Shishito Peppers Dipping Sauce

For a tasty dipping sauce for shishito peppers, this easy recipe will be your new favorite. It is thick and creamy with a nutty sesame crunch. The combination of sweet and salty Asian flavors goes well with the charred skins of blistered shishito peppers. All you need is 6 ingredients and 2 minutes!

Shishitos grow easily in California & we cannot get enough of them every summer. We pick some from our garden & within minutes we have an amazing snack, appetizer, or side. The only thing more delicious is adding this fantastic dip when serving them.

Serve this mild dipping sauce with AIR FRYER SHISHITO PEPPERS.  In the time it takes to char up some shishito peppers, this dip is ready for dunking. We all know that foods always taste better with dip, right?  

Jump to:

• Ingredients for Shishito Peppers Dipping Sauce
• How to Make the Dipping Sauce
• Substitutions & Variations
• Dipping Sauce Should be Thick & Creamy
• How to Eat Shishito Peppers & Creamy Honey Sesame Dip
• Storing Leftover Dip
• Shishito Pepper Dipping Sauce

Ingredients for Shishito Peppers Dipping Sauce

It only takes 6 ingredients to make this easy Asian-inspired dip recipe. This recipe is for a thick and creamy sesame dip with a bit of honey.  The combination is sweet, salty, and nutty. The base for this dip is sour cream. It is not an aioli or mayo-based dipping sauce. 

• SOUR CREAM - To get a thick and creamy texture. I suggest using the full-fat kind.
• TOASTED SESAME OIL & SESAME SEEDS - For the nutty flavors and a bit of crunchy texture.
• TAMARI  - That salty kick & umami flavor from a gluten-free soy sauce.
• HONEY - For a sweet addition to offset some of the saltiness.
• GARLIC POWDER -  A bit of pungent flavor that is mildly spicy. 

If you do not have any sesame oil, you can use other items.  To find out the best replacement, see my suggestions for SUBSTITUTES FOR SESAME OIL. 

How to Make the Dipping Sauce

To start making this dip, add the sour cream to a medium-sized bowl.  Next, add sesame oil and tamari.  Whisk it to combine.  The sauce will thin out a bit after adding the liquid ingredients. Next, whisk in the honey until combined and smooth.   The sauce should be thick and a bit sticky at this point which is perfect. 

Whisk Ingredients Together

For the last step sprinkle in the sesame seeds and the garlic powder.  Once all the ingredients are in the bowl, whisk until incorporated.  I like this dip at room temperature and not straight out of the refrigerator.  

Substitutions & Variations

For a spicy dipping sauce, you can add hot sauce to this recipe.  It will add a bit of heat to the soy dipping sauce. Here are suggested recipe changes for more great recipe ideas for shishito pepper dips:

• SPICY - add 1 teaspoon of Siracha or Thai chili garlic sauce
• YOGURT - use greek yogurt instead of sour cream
• MAYO - use ½ mayo & ½ sour cream for an aioli dip
• SOY - use soy sauce instead of tamari, if eating gluten-free is not a concern for you
• MISO - use miso paste instead of soy sauce but add a few drops of water since miso is thicker
• GINGER - add ¼ teaspoon ginger powder

Dipping Sauce Should be Thick & Creamy

The dip should be very thick and a bit sticky.  This is perfect and how you want this dipping sauce to be.  If it was too thin it would not adhere to the shishito peppers. 

The texture of this sauce is just heavy enough to coat the peppers when you dip them in.  That yummy goodness will not slide off. No mess here, just a fun & tasty snack.  

How to Eat Shishito Peppers & Creamy Honey Sesame Dip

If you are wondering what to do with shishito peppers, this recipe is the best.  You can pan-fry them, grill them, or cook them in the oven too. However, my favorite way to char up some shishito peppers is by air frying them. 

You can eat shishito peppers raw but we prefer them roasted.  If you love shishitos, also try my recipe for Shishitos with Cream Cheese & Bacon (a mild take on the jalapeno popper!)

Can You Eat Shishito Pepper Seeds?

Since they are not hot, eating the seeds of shishito peppers is ok.  There is no intense heat level and they are safe to eat.  That is a bit different than when you eat jalapenos and the heat comes from the seeds and membranes.  But keep in mind every once in a while one will be hot - find out more about the Scoville level. 

When eating shishito peppers, hold them by the stem and dip them.  Then eat everything but the stem.  We like having an empty bowl on the side to discard the stems into.  

Storing Leftover Dip

This dip makes enough for a batch of shishito peppers that would feed about 4 people as an appetizer.  If you want to make more or find you have leftovers, save them for later enjoyment.  It is a great make-ahead recipe for parties and BBQs.

This dipping sauce stores well in an air-tight container.  Store it in the refrigerator for up to a week.  Once you want to enjoy it, whisk it up a bit and serve. 

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