Korean-Style Stuffed Peppers Recipe | Epicurious
Tomatoes may get the bulk of the summer spotlight, but let’s take a moment to praise all the pepper and chile varieties that start to emerge during the warmer months. Everything from mild bell peppers to zesty chiles become their best selves: sweeter, juicier, more alive in flavor. This recipe for Korean-Style Fried Peppers pays homage to two popular approaches to cooking peppers: one is deep-fried and battered whole peppers (twigim), found all over Korea as a street food snack to accompany cold beer; the other is pan-fried (jeon) halves, a common side dish, or banchan, in Korean homes. Both are usually filled with meat (beef or pork) and tofu, the latter employed to stretch the meat and retain moisture in the filling. Traditionally you’ll find zucchini, carrot, and onion in the Korean versions, but here I opt for just scallions and garlic to amp up the alliums. When preparing the jalapeño halves, do not skip the step of dusting the insides with a thin layer of flour—this small but critical step will help keep the filling in during the cooking process. And whatever you do, don’t forget to serve these with the tangy soy dipping sauce; it pairs nicely with the freshly fried, crunchy stuffed peppers.
A note on frying: I recommend frying these in multiple batches in a Dutch oven so that the heat remains as steady as possible. They will only take a few minutes to cook so don’t walk away, and be ready to lightly season with salt as they come out of the pot. Set yourself up with a parchment-lined baking sheet with a wire rack set inside for the easiest and cleanest setup.
Here, I take a page from popular American jalapeño poppers and use that common variety for both its approachability and serving size. Experiment with any mild peppers that catch your eye at the summer markets. Longer, thinner skinned chiles or peppers like Anaheim, cubanelle, and—if you’re lucky enough—Jimmy Nardellos take especially well to this dish.
Read More: The 2026 Farmers Market Challenge
If you like this dish, you may enjoy Marinated Grilled Peppers, Grilled Kofta-Stuffed Peppers, or Blistered Cheesy Peppers.
