Pimientos de Padrón
Padron peppers, extra virgin olive oil and garlic come together in this Spanish starter — 50 minutes, 5 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 5 steps.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and pan. At easy difficulty across 5 steps, it's a good one for a busy evening. As written, the ingredients are plant-based.
What you'll need
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Rinse the padron peppers under cold water and dry them thoroughly with a clean towel, leaving the stems on, since any surface moisture will cause the oil to spit dangerously when they hit the pan.
- Pour the olive oil into a wide heavy skillet, add the lightly crushed garlic clove, and heat over high heat until the oil shimmers and is almost smoking, which is essential for proper blistering rather than steaming the peppers.
- Remove and discard the garlic once golden, then add the peppers in a single uncrowded layer and let them sit undisturbed for about a minute before tossing and turning them for 4 to 6 minutes total until the skins blister, char in patches, and the flesh softens.
- Lift the peppers out with tongs onto a plate or shallow bowl, draining excess oil against the pan edge so they stay glossy but not greasy.
- Shower generously with flaky sea salt while still hot, add a small squeeze of lemon if you like, and serve immediately as a tapa, warning eaters that roughly one in ten padron peppers is fiery while the rest are mild.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Pan · Steamer
Ingredient substitutions
- Lemon
- lime · 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
What to serve with Pimientos de Padrón
- Seafood fideuà Seafood
- Spanish Tortilla Vegetarian
- Roast fennel and aubergine paella Vegan
- Migas Miscellaneous
Tips & common questions
How long does Pimientos de Padrón take to make?
About 50 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 5 steps and 5 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of lemon?
Try lime. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Pimientos de Padrón vegan?
Based on its ingredients, this recipe contains no meat, fish, dairy or egg, so it looks vegan-friendly. Always double-check labels on packaged items.
Related recipes
Pimientos de Padrón is an original Spanish recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: 20250720 Pimientos de padrón at Restaurant O Poleiro in Combarro anagoria.jpg by Anagoria, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.