Padron peppers are Luis Castelero’s pride and joy. He grows Padron peppers at his ranch in Lake County, California and likes to serve them in the purest way which is using the following recipe that he shared with me. It goes something like this, blistered in a heavy skillet coated with olive oil and then simply salted with the best sea salt you can get your hands on. Take hold of a stem and bite into the pepper, the small ones in one bite and the larger ones maybe in two. They literally melt in your mouth with a small amount of salty heat chasing a lingering Padron pepper flavor as you grab the next one and the next one..
The following recipe makes a fair amount, enough to fit comfortably into a good size frying pan, which in turn fills up a dinner plate to serve as a killer appetizer. My husband and I easily polished off the whole amount last night. While it’s always more fun to enjoy Padron peppers up at the ranch with friends and a good bottle of wine on a hot Lake County Summer’s night, here’s Luis’ recipe- the next best thing. I wish I could share the peppers too.
Perfectly Fried Padron Peppers
- Total Time: 7 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
These Padron peppers melt in your mouth with a salty heat and lingering pepper flavor, making them an irresistible appetizer.
Ingredients
- 2 generous cups of Padron peppers
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- Sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until the oil is hot and shimmering.
- Add the Padron peppers to the skillet in a single layer. Cook and stir the peppers for about 5 minutes, or until the skin is brown and blistered, turning occasionally to ensure even cooking.
- Once the peppers are blistered, remove them from the pan and place them on a serving plate.
- Sprinkle the peppers generously with sea salt to taste.
- Serve immediately, enjoying the peppers by holding the stem and biting into them.
Notes
Use the best quality sea salt for optimal flavor. Serve immediately for the best taste and texture. These peppers are perfect with a glass of wine on a warm evening. If you can’t find Padron peppers, shishito peppers can be used as a substitute.
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Spanish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 50
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 200
- Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 4
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 1
- Cholesterol: 0
Just got back from Spain a couple of weeks ago. Cant get these out of my head. Looking for either an alternative or a place to find them in Central Florida. I don’t think I have the patience to grown them.
Love padron peppers!!
Been growing and eating these for years! In Spain these are some of the most common of all tapas. They are easy to grow and one plant will produce literally hundreds of the little green gems. Don’t spend up to $20/lb, try growing your own!
Hi Patty,
I was in Spain in May and ate Padron peppers every chance I got!
Today I bought some at whole foods. I have never cooked them before.
Thank you for the tips. Can’t wait to cook up as an app with
some crispy vinho verde!
Best,
Rita
Can I please get Luis contact info I would like to contact him to get some of these wonderful peppers.
I like the idea of misting with olive oil and roasting on high heat until blistered- just don’t like turning my oven in when it’s hot outside-fried up a skillet full last night for dinner, so good!
We had these last summer in Spain and picked up three packs of seeds to bring back. Now we have a 6 hi yielding plants in the garden. We have been eating a lot of these! My favorite easy way to cook them is to pick them small (about 1.5 inches) lay them out in a small shallow baking dish and mist with olive oil. Then roast in an oven at 450. Keep and eye on them and within about 10 minutes the skins are blistered and black in spots. You can top them with coarse salt and serve them right in the baking dish. Hardly any clean up!
I live in a suburb of Chicago and grow these. I get plants from a seller on Amazon in early spring. They do amazing here. The plants are about 3 feet tall and I get loads of peppers everyday. No need to over-pay to buy them when they are easily grown in the garden.
Before I read this and looked to see what others were doing with Padrons had cooked a batch of Padron’s just like Patty’s recipe from Luis. Got mine from Green String Farm in Petaluma and they were terrific with some cheese and a very nice Bandol rose.
Hi! I’m just checking back in on my post here. I’m growing Padron peppers in my garden from plants that Luis gave me earlier this year. I tried throwing them on the grill without oil, they blister and cook quickly but not as good (flavorful) as The method Luis uses, which is my preferred method outlined in the above recipe. Also try different kinds of salt, this year I’m using smoked sea salt and truffled sea salt..a favorite of Luis.
Happy Padron pepper cooking and eating to all!
I too love padron peppers done up this way. They’re the perfect light snack. I was first turned on to this method at the farmers market in Santa Cruz, California. Now I grow them in New Orleans, Louisiana and like KT mentioned above, if you let them get larger than 2″ the heat does develop.
I’ve heard that if you let the peppers get larger than 2″ that’s when they start getting a lot of heat.
This is my first season growing them and am trying to keep them about 1.5″, so far so good. If you want them hot try growing them larger.
Grew some of these in London, UK and when they were ready cooked them up for my mum and girlfriend.
Bit into them with anticipation and every mouthful of every pepper was fiery hot!! Not enjoyable at all, but funny!
We have been eating Padrons obscenely for the last two years out of our garden. We literally almost go through 50 a night four nights a week during the season.
Regarding the larger hotter ones — those can be like eating a small handgrenade. I cook them exactly per the recipe (or in butter instead of olive oil), cut them into thirds — slicing off the seed bundle, then splitting the rest of the pepper into halves — and dehydrate them to a point where they will crumble in your fingers.
We use these dried padrons as a seasoning — for example, crumbling them into mashed potatoes or scrambled eggs. The heat remains, but it creeps up gently versus instantly melting your nasopharynx like the freshly cooked ones can do.
Not only are they fantastic paired with wine, but this might be the greatest microbrew pairing of all time.
Thanks Matt for the suggestions on cooking Padrone’s I have been eating them in restaurants since last year, and grew my own this year. Until now I haven’t heard of any other way of cooking them. I like the idea of dehydrating. Going to try it today! Thanks again.
Would this work with pepperoncini peppers? We have more growing than I know what to do with!