Pimientos de Padrón (Blistered Padrón Peppers)
In short: Small green peppers blistered in hot olive oil and finished with flaky sea salt, a five-minute Galician tapa where a few peppers pack a surprise kick. It takes about 11 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 6 min
- Total
- 11 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 110 kcal
Padrón peppers are small green peppers from Galicia, fried whole in olive oil until blistered and sprinkled with coarse salt. The old saying is that some are hot and some are not, and there is no way to tell which is which until you bite. Most are mild, a few have a kick. They take five minutes to cook and are eaten by hand, holding the stem.
Instructions
- Rinse the peppers and dry them thoroughly, because water makes the hot oil spit. Leave the stems on.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers and a pepper sizzles at once.
- Add the peppers in a single layer, working in two batches if needed. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes, turning with tongs, until the skins blister, wrinkle and show brown spots.
- Tip the peppers onto a plate, scatter with the flaky salt and serve straight away, to be eaten by the stem.
Tips
- Pat the peppers completely dry and do not crowd the pan. Wet or packed peppers steam and turn limp instead of blistering.
- Shishito or small sweet frying peppers can stand in outside Spain. Both blister the same way, though they carry less heat.
Questions and answers
Are Padrón peppers spicy?
Most are mild and a few are noticeably hot, and you cannot tell which is which. Peppers picked later in the summer tend to be hotter.
Can I cook Padrón peppers in the oven?
Yes. Toss them with oil and roast on a hot tray at 230°C (450°F) for 8 to 10 minutes, until blistered. The skin will be less glossy than from a pan.
What do I serve with Padrón peppers?
They go with other tapas such as tortilla, jamón and croquetas, and with a cold beer or a glass of crisp white wine.
How long does it take to make Pimientos de Padrón (Blistered Padrón Peppers)?
About 11 min in total: 5 min of preparation and 6 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Pimientos de Padrón (Blistered Padrón Peppers)?
About 110 kcal per serving, with 1 g of protein, 3 g of carbohydrates and 10 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 110 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3 g |
| Fat | 10 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Sodium | 350 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
