Spotlighting 19 of our favourite spicy specimens.
It is a partial subject information to peppers. With upwards of 2,000 kinds of chile peppers on this planet, it’s arduous to catch ’em all, however we delved in and picked a peck: 19 of our favourite peppers, from acquainted jalapeño and serrano to extra boutique Hungarian pimenton and guindilla verde.
Chile peppers are like folks: It takes every kind. Some are candy, and others burn you (you’ll discover the absence of ghost peppers and Carolina reapers from our checklist, since they’re extra within the realm of “stunt peppers” than common meals ingredient, no less than for most people; that doesn’t imply we don’t love them too, if solely from a distance). The extra you get to know them, the higher you possibly can discern the variations in persona and select the one to fit your temper.
Probably originating from South America, chile peppers have been cultivated all around the world for hundreds of years, resulting in all kinds of species with totally different colours, shapes, flavors, and, in fact, spiciness, although most all of them fall into 5 households (Capsicum annuum, Capsicum baccatum, Capsicum chinense, Capsicum frutescens, and Capsicum pubescens).
We consulted pepper skilled and grower David Winsberg from Northern California’s Happy Quail Farms to place collectively a chart of some frequent peppers in addition to a couple of much less frequent varieties that have been changing into extra broadly obtainable in america because of specialty growers like Winsberg. Common dimension and hotness scale (from 1 to five) included. And, in fact, loads of pepper recipes so you possibly can put your information to good use.
Common Dimension: About 4 to five inches lengthy
A good, easy-to-find grilling pepper that’s ideal for stuffing to make chiles rellenos with a kick of warmth (however one other basic use is in Mexican rajas). Poblanos get pretty huge and are often bought recent, whereas they’re youthful and darkish inexperienced. At their purple, mature stage they’re often dried (and of their dried type they’re referred to as ancho chiles). Their pores and skin is straightforward to blister and peel. Winsberg says they’ve an excellent taste, with sufficient warmth to be zesty however not scorch anybody.
Common Dimension: About 6 inches lengthy
From the Basque area in Spain, this is a tender pepper with a distinct sweetness. The variety shown is from the Bilbao region, and Winsberg says it’s a good fryer served alongside meat like lamb or pork. It shouldn’t be confused with the more widely available jarred guindillas. Winsberg says guindilla is a reputation utilized to a number of distinct regional varieties in Spain starting from marble-size scorchers to those candy giant fryers, which he says are related in taste to a Hatch chile however with out the warmth.
Common Dimension: About 7 to 9 inches lengthy
This is a Mexican variety that matures from dark green to dark chocolate brown. It’s a versatile pepper that’s good for sauces, roasting, and grilling when fresh, says Winsberg. Chilacas are medium hot but “not so much that they are scary.” When dried, they are called pasillas and are common in mole recipes; pasillas (often known as chiles negros) can be found each entire and powdered.
Common Dimension: About 6 inches lengthy
A French pepper used in many French Basque recipes. It is a twisty, long pepper that when green has a “very distinct peppery taste with a very tender skin, and lend[s] a nice chile zest without adding heat,” says Winsberg. When it turns red, it gets very sweet. It excels in sauces, chopped up and sautéed for a pipérade (the Basque fryer would replace the bell peppers in our recipe), or fried with meats or sausage.
Average Size: About 5 to 6 inches long
Named after the city in Southern California, the Anaheim is a big, mild chile that’s good for stuffing. Its skin is a little tough, but it peels pretty easily if you roast it first. Anaheims are good roasted, lower into strips, and thrown right into a salad; full of meat and grilled; utilized in salsa verde; or added to cheese enchiladas.
Common Dimension: About 2 to six inches lengthy
This bright red pepper is usually consumed in its dried, powdered form, known as cayenne pepper. When ripe and recent, cayenne chiles are lengthy, skinny, and highly regarded. Winsberg says they’re kin of untamed chiles from South and Central America.
Common Dimension: About 3 to five inches lengthy
The Guernica is a Spanish pepper similar to the Padrón in flavor but bigger and without any heat, says Winsberg. It is often served fried like the Padrón or stuffed with cheese or other fillings. It develops a tougher skin as it matures, and then is best roasted and peeled.
