I was in Whole Foods the other day when I noticed a small pile of these padron peppers. Intrigued, I bagged up several handfuls and headed home to do some research. Originating from the Spanish town of Padrón, these small peppers vary in taste – some are sweet and mild while others are hot and spicy. Keeping with tradition, I prepared these peppers simply with olive oil and sea salt. Spanish-Style Padron Peppers are fried in olive oil until golden and caramelized then finished with a sprinkling of crunchy fleur de sel. Sweet or spicy, these delicious little nuggets are a perfect, healthy snack. Or double the recipe below and serve as a side dish. The padron pepper season is very short, so I urge you to pick them up while you still can! Continue reading for the recipe.
- 2 heaping cups of padron peppers, rinsed and dried
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Fleur de Sel, for sprinkling (or other flaky sea salt)
- Warm extra virgin olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil starts shimmering, add the padron peppers.
- Cook peppers until the skin blisters and turns golden brown, stirring occasionally (8 – 10 minutes). You want the peppers to have a little texture, so don’t overcook here. Once you start seeing some of the peppers deflate, they are done.
- Transfer peppers to a plate then sprinkle with fleur de sel.
Yes, that’s exactly how they’re prepared. And the fun about them is to wait and see who gets the fiery hot peppers…
just how I like it!
I want some now!
I <3 this site because I feel inspired after reading the recipes. Didn't have any of these peppers on hand, but I had a bell pepper. So I cut up the pepper and prepared it using the Spanish-Style Padron Pepper recipe, mixed in a few tablespoons of hummus, and served with lebanese pita. Delicious — the salt is fantastic with it! And I can't wait to taste those Padron peppers!
So glad that you find inspiration here! The recipe sounds delicious. I just love hummus.
Warning… those things are addictive…. between these and the hatch chiles I am in heaven!!!!
Loving your photos too… you are growing so much as a photographer!!
Thanks Nancy
Yeah I’ve been loving the hatch chiles as well.
I loooooove pimientos de padron! Never knew you could find them outside of Spain…doubt they’ll make it to NW Florida, though
Check your local Whole Foods. You never know!
Just got back from Spain. Padron peppers are so prevalent there now and cheap! I grew them in my garden this summer for the first time. My local farmers market had some this past weekend which I picked up to satiate my withdrawals from having them almost daily in Spain. Yours look beautiful Brandon!
Thanks Lynn. Jealous that you were able to have them in Spain! I’m sure they are so fresh and delicious over there.
oo look at those beauties!
Brandon, These Padron Peppers look fantastic! From the recipe and execution to the presentation and photography, this is a spot on post…Bravo!
OMG, this is one of my favorite treats on the planet! Thanks for the great post.
Kendra
These peppers look delicious! Great pictures too!
Love these peppers! Simple and delicious: perfection!