry peppers
Rinse the peppers and pat them completely dry with a clean towel. Wet peppers spatter in hot oil. Leave the stems on.
-
Toss with oil
Put the peppers in a bowl or pot with the oil. Toss until every pepper has a light coat.
-
Blister in one layer
Add the peppers to the hot skillet in a single layer. Cook for 2 minutes without stirring so the skins char.
-
Turn and finish
Toss the peppers with tongs and cook 4 to 5 more minutes. They are done when the skins are wrinkled and blistered with dark spots, and the peppers are soft.
-
Salt and squeeze
Move the skillet off the heat. Sprinkle with salt and squeeze lime wedges over the top.
-
Serve hot
Eat them right from the skillet while they are hot. Pick each pepper up by the stem and bite off the body. Collect the stems in a trash bag.
Trail Notes
Shishito peppers are delicate. Carry them in a paper bag or a hard container so they don't get crushed under other gear. Cut the limes at camp so they stay fresh.
Fresh peppers keep for a day or two in a cool, shaded spot. For longer trips, keep them in the cooler in a bag with a dry paper towel. Cook them early in the trip.
Don't crowd the skillet. If peppers pile up, they steam instead of blister. Cook in two batches if your pan is small.
Pack out all stems and lime rinds. Strain dishwater through a mesh strainer, pack out the food bits, and scatter the water at least 200 feet from streams and lakes.
Campers ask
How do you cook shishito peppers over a campfire?
Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high coals, add oiled peppers in one layer, and cook 6 to 7 minutes, tossing once after the first 2 minutes. They are done when blistered and slightly charred.
Are shishito peppers spicy?
Most are mild and sweet, but about one in ten is hot. You can't tell which one by looking, so it's a guessing game at the fire.
Can you eat the whole shishito pepper?
Yes, the skin, flesh and seeds are all edible. Most people hold the stem and eat the pepper in a bite or two, then discard the stem.
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