Padrón Peppers in the Air Fryer
Small green Padrón peppers, roasted whole in the air fryer until the skin blisters and turns spotted with black, then sprinkled with coarse sea salt. A Spanish tapas dish from Galicia that's ready in just fifteen minutes.
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Serving platter
Ingredients
- 400 g Padrón peppers Whole, with stem
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp coarse sea salt Flaky salt or coarse sea salt
- 1 pcs lemon In wedges, for serving
Instructions
Preparation
- Wash the 400 g Padrón peppers and dry them completely with kitchen paper. Leave the stem on — it works as a handle when the peppers are eaten.
- Toss the peppers in a bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil so they get a thin, even coating of oil. Prick each pepper once with the tip of a knife so the steam can escape during cooking.
Cooking in the Air Fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 200 °C fan.
- Place the peppers in the basket in a single layer so they don't sit on top of each other. Roast at 200 °C for 8-10 minutes, shaking the basket after 5 minutes so they blister evenly.
- Check the peppers after 8 minutes: the skin should be blistered with black spots, and the flesh should have softened slightly. Give them 1-2 more minutes at 200 °C if they're still firm.
Serving
- Immediately tip the hot peppers onto a platter and sprinkle them with 1 tsp coarse sea salt while they're still glistening with oil — that's when the salt sticks best.
- Serve immediately while hot, with 1 pcs lemon cut into wedges on the side. Eat them with your fingers, holding the stem.
Notes
Tips for the perfect result:
Dry the peppers completely before tossing them in oil. Water on the skin creates steam instead of blisters, leaving them soft rather than roasted. Always place them in a single layer in the basket. Good to know:
Padrón peppers are a bit of a lottery: most are mild and nutty, but roughly one in ten is surprisingly hot. That's exactly the fun of the dish, and the share of hot ones increases later in the season. Variation:
Sprinkle with smoked paprika along with the salt for a deeper Spanish note, or serve with a dollop of aioli for dipping. Serving:
Serve as tapas with manchego, serrano ham and bread. The peppers are eaten with your fingers — hold the stem and bite the flesh off. Serving size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can make the dish in two batches so the peppers sit in a single layer.
Dry the peppers completely before tossing them in oil. Water on the skin creates steam instead of blisters, leaving them soft rather than roasted. Always place them in a single layer in the basket. Good to know:
Padrón peppers are a bit of a lottery: most are mild and nutty, but roughly one in ten is surprisingly hot. That's exactly the fun of the dish, and the share of hot ones increases later in the season. Variation:
Sprinkle with smoked paprika along with the salt for a deeper Spanish note, or serve with a dollop of aioli for dipping. Serving:
Serve as tapas with manchego, serrano ham and bread. The peppers are eaten with your fingers — hold the stem and bite the flesh off. Serving size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can make the dish in two batches so the peppers sit in a single layer.
