Padron Peppers

How to cook Pimientos de Padrón

ingrednients for padron peppers sits on a white granite counter

Padron peppers, or Pimientos de Padrón in Spanish, are a famous seasonal tapas served all over Spain. The dish requires just 3 ingredients: padron peppers, olive oil, and salt. The result is spectacular, and this recipe makes a vegan-friendly tapas with just 5 minutes of cooking time! 

Thanks to the flavor, simplicity, and speed, it makes our top 10 list of vegan tapas recipes.

Easy Recipe | Tapas Recipe | Pepper Recipe | 5-Minute Recipe | Mediterranean Recipe | Summer Recipe | Healthy Recipe | Vegan Recipe | Authentic Spanish Recipe | Galicia Regional Food

Serving:

Tapas for 2 people

Ready in:

5 minutes

Skill level:

Easy

Serve with:

Good on their own

What you’ll need to make Padron Peppers

(makes tapas for 2)

  • 500g/17oz. Padron peppers
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon coarse rock salt flakes

Equipment needed

  • 10-inch (25cm) frying pan or skillet

What are Padrón Peppers?

Padron peppers, or pimientos de Padrón as they’re more commonly known in Spain, are really just Spanish chilies that are grown in the town Padrón, in the Galicia region. While visiting the town of Padrón (in the northwest of Spain), you’ll find an abundance of roadside vendors selling the famous peppers on virtually every road out of town. 

Padron peppers are quite small and green in color, averaging around 3 inches in length. Padron peppers are found all over Spain, and are a popular tapas dish. They’re traditionally fried in some olive oil and sprinkled with some coarse sea salt. 

Where do Padron peppers originate?

Padron peppers get their name from the now famous town Padrón in the west of the Galicia region of Spain. It’s common to find authentic Padron peppers shipped all over Spain and enjoyed as a tapas. However, nowadays, ‘Padron peppers’ are cultivated all over the world (including Canada, the US, and Mexico) and sold with the same namesake.

Are Padron peppers spicy?

Padron peppers are not as spicy as your typical chili variety found elsewhere, although some are hotter than others. Most aren’t spicy at all. However, anyone who’s ever ordered a serving of pardon peppers will know there’s always a chance of tasting a spicy Padron pepper

Padron pepper Scoville heat units rating

While most Padron peppers are very mild and have virtually the same heat as a standard bell pepper, the more spicy Padron peppers are rated between 500 to 2,000 Scoville heat units. By comparison, even a Padron pepper in the upper region will only be half as hot as a typical Jalapeno pepper.

Pepper variety

Scoville heat units (SHU) rating
Shishito peppers 100-1000 SHU
Banana peppers 500 SHU
Padron peppers 500 to 2,500 SHU
Jalapeno peppers 2,500 to 8,000 SHU
Habaneros

Up to 350,000 SHU

Where to buy Padron peppers

Seasonally, Padron peppers can be found from around early May until October. 

Unless you live within easy reach of the town of Padrón, it’s likely you’ll need to depend on a supermarket chain to import them directly from Spain. Most Padron peppers found in supermarkets and grocery stores across the US have been cultivated outside of Spain. 

Of course, some dedicated Spanish grocery stores may also sell them, but you’ll need to shop around and in all likelihood, they’ll be peppers that are grown outside of Padrón, Spain.

If you live in the US, you’ll find Padron peppers sold in baskets of 1 dry pint, which is the equivalent of about two cups

Grow your own Pimiento de Padrón

Another great option if you’ve got some time and an inclination for a green thumb is to plant your own. Organic, non-GMO Pimiento de Padrón seeds are available from Walmart of all places. The best time to plant your Padron pepper seeds is early April. Allow around 60 days from planting your seeds to harvesting your first peppers.

What’s the best way to cook Padron peppers?

There are three quite easy methods to cook Padron peppers. 

  • Pan-fried Padrón peppers
  • Oven-baked Padrón peppers
  • Grilled Padrón peppers in a grill basket

How to pan-fry Padrón peppers

The fastest way is to pan fry them in the olive oil which takes around 5 minutes. 

  • Wash peppers and pat dry
  • Heat olive oil in a large frying pan (high heat)
  • Add peppers and fry for around 5 minutes turning peppers occasionally whilst cooking
  • Add to a plate with some paper towels to drain off excess oil. Sprinkle with some coarse sea salt flakes
  • And serve!

