These Spanish, sometimes-firey-sometimes-not, vibrant peppers are a weekly staple in our house, perfect for those moments you're after a tasty savoury snack in under 5 minutes or when you're hosting friends for dinner and need a simple starter. In this post, I'll cover, what Padron Peppers are, how to cook them, what they taste like, where you can buy them, how to store them, what they pair nicely with, and what substitutes you could use.
What are Padron Peppers?
These 2-4 inch green (yet sometimes yellow or red) northern Spanish beauties are part of the capsicum family of peppers. If you love roulette and enjoy a little kick to your food, these are ideal, as you'll never quite know how firey the one you're popping in your mouth will be, it all depends on the combination of sunlight and water they receive when growing. I had a super firey batch from Riverford once, but boy were they tasty! Padron Peppers may originally be Spanish, yet you can get hold of them all around the world, and Mexico is just one of the countries growing vast amounts.
What do Padron Peppers Taste Like?
Depending on the way they are grown, you may get quite a kick to your bite, up to around 2000 Scovilles (heading towards jalapeno level), but the milder ones bearly kick at all at around 400 Scovilles. Once cooked, they have a mildly sharp, yet sweet flavour, the skin pierces easily when bitten into so the centre hits your taste buds quickly and melts in your mouth.
Where To Buy Padron Peppers In The UK?
May through September you can grab them off the shelf in many supermarkets, including Waitrose, Marks And Spencer, and some Tesco stores, setting you back somewhere between £1 and £2 for around 150g.
Personally, the best ones I've ever tasted, which had a great kick to them, were from Riverford - The organic farmers & delivery service. A little pricier at closer to £3, yet countered by using home-compostable packaging.
If you're interested in finding out more about Riverford, farm fresh food delivered right to your door, check out my Riverford Review.
This post may contain affiliate and/or referral links. This means I may receive a small commission of discount at no additional cost to you if you purchase through one of the links. Thank you for your support. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.
Padron Pepper Recipe
Makes 2 servings as a snack or starters
5 minutes
Super-easy
Ingredients
130-150g Padron peppers
Glug of olive oil
Good quality sea salt (ground or flakes)
Method
Heat oil in pan
Add peppers, a little salt and cook and toss till peppers start to blister on all sides (approx 4 minutes)
Serve with a generous pinch or two of sea salt
How To Store Padron Peppers?
Uncooked peppers can last 7-10 days in the fridge sealed. You can, perhaps surprisingly, freeze Padron peppers, and do so with no need to blanch first.
What Do Padron Peppers Go Well With?
I've thrown them together with Mexcian style dishes, such as a chilli or in a salad with chickpeas, feta and spices. Yet most often I enjoy them on their own smothered in sea salt!
According to Riverford chefs, Padron peppers also go great with, goat's cheese, paprika, beer and sherry!
Interested In The Nutritional Value Of Padron Peppers?
Padron Peppers are packed with vitamins K, B6 and C, contain plenty of fibre which aids digestion and also contain magnesium and potassium. According to Nutritionix website, 1 average-sized pepper, uncooked has just 3 calories!
Can You Grow Your Own Padron Peppers?
Yes indeed! If you sow them indoors in a warm position from February to April, and plant out around May, you should be able to harvest them July through September, all weather dependant of course, and here in the UK... who knows! I've got a Vegepod that I grow a few vegetables and herbs in and I love it. Where will you grow yours?
Padron Pepper Alternative?
The closest alternative in size, shape and taste are shishito peppers. You can cook these the same way as the recipe in this post.
Have You Tried This Padron Pepper Recipe Yet?
If you haven't, I'm excited for you for your first time! They're so easy to cook, you could do it with both your eyes shut! Actually, maybe keep them open so you don't burn yourself! But you get the gist!
Feel free to share your variations on this recipe with me and my food-based Instagram profile: @foodwholefood.
Happy cooking!
Jen - Author
This post may contain affiliate and/or referral links. This means I may receive a small commission of discount at no additional cost to you if you purchase through one of the links. Thank you for your support. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.
References
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