A favorite tapa from Barcelona that you can easily prepare at home. Fried Padrón Peppers (locally known as ‘Pimientos de Padrón‘) only takes 10 minutes to prepare — an easy-peasy, delicious appetizer for everyone!
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WHAT ARE PADRÓN PEPPERS?
They are small peppers that have originated in the municipality of Padrón in Galicia, a northwestern region in Spain.
While generally mild in taste, some are apparently quite hot, and the only way to find out is actually eating them.
Lucky me then, all the ones I have had in Barcelona are quite mild — Yum!
IF YOU WANT MORE TRADITIONAL SPANISH RECIPES, THEN YOU WILL LOVE THESE POSTS!
Ingredients
- Sea salt – even if this is only added when serving, it is not optional.
It’s the only seasoning that you will be adding to the fried pimientos de Padrón, so don’t skip it.
- Oil – I strongly suggest using vegetable oil, not olive oil.
You need to get that oil extremely hot before adding the peppers, and olive oil is not suited for that because it has a lower smoke point than vegetable oil.
- Padrón peppers – rinsed, drained, and dried properly.
Preparation
Start by placing a large skillet over high heat.
Pour the oil into it (photo 1).
Once the oil is hot, add the peppers (photo 2).
Leave them untouched for at least a minute.
Mix to ensure that all the peppers are cooked — i.e., blistered on most sides.
Take the pimientos de Padrón out of the pan and transfer to serving plates immediately.
Sprinkle some sea salt on the blistered peppers, then serve.
Helpful tips
- Place the peppers on a kitchen towel after rinsing and draining, then use the kitchen towel to wipe them randomly.
Any excess water stuck to the peppers will cause the oil to pop, and it might end up hurting you.
- Do not overcrowd the pan — hence you might need to cook them in batches if you are serving a huge quantity.
- Make sure you don’t mix the peppers right away when you add them into the pan.
Leave them untouched for a minute or two, so they will start blistering on that side.
- Do not adjust the heat for the entire duration of your cooking — keep it constant from the time you place the pan up to the point that the peppers are done.
Recipe variation
- Pepper substitute. Japanese shishito peppers are an excellent substitute for pimientos de padrón.
Both have the same mild flavor, so you don’t even need to adjust anything when cooking or serving them.
FAQs
No, unfortunately, that is not a good idea.
The fried padrón peppers would be soggy by then — they should be served and eaten right away.
This is why you have to make sure that the Padrón peppers are dried properly.
Even a tiny amount of water in there will cause the extremely hot oil to pop.
Unbelievably easy, right? So try making these fried padrón peppers one of these days!
📖 Recipe
Spanish Fried Padrón Peppers Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen towel
- Large Pan/Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb padrón peppers, (about 500 grams)
- 1 & 1/2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Place a large skillet over high heat and pour oil into it.
- Once the oil is ready (i.e., extremely hot), add the padrón peppers and leave them untouched for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Mix to ensure that all the peppers are cooked and blistered on most sides.
- Take the pimientos de padrón out of the pan and transfer to serving plates immediately.
- Sprinkle some sea salt on the fried padrón peppers, then serve.
Notes
- Cook’s Tip #1: Place the peppers on a kitchen towel after rinsing and draining, then use the kitchen towel to wipe them randomly. Any excess water stuck to the peppers will cause the oil to pop, and it might end up hurting you.
- Cook’s Tip #2: Do not overcrowd the pan — hence you might need to cook them in batches if you are serving a huge quantity.
- Cook’s Tip #3: Make sure you don’t mix the peppers right away when you add them into the pan. Leave them untouched for a minute or two, so they will start blistering on that side.
- Cook’s Tip #4: Do not adjust the heat for the entire duration of your cooking — keep it constant from the time you place the pan up to the point that the blistered peppers are done.
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