I am so fascinated with the peppers; today, it turned into Stuffed Shishito peppers. It's ultra delicious, not too hot, and not too sweet, succulent finger food for game day or a party crowd.

I LOVE these stuffed shishito peppers(with the irresistible flavors of mild peppers and cool cream cheese), which I enjoy with my family or friends on chilly evenings.
Stuff the peppers with pantry staple ingredients and pop them in the oven. That’s it—a super quick party appetizer (like these peanut butter-stuffed jalapenos) is ready to serve in a flash.
As you take a bite, you’ll first feel the rich, peppery flavors hit the palate, and then the fabulous cream cheese soothes the palate.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
⭐️The classic blend of cream cheese and peppers is always fabulous.
⭐️You can resist taking off your hands after the first bite!
⭐️Quick & easy to make!
Ingredients
- Shishito pepper: These peppers are easy to find in specialty grocery stores or farmers' markets during the summer. My local Wegmans store carries them throughout the year.
- Cream cheese: If you prefer, you can opt for low-fat cream cheese. Vegan cream cheese is the closest substitute for a vegan diet.
- Garlic powder: Provides a robust flavor and extra punch.
- Red pepper flakes: I added them to add a spice kick.
How To Make Stuffed Shishito Pepper?
Shishito pepper has more hollow space inside, which makes it great for stuffing.
- Prepping: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash and clean the peppers. Make a slit lengthwise by leaving a quarter inch at the top and bottom of each pepper.
- Mixing: Add cream cheese, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes to a small mixing bowl and whip until fluffy.
- Stuffing: Using a teaspoon, mix the cream cheese inside the peppers and arrange them in a baking tray.
- Baking: Bake for about 7 minutes or until the peppers start blistering. Take it out of the oven.
- Serving: Serve stuffed Shishito pepper as soon as it's made(since its skin is tender and hence gets flattened after 10 minutes).
♨️How To Adjust The Heat
These stuffed Shishito peppers are generally mild and perfect for the entire family. But occasionally, you may experience a spicier one(every shishito pepper is unique, even from the same plant).
If you worry about its heat, remove the seeds and the white membrane while prepping the peppers.
Serving Suggestions
- As an appetizer: Think of game day or a party gathering. This stuffed Shishito pepper would be a perfect bite-size snack. Serve them on a platter or along with a dip(like this Cajun aioli or Sriracha aioli).
- As a side, It's fantastic to pair up with steak or pork chops.
Storage & Reheating
You can also repurpose leftover stuffed peppers into a salad, toss them with pasta, or enjoy them as they are.
You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for up to two months.
To reheat, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight. Then reheat using the oven or the air fryer at 350°F until warm.
FAQ
Shishito peppers are a popular pepper variety in Japanese cuisine. They are long, finger-sized peppers that typically have mild to no heat.
Yes, you can make them ahead of time. Stuff the peppers with cream cheese, refrigerate them for a day and pop them into the oven just before serving.
You can substitute cream cheese with vegan, ricotta, or goat cheese.
Air frying is a fantastic alternative. Arrange them without crowding and air fry for 4 minutes or until the skin starts blistering.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know your thoughts in the 📝 comments section below the recipe.
📖 Recipe
Stuffed Shishito Peppers
Ingredients
- 20 Shishito Peppers
- 1 cup Cream cheese
- 2 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Wash and clean the Shishito peppers. Make a slit lengthwise on each pepper, leaving a quarter inch at the top and bottom uncut.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Whip the ingredients until you achieve a fluffy consistency.
- Using a teaspoon, stuff each Shishito pepper with the cream cheese mixture.
- Arrange the stuffed peppers on a baking tray.
- Bake the peppers in the preheated oven for about 7 minutes or until the peppers start to blister.
- Remove the tray from the oven and let the peppers cool a bit before serving.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Shishito peppers are mild, but in rare cases, they may have a little heat. If you're concerned about spiciness, taste-test the seeds before prepping.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- To reheat, thaw frozen peppers in the fridge overnight and reheat in the oven or air fryer at 350°F until warm.
Jennifer says
These are amazing! I was worried they'd be spicy but they were perfect and the flavors combined so nicely!
pepperbowl says
Jennifer, thank you so much for your kind words