chefalisonbiebs
- Jun 14
- 2 min read

Shishito Peppers with Toasted Sesame Glaze

Shishito peppers are small green peppers, wrinkled looking and thin-skinned, with a light grassy, citrus flavour. 1 in 10 peppers are actually hot but generally, they are quite mild.

In this recipe, I will show you how to char the peppers on the grill, then serve them basted with a sweet and savoury sesame glaze. Enjoy these shishito peppers as a side dish with grilled chicken or steak, or on their own for a delicious snack.

Yield: serves 2–4

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Shishito peppers

Canola oil

½ lb shishito peppers

Preheat a grill on high heat.
Skewer the shishito peppers with two large skewers, at the top and bottom of each pepper. This will make it easy to turn and char the peppers evenly.
Drizzle the peppers with a small amount of oil and set aside while you prepare the sauce.

Sesame glaze

1 tbsp sesame oil

¼ cup onion, minced

1 tbsp ginger, minced

1 clove of garlic, minced

3 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp water

2 tbsp mirin

1 tbsp honey

2 tsp rice vinegar

1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tsp water

Pour the sesame oil into a small saucepot on high heat.
Add the onions and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Once the onions are starting to brown add the ginger and garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan and bring it to a boil.
Mix the cornstarch and water into a slurry and whisk it into the sauce. Turn off the heat and place into a bowl for basting the shishito peppers.

Finishing the plate

Toasted sesame seeds

Korean red pepper flakes

Add the skewered peppers to the grill and char them for about 2 minutes.
Turn the peppers over to char the other side and start brushing them with the sesame glaze.
Cook for 5–7 minutes, turning every 2 minutes and brushing them with glaze.
Turn off the grill and serve the peppers on a platter, brushed with more glaze, and garnished with a pinch of Korean red pepper flakes and toasted sesame seeds. Serve the charred shishitos with the rest of the glaze for dipping.