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    Home » Recipes » Appetizer Recipes

    What Are Padron Peppers, How To Cook Them, and Recipes!

    Published: Jul 13, 2018 · Modified: Sep 3, 2020 by Sandi Gaertner · 12 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    So you bought a package of little green Padron peppers and you are wondering what to do with them. I love these bite-sized mild peppers. There are so many fun ways to cook them.

    Join along as I show you how to roast Padron peppers and create a simple easy Padron peppers recipe. If you love peppers as much as we do, check out some of my popular gluten free shishito pepper recipes!

    roasted padron peppers in a pottery bowl
    Jump to:
    • Where to find Padron peppers?
    • Pimientos de Padron
    • Need more yummy pepper recipes?
    • Tools:
    • Community

    Have you tried Padron peppers? They are my new favorite little bit-sized pepper to cook. If you don't like super spicy, these little peppers are for you!

    Where to find Padron peppers?

    They are in the farmer's markets now, but if you have a small ethnic market nearby, you may be lucky enough to find them all year round! You know me, I LOVE peppers. Check out my popular Hatch Green Chile Pepper recipes.

    You will find lots of fun pepper recipes to try here at Fearless Dining! (And they are all gluten free!)"

    These peppers are not big! These peppers are only two inches long and can come in either green or yellow colors. They are mostly mild, but watch out for that rare 10% that have a spicy kick!

    padron peppers washed in a white collendar.

    Pimientos de Padron

    Did this fancy title fool you? Padron peppers are originally from Spain but are also grown in Mexico and the United States too. You can find them on menus in tapas restaurants used in all sorts of fun pepper recipes.

    a grill basket with peppers

    Ways to cook Padron Peppers:

    • Cooking in a special grill basket on a grill. (Pictured grill basket above. Note those are shishito peppers cooking in the grill basket.)
    • Blister the peppers with garlic and oil over high heat in a cast-iron pan. (Pictured below this list.)
    • Cut them and cook them in a recipe. I don't do this as often, but it helps cook their flavor into the recipe you are making.
    Cooking padron peppers in a cast iron pan over high heat.

    I recommend using a cast-iron skillet to blister peppers. Cast iron pans can get really hot, which blisters the skin on the peppers. It almost adds a caramelized flavor to the blistered peppers...totally worth it!

    Can you eat Padron pepper seeds?

    The answer to this question is yes, you can. It is smart to ask this question because many peppers like jalapeños seeds are HOT! You don't have to worry about this with Padron peppers.

    Padron pepper appetizer. The peppers are on top of crackers with roasted red pepper hummus.

    I can't wait to share with you my second favorite way to eat these peppers! (The first way was blistered. I love to pop them in my mouth!

    Grab your favorite hummus and gluten free crackers. (I love to use a hummus with roasted red peppers.)

    1. Top your gluten free crackers with hummus.
    2. Add a blistered pepper on top. You probably won't want to eat the stems so go ahead and remove those. I left them on for the pictures because it looked pretty :-).
    3. Pop the whole thing into your mouth!
    another view of a padron pepper appetizer on crackers. They are sitting on a long wooden serving platter

    This appetizer is easy to make in under 15 minutes, and it is perfect for a party or game day celebration!

    More Delicious Padron Recipes to Try:

    Padron Peppers Recipes

    Easy delicious padron pepper recipes.

    Photo Credit: www.foodandwine.com

    Hominy with Blistered Padron Peppers and Seared Scallops

    A delicious padron pepper and scallop dinner.

    Quick and Easy Padron Chili

    This delicious hearty padron pepper chili can be made with any ground meat or vegan meat!

    Photo Credit: www.allrecipes.com

    Pickled Padron Peppers Recipe

    Pickled padron peppers are so easy to make.

    Quick and Easy Padron Pepper Salsa

    Bring on the spice with this 5 minute restaurant style homemade salsa recipe!

    Photo Credit: www.saveur.com

    Padrón Peppers with Serrano Ham Recipe

    Blistered padron peppers with serrano ham.

    Photo Credit: www.ck-creativekitchen.com

    Padron pepper tempura

    How fun to make a tempura batter and fry your padrone peppers. Use gluten free batter if you need it to be gluten free.

    Need more yummy pepper recipes?

    • Blistered Shishito Peppers with Garlic
    • Stuffed Pasilla Peppers
    • Chilled Shishito Pepper Soup
    • Hatch Green Chiles

    Tools:

    1. A good 12 inch cast iron skillet.
    2. Or, you can use a grill basket and cook these on your grill.

    Blistered Padron Peppers and Garlic

    Sandi Gaertner
    Blistered padron peppers cooked in olive oil and garlic. These bite-sized peppers make a great appetizer!
    5 from 10 votes
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    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 15 mins
    Course Gluten Free Appetizer Recipes
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4
    Calories 45 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ pound padron peppers
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 1 tablespoon avocado oil

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat a cast-iron skillet on medium heat.
    • Add oil and garlic and cook for 1 minute.
    • Pour in the padrone peppers and cook, stirring frequently, until the skin starts to blister.
    • Enjoy!

    Notes

    1. You can also blister these padrone peppers on a grill.
    2. These peppers will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1gCalories: 45kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 99mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 210IUVitamin C: 46mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @FearlessDining or tag #FearlessDining!

    Nutrition Disclaimer

    Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Marie

      October 04, 2018 at 9:01 pm

      5 stars
      I've never heard of padron peppers before, but now I want to try them. Love that they are bite-sized and mild in flavour with a chance of a spicy kick. Great appetizer to showcase these peppers!

      Reply
      • Sandi Gaertner

        October 07, 2018 at 6:33 pm

        If you love peppers, you will love these Marie. I wish more were spicy, but they are a great bite-sized appetizer treat.

        Reply
    2. Sharon

      October 04, 2018 at 7:39 pm

      5 stars
      These look like little bites of amazing! Perfect appetizer for tailgating.

      Reply
      • Sandi Gaertner

        October 07, 2018 at 6:33 pm

        These would make a great appetizer for tailgating 🙂

        Reply
    3. Caroline

      October 04, 2018 at 6:03 pm

      5 stars
      I love padron peppers - I lived in Spain for a while and they were a favorite whenever we got tapas (which was often!)

      Reply
      • Sandi Gaertner

        October 07, 2018 at 6:34 pm

        I bet living in Spain was incredible. I would love to hear some more of your favorite tapas places. Hoping we can make it to Spain sometime.

        Reply
    4. Tisha

      October 04, 2018 at 5:12 pm

      5 stars
      I've never had padron peppers! Eager to try them

      Reply
      • Sandi Gaertner

        October 07, 2018 at 6:35 pm

        I hope you can find them at a local market Tisha.

        Reply
    5. kristi

      October 04, 2018 at 5:10 pm

      5 stars
      Wow... I learned so much from this post. I have seen padron peppers but I had never heard the actual name, now I know and great ideas what to do with them too!

      Reply
      • Sandi Gaertner

        October 07, 2018 at 6:35 pm

        I am so glad Kristi 🙂

        Reply
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