Saucy Chicken with Shishito Peppers

Shishito peppers are blistered then cooked up with chicken in a slightly sweet sauce that is filled with umami flavors. This easy dish cooks up in less than 20 minutes and can be served over rice, cauliflower rice, or quinoa.

One of my favorite things about this chicken and shishitos is how balanced it is. It has the spice from the peppers, the umami from the soy sauce, saltiness from the soy sauce, and sweetness from the brown sugar.

What are shishito peppers?

Shishito peppers are used a lot in East Asian cooking (they are from Japan) and are pretty mild in terms of spiciness. About 1 in every 10-20 peppers will have a bit of a kick to them. However, when I made this, I must have gotten more spicy ones, because I felt about 1 in 3 was pretty spicy! So use caution.

Where can you find shishito peppers?

Shishito peppers can be found at a lot of grocery stores in the summer and early fall months. I can usually find them at Trader Joe's, but I've also spotted them at my local grocery store and Whole Foods. I love using them in this dish and also just eating blistered shishito peppers on their own!

Can I substitute another pepper?

If you can't find shishito peppers, you can use bell peppers instead. They won't have quite the same flavor, but they are a good substitute. If using bell peppers, slice them up before serving (and remove the stem, inner white part, and seeds).

Can I use something other than chicken breast?

Absolutely! You can easily use steak (or just make this steak and shishito pepper recipe), shrimp, or cubed salmon in this recipe. And you can also slice up boneless skinless chicken thighs and use those if you prefer. Note that you may need to adjust cooking time depending on your type and size of protein.

Recipe tips:

• It's easiest to keep the shishito peppers whole, but you can also slice them up and use that way. That distributes the flavor more evenly. If using them in that way, remove the stem part, and then slice.
• The shishitos are best when they are blistered, so let them get to that stage before removing from the pan.
• The soy sauce can be pretty salty, so make sure to taste the dish before adding any additional salt to it.

Instructions:

First, start cooking up your grain, whatever that is! Rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice. Depending on your cook time, you may want to start that ahead of time, so it's ready to top with your saucy chicken and shishitos!

Next, take your shishito peppers and wash if needed. Into a large skillet, add 1 tsp olive oil and then add your shishito peppers and cook, stirring frequently, for about 4-7 minutes until blistered.

Place in a bowl and set aside.

Slice up your chicken into thin strips. I typically slice them into about ¼ inch wide strips. This helps them cook faster and gives more surface area for sauciness!

Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to the pan, and then add your sliced chicken. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes, until cooked and browned. While chicken is cooking, mix together the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic powder, and water for the sauce.

Once chicken is, cooked, add the sauce to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add the shishitos back to the pan and stir to combine, cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes so shishitos can get warm again.

Serve over your preferred grain, and season with salt and pepper to taste.