Padrón Peppers (Authentic Recipe for Pimientos de Padrón)

Padron peppers cooked Spanish style tapa (deep fried) are shown in black serving dish with sea salt sprinkled over them.

Padrón Peppers (Authentic Recipe for Pimientos de Padrón)

Padrón peppers are one of the culinary stars of traditional Spanish tapas. Prepare them deep fried, pan fried, oven roasted or grilled for delicious results every time.

5 from 17 votes

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Prep Time: 2

Cook Time: 8

Total Time: 10

Servings: servings

Calories: 72kcal

Author: Milena Perrine

Ingredients

1 dry pint Padrón peppers*
1 tablespoon olive oil or as needed for deep fried version
2 cloves garlic optional, for the pan frying method
sea salt to taste
lemon juice to taste, optional

Instructions

Deep Fried

Deep fry the Padrón peppers in olive oil at 350 F (either in a fryer or appropriately filled deep small saucepan). As soon as they blister all around and begin to turn dark, remove them from the oil. About 45 seconds to a minute is all it takes. Appearance is a more reliable guide than time.
Serve right away seasoned with sea salt flakes.

Pan Fried

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Fry the garlic cloves for about 50-60 seconds, until they just begin to turn golden. Add the Padrón peppers and turn them around with a wooden spoon or kitchen tongs as soon as the bottom surface begins to blister up. Do this until they have blistered all around, the thin skins burst and they begin to darken.**
Remove from the pan, place in serving dish and season with sea salt flakes and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Oven Roasted

Preheat oven to 425 F. Toss the Padrón peppers in olive oil and spread them over a baking sheet or oven safe skillet. Roast until the skins blister and begin to darken and burst. Use kitchen tongs to flip around the peppers about half way through (4 mins in). Total time should be between 8-10 minutes. Serve seasoned with sea salt flakes mixed with smoked paprika (totally optional, but imparts a great smokey flavor).

Grilled

Use medium-high heat grill (about 375 F). Toss the Padrón peppers in olive oil and place over direct heat. As they start to blister, turn them around for even roasting on all sides. Use a grilling basket for easier handling. Serve seasoned with sea salt.

Notes

*In the USA Padrón peppers are typically sold in stores portioned in baskets of 1 dry pint. A dry pint is a measure of volume used for fruit & vegetables and is the equivalent of about two heaping cups of Padrón peppers.

They are sooo good that we recommend you double the recipe even if there are still 2 people eating.

**For the pan frying method use a splatter screen to minimize the chance of splatter burns.

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