Average Size: About 6 to 7 inches long
Happy Quail grows both sweet and hot varieties of the banana pepper, known as bácskai fehér in Hungary. Winsberg says they are often used in Hungarian lecsó (a dish of stewed peppers and eggs), pickled, or served grilled with meats.
Average Size: About 2 to 3 inches long
Familiar stuffed with cream cheese and deep-fried as a bar snack, or chopped up in salsa, the jalapeño is probably the best-known pepper in the States. It gets its name from Jalapa (additionally spelled Xalapa), the capital of Veracruz, Mexico. Harvested at each its inexperienced and purple phases, the jalapeño is spicy however simple to seed and devein if you happen to want to take away a number of the warmth. When dried and smoked, it’s referred to as a chipotle chile.
Common Dimension: About 1.5 to 2.5 inches lengthy
Spicier than the jalapeño, the serrano is a small Mexican pepper with thick, juicy walls, so it’s a great hot-salsa pepper, and is widely available and versatile. It is most commonly sold in its green stage (it turns red and then yellow as it gets older). You can also find serranos pickled or dried.
Average Size: About 2 inches long
Native to parts of Central America and the Caribbean, this little pepper packs a lot of heat. But contrary to popular belief, the Red Savina habanero is not the hottest type of chile; that distinction now goes to the Indian bhut jolokia, or ghost chile (and Jamaican jerk mainstay Scotch bonnet peppers are almost twice as hot as habaneros). Still, habaneros add a lot of fire to cooking and should be used judiciously. You’ll find different colors, ranging from red to white-yellow and even brown, but orange is the most common. Great for salsa, hot sauces, or a tongue-blazing jerk chicken (if you can’t find those Scotch bonnet chiles).
Average Size: About 2 to 4 inches long
Spiciness Scale: 1 (but the hot ones, even when young, can be 2 to 3)
This pepper is a specialty grown in Galicia in northern Spain. It is traditionally eaten as a simple tapa, fried in olive oil and tossed with salt; it is harvested young and small, with a tender skin and no mature seeds, so it’s perfect for eating whole, bitten right off the stem. It is generally mild with a nutty flavor at this stage, but it gets hotter as it matures. Part of the fun of eating these peppers is that about one in a dozen will be pretty hot, says Winsberg.
Average Size: About 2 to 3 inches long
Common in a lot of Peruvian cooking, the aji rojo is extra of an orange-red than a real purple pepper. It has an analogous warmth degree to cayenne and may be chopped finely and added to ceviche or blended with cheese or cream to make a sauce to serve over potatoes or rooster.
Common Dimension: About 1 to 2 inches lengthy
This tiny chile adds serious amounts of heat to Southeast Asian cuisines. You may find either green or red Thai chiles; both are very spicy. Throw them whole into Thai soups like tom kha gai, purée them for curry pastes, or chop them up for any dish where you want to add heat without a lot of pieces of pepper.
Average Size: About 3 to 6 inches long
The most common sweet pepper, bells are often seen in purple, inexperienced, and yellow, however there are additionally purple, brown, and orange varieties, even striped orange-red. They’re a crunchy, juicy pepper that’s nice for consuming uncooked on salads, sautéing, or roasting and chopping as much as throw on a pizza or a sandwich.
Common Dimension: About 1 to 2 inches lengthy
These vary in size and shape and are very hot. They are usually round, though sometimes more of a triangular shape. Cherry peppers can also be sweet. They’re most often used in pickling: You can throw one in a jar with cucumber pickles to spice things up, or pickle them with other, more mild peppers.
Average Size: About 4 to 6 inches long
This is a type of pimento (or pimiento) pepper, which is what you often find stuffed in green olives. It is a large, sweet red pepper, similar to a bell but with an extra-thick, juicy wall. The skin comes off easily, so this is an ideal pepper for roasting. It’s also great to eat raw with dip.
Average Size: About 3 inches long
The ultimate pepper for roasting, the Spanish piquillo has become very popular because of its intensely sweet flavor and bright red color. It is usually only available canned or jarred, but it’s becoming easier to find fresh. It is often roasted, peeled, and stuffed with a variety of fillings like salt cod, tuna, or cheese (but is also good stuffed in other things, like these Fried Spanish Ham and Cheese Stuffed Pork Chops).
