With just three ingredients and five minutes of cooking, blistered Padrón peppers are one of the easiest Spanish recipes to make at home.
An Easy Tapas Bar Staple
These small green peppers, charred in olive oil and sprinkled with crunchy salt, are a staple at bars and restaurants throughout Spain. Because they’re ready so quickly, I like to order pimientos de Padrón right away with my drink order at the tapas bar so we have something to snack on while we peruse the rest of the menu.
Padrón peppers are usually mild, but about one in 10 of these mild green peppers packs a surprising amount of heat, making them an exciting tapa experience. The spicy ones look the same as the rest, so it’s a bit of a gamble. I’ve had more than my fair share of hot Padrón peppers. I don’t know if the probability is incorrect or if I need to redirect my luck to the lottery.
While they’re a tapas bar staple, you can easily make them at home. In Spain, any grocery store or market sells bags of these mini peppers, but they’re increasingly cultivated in the United States.
If you can’t find them, this quick-cooking technique also works to make blistered shishitos or even baby bell peppers, which means a quick and easy snack is only minutes away!
What Are Pimientos de Padrón?
Pimientos de Padrón are small, thin-walled green peppers from the Galician town of Padrón in northwestern Spain. If they’re grown within Padrón, they receive the protected name pemento de Herbón, but they are also grown throughout Spain, the Mediterranean, and the United States.
Padrón peppers are picked while they’re immature and green, giving them a fragrant, vegetal flavor. They’re actually a variety of Capsicum annuum, the same species as bell peppers, and are generally low in capsaicin. But occasionally, you’ll find a spicy surprise in the mix.
Ingredients for Pimientos de Padrón
Because you just need 3 ingredients for this quick tapa, use the freshest peppers and high-quality olive oil for the best flavor. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Padrón peppers: Use bright green, fresh Padrón peppers. They’ll be naturally fruity, with a slightly bitter finish.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Even for high-heat cooking, it is safe and the traditional choice here. Choose a good quality olive oil, such as Spanish Hojiblanca, which has a grassy, peppery flavor that will complement the Padrón peppers.
- Salt: Use a flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for a bit of crunch and seasoning.
How to Make Blistered Padron Peppers
Padrón peppers are traditionally shallow fried in a hot skillet until blistered and al-dente. It’s a quick tapa with essentially no prep needed. Here’s how to make them:
- Heat the olive oil. Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over high heat in a heavy-bottomed skillet large enough to fit 12 ounces (340g) Padrón peppers in a single layer until hot, but not smoking.
- Cook the peppers. Add the peppers and cook, tossing occasionally, until the skin blisters and the peppers are al-dente. About 1 1/2 minutes.
- Serve. Remove the peppers from the heat and transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt and serve.
How to Grill Pimientos de Padrón
I live in an apartment in Spain, and recently my neighbors came together to buy a shared grill for our building’s rooftop. Since then, I’ve been adapting my favorite meals for the grill to eat al fresco. Padrón peppers are traditionally pan-fried, but they can be grilled for a smokier flavor.
- Preheat the grill on high for 5 minutes.
- In a bowl, toss the peppers with the olive oil. Grill the peppers until blistered all over, 1 to 3 minutes per side.
- Transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and serve hot.
Substitutes for Pimientos de Padrón
US-grown Padrón peppers are becoming increasingly easier to find, especially in larger cities, at farmers’ markets, or at specialty grocers.
- If you can’t find Padrón peppers in your area, Shishito peppers are the closest substitute. Just like Padrón peppers, about one in 10 to 20 is spicy, while the rest are mild.
- If both Padrón and Shishito peppers remain elusive to you, try using baby bell peppers. You won’t find them as a tapa in Spain, but they’re just as tasty.
- Adventurous eaters may be disappointed by the lack of heat in baby bell peppers, but anyone put off by the risk of spice will be happy. They’re usually sold in tricolor mixes, so they’ll be sweeter too.
Pimientos de Padrón Tips and Tricks
- Use a heavy-bottomed skillet, such as cast-iron, which retains heat for better searing.
- Heat the oil until hot and shimmering, but not smoking. The pan has to be hot enough to blister the peppers quickly before they turn too soft.
- Don’t crowd the pan. The peppers should lie in a single layer. If you only have a small pan, work in batches. They cook quickly, so it won’t add much time.
- The oil will splatter. Any moisture released from the peppers will splatter when it hits the hot oil. Be careful and use a splatter screen, if you have one.
What to Serve with Pimientos de Padrón
I’m a fan of preparing a homemade tapa spread for a Sunday lunch with friends or family. Create a spread of tapas to share. Some of my favorites are:
- Refreshing salmorejo, classic Spanish tortilla, and pan con tomate.
- To drink, prepare a pitcher of sangria or tinto de verano.
- For dessert: Don’t forget to end the meal with crema Catalana or homemade churros and some coffee.
More Summer Tapas Recipes
Fish and Seafood
Boquerones en Vinagre (Marinated Anchovies)
Appetizer and Mezze
Spanish Tortilla Recipe (Tortilla de Patatas)
Appetizer and Mezze
Pan Con Tomate (Spanish Tomato Bread)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 pound Padrón peppers (340g)
- Flaky sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil. Heat the olive oil over high heat in a heavy-bottomed skillet large enough to fit the peppers in a single layer until hot; shimmering, but not smoking.
- Cook the peppers. Add the peppers and cook, tossing occasionally, until the skin blisters and the peppers are al-dente. About 1 1/2 minutes.
- Serve. Remove the peppers from the heat and transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt and serve.
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil used in this recipe.
- How to Grill Pimientos de Padrón: Padrón peppers are traditionally pan fried, but they can be grilled for a smokier flavor. Preheat the grill on high for 5 minutes. In a bowl, toss the peppers with the olive oil. Grill the peppers until blistered all over, 1 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and serve hot.
- Substitutes for Pimientos de Padrón: Padrón peppers are becoming easier to find, especially in larger cities, at farmers’ markets, or at specialty grocers. Shishito peppers are the closest substitute. Just like Padrón peppers, about one in ten to twenty is spicy, while the rest are mild. If both remain elusive, try using baby bell peppers. You won’t find them as a tapa in Spain, but they’re just as tasty.
Nutrition
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