Blistered Padrón peppers are a classic Spanish tapas dish. Sautéed to perfection in just 5 minutes, these Spanish pimientos de Padrón are prepared quick and easy with only 3 ingredients. Simply cook them until blistered, then sprinkle with salt and serve as a snack, appetizer with slices of bread or as a side dish.
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What are Padrón Peppers?
Pimientos de Padrón or Padrón peppers are small green peppers originating from the Padrón municipality in Galicia, northwestern Spain, hence their name. They are small and slightly elongated in size, about 3 to 7 cm long (1 to 3 inches) with a fairly thin skin
These peppers have some unique characteristics due to the local cultivation techniques and selective breeding and harvesting.
Get more detailed information and history about Padrón peppers.
Some are hot and some are not
Being mild and slightly sweet in flavour, grilling them brings out their natural sweetness with a hint of smoky and charred taste. But don’t be fooled as their most notable characteristic is that about 1 out of 10 peppers have a fiery surprise and can deliver a spicy kick. What you don’t know is which one is spicy and which one not as it cannot be seen, but only tasted.
In Spain there is a saying ‘unos pican y otros no‘, or in other words, some are hot and some not. When eating this tapas dish in a restaurant or bar with friends, you never know who will be the ‘lucky’ one to get a spicy bite. Or as they say in Spain, eating Spanish style Padrón peppers is like Spanish roulette.
One things is sure, this fried Padrón peppers recipe is an integral part of Spanish cuisine and traditionally served with other tapas dishes like chorizo in red wine, mussels in vinaigrette and squid strips.
Which ingredients to use
You only need 3 ingredients for making these Padrón peppers – Spanish style.
- Padrón Peppers: Use fresh Padrón peppers for the best taste. If you cannot find these Spanish peppers, use Shishito, Piquillo or Jalapeño peppers. Shishito are the best substitute as they are similar in flavour, taste and heat level.
- Oil: As in Spain most dishes are prepared with olive oil, so are these peppers. Use a good quality olive oil with a fruity taste that complements the flavour of the peppers.
- Salt: Use either flaky sea salt, fleur de sel, coarse sea salt or Kosher salt to sprinkle over the peppers after cooking.
How to cook Padrón peppers
These blistered Padrón peppers are such a quick and easy Spanish tapas dish to prepare. All you need are the main ingredients and a skillet or heavy bottom pan for frying.
Here are some useful tips on how to cook Padrón peppers, Spanish style. In other words, as they are cooked and served as a tapas dish in Spain:
- Dry well: Make sure to properly dry the peppers after rinsing under cold running water. As the oil is hot, any water still on the peppers will make the oil splatter and reduce the temperature of it for which they will not properly brown.
- Skillet: Use a skillet or heavy bottom pan to cook the peppers as they will need to be prepared on medium to high heat.
- Hot pan: Add the peppers in the pan when it is medium to hot so the they can properly crisp up and allow the skin to blister.
- Single layer: Make sure the peppers are spread out in a single layer for the skins to blister and brown properly. Work in batches if the pan isn’t large enough to fit them all in at once.
How much oil to use
To keep it traditional Spanish you should use olive oil. It will give the best taste to the final dish. However, use any other oil of your preference. What I would not use for making these blistered peppers is butter or margarine.
Traditionally pimientos de Padrón are (deep)fried in quite a bit of oil (1 to 2 cm or 0.4 to 0.8 inches). However, I find with using just a tablespoon of oil you will get the same result. Add the oil in a pan over medium-high heat and only add the peppers when the oil is hot.
Can I cook the peppers in the oven?
Even though traditionally Padrón peppers are cooked in a pan with oil, you can also prepare them in the oven. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and grill for 10 to 15 minutes or until the skin is brown and blistered and the peppers are soft. You can add olive oil before grilling or drizzle with olive oil afterwards and sprinkle with salt just before serving.
What to serve with Padrón peppers
Blistered Padrón peppers can be a delicious snack or served as a tapas dish either on their own or in combination with other Spanish tapas, like chorizo, ham, olives and cheese.
If you plan on serving them as a side dish, they work really well in combination with a Spanish omelette, pisto Manchego and a Spanish tomato salad.
Blistered Padrón Peppers – How to cook pimientos de Padrón
Equipment
- 1 skillet
Ingredients
- ½ pound (225 grams) Padrón peppers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- flaky sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the peppers under cold running water and pat dry on a clean towel.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium sized skillet or heavy bottom pan over medium-high heat and when hot, add the peppers in a single layer, or work in batches.
- Cook for 5 minutes or until the peppers are tender and the skin is charred and blistered. Toss regularly to make sure all sides are charred.
- Transfer to a bowl or plate and sprinkle with flaky sea salt or kosher salt to taste.
Notes
- Olive oil: Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil. Make sure all the peppers are properly coated in olive oil otherwise consider adding more than 1 tablespoon if needed.
- Pat dry: Make sure the peppers are properly dried after rinsing. If they are still moist they will splatter in the hot oil.
- Cooking time: Depending on the thickness of the peppers, the cooking time can vary by a few minutes.
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment with rating below and share a picture with the hashtag #discoverspaintoday and tag me on Instagram or Facebook
