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Sauted Chicken with Shishito Pepper Sauce over Cheesy Polenta

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If you like shishito peppers, this sautéd chicken with shishito pepper sauce over cheesy polenta will be a great dish for you to try. Shishito peppers are my new best friend. I love all of the fun ways they can be used in recipes!

We are huge shishito pepper fans. If you also love shishito peppers, check out my BEST gluten free shishito pepper recipes!

Chicken with Shishito Pepper Sauce Over Polenta on a plate. A fork is next to the plate. A roasted shishito pepper is on the side of the plate

What are shishito peppers?

Shishito peppers are small but long shaped peppers that have become incredibly popular over the past few years. You used to only see these at farmer’s markets in the summer. Now they are mainstream and Trader Joe’s even carries them year-round now! They are similar in appearance to a padrone pepper, but padrone peppers are shorter in length.

I must be on a pepper kick this week because this is my second pepper dish. Shishito peppers are fun to cook with. Only about 1 in 10 have any heat, though I must tell you, I have yet to eat a really spicy one.

This is an easy dish that takes advantage of shishito peppers being in season. Shishito peppers are all over the farmer’s markets, and even in some grocery stores like Trader Joe’s.

shishito peppers roasting on a grill rack

Shishito peppers are best when they are cooked in either a cast iron skillet or tossed in a basket on the grill. You eat the whole pepper, no need to remove the skin. Here is a great recipe for sauteed shishito peppers with garlic.

How to make the shishito pepper sauce:

roasted shishito peppers in cuisinart about to be ground up

Grind up the shishito peppers in a food processor. I love the Cuisinart Immersion Blender with Attachments. I use it in many recipes because it is so versatile and easy to clean.

roasted shishito peppers mashed in the food processor

Mashed and ready to add to the sauteed chicken.

chicken breasts in a frying pan saute in shishito sauce

By sautéing the chicken with the shishito peppers, it adds incredible flavors to the chicken. Cook on medium heat.

How long do you sauté the chicken?

You will want to sauté the chicken for 6-8 minutes each side, then check the internal temperature. You will want the internal temperature to reach 165F degrees.

Make your polenta using the package directions. Make sure your polenta is gluten free. Polenta is naturally gluten free since it is corn, but you want to ensure it is not processed in a facility that processes wheat. Add the cheese to the polenta while it is cooking to make it cheesy!

Close up of Chicken with Shishito Pepper Sauce Over Polenta

More Delicious Shishito Pepper Recipes to Try:

Can you cook shishito peppers stovetop?

You can definitely blister your shishito peppers stovetop instead of grilling them. I use a cast-iron skillet and blister the shishito peppers on high heat. (You can even cook them this way with garlic for a great appetizer!)

How big are shishito peppers?

Shishito peppers are typically about 2-3 inches long. 

 

recipe love

Sauteed Chicken with Shishito Pepper Sauce over Cheesy Polenta

Sauteed Chicken with Shishito Pepper Sauce over Cheesy Polenta

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Roasted Shishito pepper sauce over chicken and cheesy polenta. Pan sautéd chicken with a shishito pepper sauce.

Ingredients

  • 2-4 chicken breasts
  • 1 package shishito peppers, about 20-25 peppers, tops removed
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 5 scallions, chopped
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 teaspoons avocado or olive oil
  • Polenta, make according to package instructions
  • 3/4 cup Mexican blend cheese

Instructions

  1. Make polenta according to package instructions.
  2. Add 3/4 cup Mexican cheese to polenta and allow cheese to melt in by stirring.
  3. Wash shishito peppers and either grill or cook in a cast iron skillet to blacken.
  4. Remove stems and place them into a blender or food processor with 2 cloves garlic and 1 teaspoon avocado oil.
  5. Blend until the peppers are broken up.
  6. Heat a skillet over medium heat with 1 teaspoon avocado oil.
  7. Add chicken, salt, pepper, and scallions.
  8. Cook chicken for 5 minutes on each side.
  9. Add shishito peppers and chicken broth.
  10. Cook until chicken is done.
  11. Whisk in corn starch to thicken sauce.
  12. Put polenta on the plate and top with chicken and shishito pepper sauce.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 583 Total Fat: 18g Saturated Fat: 7g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 9g Cholesterol: 130mg Sodium: 1122mg Carbohydrates: 60g Fiber: 10g Sugar: 25g Protein: 51g
Please note this nutrition information is calculated by a recipe plugin and is an estimate based on the ingredients used in this recipe.
© Sandi Gaertner
Cuisine: American / Category: Meal Recipes

 

Round out the meal with this dessert idea:

Gluten Free French Apple Cakes on a blue plate

Gluten Free French Apple Cakes

Here is another delicious pepper recipe to try. Stuffed Pasilla Peppers.

