Fried Peppers Recipe: A Lovely Side Dish with Peppery Goodness!
Fried peppers are slightly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The charred flavor of peppers bursts like a taste bomb and makes a great side dish. It is also known as hu pi jian jiao. If you still don’t know how to make this popular Szechuan dish, let me help you.
You can use hatch peppers or Anaheim peppers to make this fried peppers recipe. These crunchy peppers have the right balance of heat and sweetness, so they go well with many dishes. Let’s make some delicious fried peppers in simple steps.
Table of Contents
Fried Peppers Recipe Overview
While you are getting started with the preparation, check out the recipe overview for the key factors.
| Cuisine: Chinese | Difficulty: Easy | ||
| Total Time: 10 minutes | |||
| Serving | Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Calories |
| 2 persons | 5 minutes | 5 minutes | 97 kcal |
Ingredients Needed for Fried Peppers Recipe
The number of ingredients for this dish is so small that making a list doesn’t seem necessary. Still, I made the list for your convenience.
- Peppers: 8-10 large peppers. As I have already mentioned, used Anaheim or hatch peppers.
- Cooking Oil: About 2 tsp of vegetable or peanut oil
- Light Soy Sauce: 1 tbsp
- Cooking Wine: 2 tbsp
- Sugar: ½ tsp (This is optional)
- Salt: ¼ tsp (It is also optional)
Fried Peppers Recipe: Step-By-Step Instructions
The recipe is very short and simple. Here are the steps to follow.
Step 1: Wash and Dry the Peppers
Take your preferred peppers and wash them thoroughly. Many people cut the stem before washing the peppers. You should avoid this to prevent water from getting inside the peppers.
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After washing the peppers, put them on a paper towel and pat them dry. There should be no moisture on the pepper.
Step 2: Remove the Stem and Cut the Peppers
Place the peppers on the chopping board and press them with a cleaver. Then, cut the stem off. If you are using very long peppers, you should cut them into 2-inch or larger pieces.
Step 3: Fry the Peppers
Heat a pan on medium flame and add the oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, put the peppers into the pan and turn the heat to low. You should press the peppers with a spatula so that most of the pepper skin comes in contact with the hot pan.
It will give the peppers a texture like tiger skin. This is why the recipe is also known as tiger skin peppers.
Step 4: Add the Sauces
No water is necessary for this recipe. Instead, you should add the light soy sauce and cooking wine to the pan. Continue frying for about two and a half minutes. Then, flip the peppers.
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Fry the other side in the same way until the skin gets textured. You can add some sugar if you want to balance the heat of the peppers. Before adding salt, remember the soy sauce already has salt. So, add salt after checking the sauce.
Step 5: Serve the Fried Peppers
After about five minutes, take the peppers off the heat. You can serve fried peppers with rice, noodles, or other dishes.
Fried Peppers Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Take your preferred peppers and wash them thoroughly. Many people cut the stem before washing the peppers. You should avoid this to prevent water from getting inside the peppers.
- After washing the peppers, put them on a paper towel and pat them dry. There should be no moisture on the pepper.
- Place the peppers on the chopping board and press them with a cleaver. Then, cut the stem off. If you are using very long peppers, you should cut them into 2-inch or larger pieces.
- Heat a pan on medium flame and add the oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, put the peppers into the pan and turn the heat to low. You should press the peppers with a spatula so that most of the pepper skin comes in contact with the hot pan.
- It will give the peppers a texture like tiger skin. This is why the recipe is also known as tiger skin peppers.
- No water is necessary for this recipe. Instead, you should add the light soy sauce and cooking wine to the pan. Continue frying for about two and a half minutes. Then, flip the peppers.
- Fry the other side in the same way until the skin gets textured. You can add some sugar if you want to balance the heat of the peppers. Before adding salt, remember the soy sauce already has salt. So, add salt after checking the sauce.
- After about five minutes, take the peppers off the heat. You can serve fried peppers with rice, noodles, or other dishes.
Nutrition Facts of Fried Peppers Recipe
As peppers contain a lot of vitamins and minerals necessary for our health, this dish has a high nutritional value. Peppers are especially rich in Vitamin C. The following list will give you a quick idea.
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- Total Carbohydrates: 12.3g
- Protein: 2.6g
- Total Fat: 4.2g
- Saturated Fat: 0.6g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.6g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 2g
- Total Dietary Fiber: 3.7g
- Sugar: 7.6g
- Cholesterol: 36mg
- Sodium: 678mg
- Potassium: 307mg
- Calcium: 20mg
- Iron: 1.1mg
- Vitamin A: 1000IU
- Vitamin C: 77.6mg
FAQs
This section will give you a better understanding of the recipe as I answered some common questions here. Check this out.
What type of peppers are best for frying in a fried peppers recipe?
Large peppers with a bit of sweetness are the best for frying in this recipe. You can use Mexican hatch peppers, which have a higher degree of heat. Anaheim peppers are a bit sweeter. Italian peppers are also commonly used for this fried peppers recipe.
How should the peppers be sliced or cut for optimal frying?
The peppers should be flattened first and then cut into large pieces. If the peppers aren’t flattened, all the areas won’t cook evenly. Cutting the peppers into pieces helps you maximize the surface area, hence enhancing the flavor of the dish.
What oil is recommended for frying peppers in this recipe?
You can use any oil you want. But if you use an oil that has a lot of flavor itself, the oil can overpower the taste of the peppers. Vegetable oils are more neutral, so you can fry these peppers with vegetable oil. Peanut oil is another good alternative.
What happens if I fry these peppers for a long time?
If you fry the peppers quickly, they retain most of the Vitamin C. Cooking the peppers for too long will eliminate the vitamins. Also, you might end up with burnt skin on the peppers, which will give an acrid taste. Frying the peppers for about five minutes is enough.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a quick savory dish that will be filling, healthy, and delicious, look no further. This fried peppers recipe has a bit of crunch, char, mild heat, and sweetness. The combination of these flavors and textures makes fried peppers a dish that you can never forget.
I highly recommend you make these fried peppers. As Anaheim or hatch peppers are now available throughout the year, you can make this quick dish anytime and surprise your friends or family with the lusty peppers.