How to cook Padron peppers in the oven

There are also plenty of recipes out there on Google that’ll oven bake Padron peppers. Baking Padron peppers takes a little longer but there’s far less oil (around 1-2 tablespoons is enough to oven-bake Padron peppers). 

  • Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F
  • Wash padron peppers and pat dry
  • Add peppers to a baking tray and drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and add tray to the preheated oven. 
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes, use tongs to rotate peppers then bake the other side for around another 5-7 minutes or until they crisp up and start to blacken slightly. 
  • Remove from the oven, add to a serving dish, sprinkle with salt, and serve! 

Grilled Padrón Peppers

Come summer time the grills are a mainstay feature of our culinary cookery so it’s a shame not to give grilling your Padrón peppers a try. For this method,  you’ll need a grill basket and a relatively even glow from the coals below. 

Add your peppers to the grill basket and place them around 8-12 inches from the heat. Keep an eye on them and once they start to crisp up on one side flip the grill basket over to crisp the other side. Remove from the heat and add to a serving bowl with a splash of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. 

Best way to cook Padrón peppers

We find frying is more true to the traditional cooking method and for those worried about the amount of oil, remember extra virgin olive oil is actually full of good fats. That said, we still use some kitchen towel to drain off any excess oil and allow for the peppers’ flavor to shine through.

a small bowl of padron peppers sprinkled with some salt

Padron Peppers - How to cook pimientos de padrón

Byron
Padron peppers, or pimiento de Padrón in Spanish, are a popular seasonal tapas that are served all over Spain. The dish requires just 3 ingredients: padron peppers, olive oil, and salt. The result is nothing short of spectacular and this recipe makes a vegan-friendly tapas with just 5 minutes cooking time!    
5 from 6 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course appertizer, Side Dish, tapas
Cuisine American, latin american, Mexican, Spain, vegan
Servings 2 people (tapas)
Calories 170 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 10-inch (25cm) frying pan or skillet

Ingredients

  • 500 g Padron peppers (17 oz.)
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt flakes

Instructions
 

  • Wash peppers and pat dry
    500 g Padron peppers
    padron peppers are washed in a collander
  • Heat olive oil in a large frying pan (high heat)
    4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    some oil is poured into a frying pan
  • Add peppers and fry for around 5 minutes turning peppers occasionally whilst cooking.
    padron peppers frying in a pan
  • Add to a plate with some paper towels to drain off excess oil. Sprinkle with some coarse sea salt flakes, and serve!
    1 teaspoon coarse sea salt flakes
    a small bowl of padron peppers sprinkled with some salt

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 150gCalories: 170kcalCarbohydrates: 20.5gProtein: 2gFat: 14.4gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 106mgPotassium: 417mgFiber: 4.5gSugar: 6.1gCalcium: 24mgIron: 1mg
Keyword 5-minute recipe, Olive Oil, padron peppers

Padron Peppers – Cooking Tips and FAQs

Can you eat Padron peppers whole?

Yep, you can eat all of the Padron pepper, simply grab them by the stem and eat the whole pepper in one go. 

Can you eat Padron pepper seeds?

Yes, Padron pepper seeds can be eaten and are usually not spicy at all. 

Are Padron peppers spicy?

Padron peppers are at the lower level of heat according to the Scoville Heat Units rating system. Padron peppers have somewhere between 500 to 2,500 SHU, whereas a jalapeno is within the 2,500 to 8,000 SHU range. 

How long does it take to cook Padron peppers?

Pan frying them is the fastest method for cooking Padron peppers and takes around 5 minutes. Other options include baking them or grilling them, both methods take more time than pan frying your Padron peppers. 

  • Pan fry: 5 minutes
  • Oven baked: 15-20 minutes
  • Grill: 12-16 minutes

Are Padron peppers healthy?

A small tapas serving is considered a healthy snack. A 150g serving contains the following nutritional facts;

  • 170 calories
  • Total fat 14.4g
  • Saturated fat 2g
  • Sodium 106mg
  • Carbs 20.5g
  • Dietary fiber 4.5g
  • Sugars 6.1g
  • Protein 2g

Can you freeze fresh Padron peppers?

Fresh uncooked Padron peppers can be frozen. Use a freezer bag or airtight container when storing your Padron peppers in the freezer. Frozen Padron peppers will keep for up to 3 months once frozen.

How long do fresh Padron peppers last in the fridge?

This always depends on how fresh they are when purchased. Expect fresh Padron peppers to keep for up to 4 days when refrigerated in an airtight container.

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