Japanese peppers stuffed with sake and soy sauce flavored ground chicken.

Shishito Tsukune

I discovered shishito tsukune at Yakitori Totto – one of my top 3 Japanese izakayas in the New York City. Skewered and grilled on a brazier, and served with a raw quail egg that’s broken and used as a dipping sauce, it’s a beautiful and fun dish to eat.

Since I don’t own a grill I’ve instead used an oven and skipped the quail egg, though I highly recommend you try it if you come across some. Shishito peppers can be spicy with the seeds attached but aren’t when you remove them.

Shishito tsukune are sweet and pair well with the teriyaki like flavor of the chicken meatballs. 

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
japanese shishito stuffed with ground chicken

Shishito tsukune

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: Caroline Phelps
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 40 pieces 1x
  • Category: Side
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Japanese
Save Recipe

Description

Shishito pepper stuffed with seasoned ground chicken. 


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/2 thumb size ginger, peeled and grated
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 pound ground chicken
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon sake
  • 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 20 shishito peppers, sliced in half lengthwise and seeded

Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon sake
  • 3 tablespoons mirin
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a pan over medium high heat, add the oil, ginger, garlic and onions.
  3. Cook until onions are translucent (about 3 minutes). Transfer the onions to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
  4. Add the ground chicken to the onion mixture and mix.
  5. Add the sake, soy sauce, and salt. Mix well using your fingers.
  6. With a knife, spread a generous amount of the mixture on each piece of shishito pepper. If you have any ground chicken left, use it to make mini chicken patties.
  7. Lay each piece of shishito peppers, ground chicken side facing up, on a tray covered with non stick foil or parchment paper. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until the chicken has cooked through.
  8. Mix all the ingredients for the sauce and microwave for 20 to 30 seconds (to melt the sugar).
  9. Take shishito peppers out of the oven and with a basting brush, brush the sauce over each piece. Put the leftover sauce in a small bowl and serve next to shishito tsukune, as a dip.

Notes

Keep the leftovers in a storage container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 shishito tsukune
  • Calories: 21
  • Sugar: 0.5g
  • Sodium: 49.8mg
  • Fat: 1.2g
  • Saturated Fat: 0.7g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0.1g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 1.5g
  • Fiber: 0.3g
  • Protein: 1.2g
  • Cholesterol: 4.8mg
Recipe Card powered byTasty Recipes
Caroline Caron Phelps

Meet The Author: Caroline Phelps

Caroline Caron-Phelps is a recipe creator, food blogger, and photographer. She showcases delicious, authentic Asian recipes, especially Japanese, Korean, and Chinese, with beautiful photography, easy-to-follow instructions, videos, and practical recipe variations. Caroline has been featured on Bon Appetit, Shape Magazine, Self, Today Show, and more.

Learn More

Join The Discussion

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Questions and Reviews

  1. Absolutely in love with these things. Tsukune is great on its own, and so are shishito…. put them together and you’ve got the best, most elegently flavored stuffed green pepper (a dish I loathed as a kid). Thanks for the recipe 🙂