Stuffed Pasilla Peppers in a casserole

(*this post was updated from a 7/2014 post with more instructions and recipe details.)

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Shiho

    Thank you for the recipe! I love Shishito Peppers it is my favourite pepper. I am so envy you that Shishito sounds like readily available there. In Australia, it is not so common vegetable yet so I grow my own 😀

    Reply

    • Sandi Gaertner

      It would be great without the chicken as well to keep it vegan 🙂 Maybe add garbanzo beans or crispy tofu.

      Reply

  4. Healing Tomato

    I have tried a similar sauce with fried Paneer. This pepper sauce brings out the flavors of any ingredient it is paired with. You make great recipes and take great pictures. I will definitely try your sauce recipe on a vegetarian meal.

    Reply

  5. Kathleen | HapaNomNom

    This sounds so wonderful, I can almost taste it! That pepper sauce is totally killer and cheesy polenta, to die for!

    Reply

  6. Debra @ Bowl Me Over

    I love peppers with or without the spice! The sauce looks amazing and I love you don’t have to go the extra step of removing the skins.

    Reply

  9. Sandra

    What a delicious combination of flavors! I haven’t made polenta in quite awhile. After seeing this meals I’m craving it now!

    Reply

  11. Ashley (QLCC)

    I love all of the flavors here. Polenta is awesome and I’m always looking for new recipes with it. This will do nicely!

    Reply

  12. lizzy

    I am in LOVE with this recipe!! i am posting a shishito pepper recipe tomorrow actually, I am on a huge shishito kick right now!!! These look so yummy I am going to try them this week!

    Reply

  16. Michelle @ The Complete Savorist

    Another winner of a dish. I love all the chiles you are cooking with lately. And with polenta? I’m dying for a plate now.

    Reply

  18. Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits

    I usually only saute shishito peppers, but I love how you made it into a sauce for the chicken and polenta! Definitely need to try that!

    Reply

  20. christine

    Thank you – this is the 2nd pepper you’ve introduced me to this week. The sauce the chicken cooks in sounds so full of flavor. I think my husband would really enjoy this one!

    Reply

  21. Joanne T Ferguson

    What an interesting chicken dish Sandi! I had never heard of this sauce before and looks great and healthy on a bed of polenta!

    Reply

  22. Mama Munchkin

    This looks amazing!!! I love those peppers and on top of a cheesey polenta- ummm…. YUM!!!! And, it seems like it could be easy enough to whip up together during the weeknight madness at my place (5 kids). Thanks for posting!!

    Reply

    • Sandi Gaertner

      Wow, I am in awe of you cooking for 5 kids. My two keep my running. I hope they like this recipe 🙂

      Reply

  26. Sara

    I just bought a bag of shishito peppers over the weekend and just seared them in a pan and ate them plain. I LOVE the idea of making a sauce!

    Reply

  27. Neli @ Delicious Meets Healthy

    I love all the flavors in this meal! It looks fabulous and absolutely delicious!! 🙂 I haven’t tried shishito peppers but I have to try them soon! My mouth is watering just looking at your pictures and reading the recipe. Yum!

    Reply

  28. Meredith

    I keep hearing about these shishito peppers but I think after seeing this recipe I’m going to have to check them out!

    Reply

  29. Renee

    You had me at polenta!! And the chicken and peppers sound delicious too! But seriously, I love polenta and don’t make it often enough.

    Reply

  30. Erin @ Platings and Pairings

    I LOVE shishito peppers but have only ever eaten them on their own, with a bit of salt and a squeeze of lemon. I love how you’ve incorporated them into this recipe. Thank you for the great idea!!!

    Reply

  31. J @ A Hot Southern Mess

    Oh yum! I’ve never had shishito peppers to my knowledge, but this recipe looks too amazing not to try them now. Plus, I am a HUGE fan of polenta. Just a gluten-free foodie stopping by from FBC. I will be sharing your blog with some of my GF friends too!

    Reply

  32. Krishna Varia

    I was looking for what to do with the Costco Rotisserie Chickens and this recipe looks ideal. Thanks for the inspiration Sandi!

    Reply

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