Japanese-Style Soy Glazed Bell Peppers

Why not enjoy bell peppers with traditional Japanese flavors? Japanese-Style Soy Glazed Bell Peppers are a perfect choice for anyone looking to try a simple yet flavorful Japanese dish featuring bell peppers. They are easy to make and capture the essence of Japan’s culinary charm.

Japanese-Style Soy Glazed Bell Peppers are a quick and easy side dish made in a frying pan. The peppers are lightly charred, briefly steamed with a small amount of water, and then simmered in a sweet and savory soy sauce-based mixture. A sprinkle of bonito flakes at the end brings the whole dish together. The peppers used are green bell peppers.

What sets this dish apart is the tender texture of the peppers. While simply stir-frying the peppers is delicious, briefly steaming them beforehand softens their texture and allows the sauce's flavors to penetrate even more deeply.

This dish highlights the subtle bitterness of green peppers combined with the umami-rich flavor of traditional Japanese seasonings. The bold, comforting flavor pairs perfectly with rice and also makes a great addition to a bento (lunch box). I hope you enjoy this flavor, which is a staple in many Japanese households.

The seasonings used in this dish are as follows:

• Soy sauce
• Sugar
• Mirin
• Shaved bonito flakes (katsuobushi)

Among these, the combination of soy sauce, sugar, and mirin is one of the most fundamental in Japanese cuisine, creating a deep, harmonious flavor profile. By adjusting the ratio of these ingredients, it is easy to balance saltiness, sweetness, and umami, producing flavors that are very familiar to Japanese people and widely used in various Japanese dishes, such as teriyaki, simmered dishes, and udon soup.

In this recipe, I add shaved bonito flakes to enhance umami and round out the flavors. (If you don’t have them or are following a plant-based diet, feel free to omit them.) You can also sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on top for an extra touch, if desired.

In Japan, when people talk about “bell peppers,” they are usually referring to the small, green peppers known as "piman." These are smaller—about 1 to 1.4 ounces (30 to 40 grams) each—which is roughly one-third the weight of the typical bell peppers found elsewhere. While they are similar to the regular green bell peppers eaten worldwide, their flesh is thinner and they have a slightly more bitter, grassy flavor.

In this recipe, I use these Japanese peppers, but you can use any green bell peppers that are available. However, just make sure to avoid using other colors, like red, yellow, or orange, as they tend to be naturally sweeter and may not work as well in this dish. It is best to stick with green ones.

If you can find shishito peppers locally, feel free to use them instead. In that case, the dish will highlight the mild heat of the shishitos themselves, offering a different yet equally enjoyable flavor experience.

Ingredients

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Instructions

🕒 Total: 8 mins mins

Step 1
Remove the stems and seeds from the green peppers, then cut them into pieces slightly larger than bite-sized.

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Step 2
Heat oil in a pan and sauté the peppers, skin side down, over medium heat until lightly browned.

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Step 3
Flip the peppers, then add water and cover with a lid. Let the peppers steam for a minute.

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Step 4
Remove the lid, reduce the heat to low, and add the seasonings (mirin, sugar, and soy sauce). Let it simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has slightly reduced.

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Step 5
Serve on a plate and top with shaved bonito flakes.

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To store

You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.