Common Dimension: 2 to 4 inches lengthy
Spiciness Scale: 1 to 2 (with the occasional 2 to three)
Popular in Japan, the shishito has thin walls, mild heat, and a little sweetness. It is good served like the Padrón: simply fried, roasted, or grilled, drizzled with some soy sauce and sesame oil, and eaten whole. It also makes very tasty tempura.
Now that you’ve got the details on 19 different peppers, you’re more equipped than ever to use them. Try some of our ideas for cooking with these chile peppers. And if you want to really DIY, see how to grow peppers.
1. Red Pepper Hummus
Roasted bell peppers are pureed with beans, tahini, and an array of spices and herbs to create a creamy red pepper twist on a Middle Eastern classic. This dip is filling enough to serve on bread with veggies for an easy meal or perfect as a snack served with warmed pita. The dip only takes 15 minutes to prepare and requires minimal effort. Get our Red Pepper Hummus recipe.
2. Chilaquiles
Dried ancho chiles are the secret flavor powerhouse in this recipe for chilaquiles. This traditional Mexican dish is typically made with fried corn tortillas and then topped with anything from spicy chili sauce to meat to eggs. This versatile dish is perfect for anyone who loves tacos, nachos, or Mexican cuisine in general. Get our Chilaquiles recipe.
3. Pipérade
This French sauté is full of bright bell peppers and French spices. It can be served over almost any meat but we recommend Braised Chicken and Julia Child prefers it over an omelet. This recipe is perfect for the summer months when you have an abundance of vegetables and herbs lying around. Get our Pipérade recipe.
4. Roasted Red Pepper and Spicy Sausage Grilled Pizza
Sweet roasted bell peppers mingle with sausage on this grilled pizza, but dried chili flakes also come into play, in the form of a chili oil that’s drizzled on high. Grilling the pizza ensures an irresistibly crunchy crust. It may be constructed from scratch or sped up by beginning with store-bought pizza dough. No grill? Strive making it with the skillet pizza recipe technique as a substitute. Get our Roasted Red Pepper and Spicy Sausage Grilled Pizza recipe.
5. Slow Cooker Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers
This recipe is the perfect meatless meal. Red bell peppers are stuffed with protein-packed quinoa and salty feta. Serve this with a side salad for an easy weeknight dinner. Get our Slow Cooker Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers recipe.
6. Grilled Padrón Peppers
These small and slightly sweet peppers are generally mild, but one in every handful will be surprisingly spicy. They’re usually deep-fried, but grilling is a healthy and quick preparation that adds a smoky layer of flavor. Get our Grilled Padrón Peppers recipe.
7. Basic Roasted Bell Peppers
Instead of placing the peppers directly under the broiler, we give them a little room by setting them in the middle of the oven. This extra distance allows them to roast a bit before their skins blister. Get our Basic Roasted Bell Peppers recipe.
8. Stuffed Bell Peppers with Feta and Herbs
The sweetness of the bell peppers plays off the golden raisins in the filling, and the vegetal note is heightened by the herbs. Get our Stuffed Bell Peppers with Feta and Herbs recipe.
9. Chiles Rellenos
Stuffed, fried poblano peppers are Mexico’s version of comfort food. Chiles rellenos fillings can range from ground or stewed meats to a medley of vegetables, but this version sticks to classic cheese and features serrano peppers. Get our Chiles Rellenos recipe.
10. Stuffed Poblanos with Black Beans and Cheese
Serve these stuffed peppers them as a vegetarian main course or as a starter. They’re loaded with rice, black beans, sour cream, cheese, tomatoes, and cilantro, then grilled until the peppers are charred and tender. Get our Stuffed Poblanos with Black Beans and Cheese recipe.
11. Basic Jalapeño Poppers
Broiling the peppers gives them a nice outer char and leaves the filling browned and bubbling. Get our Basic Jalapeño Poppers recipe.
12. Chicken Chile Verde
With Anaheim chiles, poblanos, and dried Aleppo peppers, this dish is all the time an enormous hit. It’s nice rolled right into a burrito, however you can even serve it by itself topped with scallions, bitter cream, and tortilla chips. