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!
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We are huge Shishito pepper fans. Chicken and shishito peppers are absolutely delicious together! Add in this super cheesy polenta, and it is a meal you will want to make often. If you also love shishito peppers, check out more of my gluten free shishito pepper recipes!
Why we love this shishito pepper and chicken recipe:
- This recipe includes a lot of flavors.
- I love making this for a nicer date night dinner.
- The shishito pepper sauce goes so well with the cheesy polenta!
- You can use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken to save time.
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 😀”
shiho, blog comment
Allergen Information:
This homemade chicken and shishito pepper dinner recipe is gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free, oat-free, and soy-free.
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 see these only at farmer’s markets in the summer. Now, they are mainstream, and Trader Joe’s even carries them year-round!
They are similar in appearance to a padrone pepper, but padrone peppers are shorter in length. Many people wonder if shishito peppers are spicy. Luckily, only 1 in 10 have much spice.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
Step 1: Roast your shishito peppers on the grill or blister them in a cast iron pan.
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
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Step 2: Grind up the roasted shishito peppers in a food processor. I love the Cuisinart Immersion Blender. I use it in many recipes because it is versatile and easy to clean. You can also use a food processor.
This is what the roasted shishito peppers and seasonings look like.
Step 3: Add the shishito pepper sauce to the pan and heat it up over medium-low heat. Add the chicken, and turn the stove up to medium heat so that the chicken cooks with the shishito peppers.
It adds incredible flavors to the chicken. If you are using leftover chicken or rotisserie, heat it in the shishito pepper sauce. Cook on medium heat.
You will want to sauté the chicken on each side for 6-8 minutes, then check the internal temperature. You want the internal temperature to reach 165º F.
If you enjoy peppers, you may also love this Stuffed Poblano Peppers recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions:
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!)
Shishito peppers are typically about 2-3 inches long.
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 cooks to make it cheesy!
Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the chicken, polenta, and shishito pepper sauce in a zip-style freezer bag in the freezer.
More Tasty Pepper Recipes:
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Sauteed Chicken with Shishito Pepper Sauce over Cheesy Polenta
Ingredients
- 2-4 chicken breasts
- 1 package shishito peppers about 20-25 peppers, tops removed
- 2 cloves garlic
- 5 chopped scallions
- 1 cup chicken broth low salt or regular
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons avocado or olive oil
Polenta
- polenta make according to package instructions
- ¾ cup Mexican blend cheese
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Instructions
- Make the polenta according to the package instructions.
- Add 3/4 cup Mexican blend cheese to the polenta and allow cheese to melt in by stirring.
- Wash 1 package shishito peppers and either grill or cook in a cast iron skillet to blacken. If you are grilling, place them in a grill basket. Cook until they start to blister and soften.
- Remove stems and place them into a blender or food processor with 2 cloves garlic and 1 teaspoon avocado oil.
- Blend until the peppers are broken up.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat with 1 teaspoon avocado oil.
- Add 2-4 chicken breasts, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, and 5 chopped scallions.
- Cook chicken for 5-8 minutes on each side. Cook it longer if you have thick chicken breasts. The internal temperature should be 165º F.
- Add shishito peppers and 1 cup chicken broth.
- Cook until chicken is done.
- Whisk in 1 tablespoon cornstarch to thicken sauce.
- Put polenta on the plate and top with chicken and shishito pepper sauce.
Notes
- If you want to save time, you can use leftover grilled chicken or rotisserie chicken. You would still cook it in the shishito pepper sauce.
- Use a dairy-free cheese like VioLife if you would like to make this recipe dairy-free.
- Use a food processor or Cuisinart Immersion Blender with the mini food processor attachment to grind up the roasted shishito peppers.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- You can freeze this in a freezer-safe zip style bag.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
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.
This post was updated from a 7/2014 post with more instructions and recipe details.
When do you put the shallots in?
Hi Trish, Add them with the oil so they brown.
Wow, just the right amount of spice and seasonings. I will definitely make this again!
I am so glad you took a chance and tried this recipe, Shawna. It is one of my favorites that most people don’t see on my blog often. Thank you!
Yum. Delicious use of shishito peppers. The whole family lived this.
I am so glad you all enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for coming back to let me know!
Yum. Delicious use of shishito peppers.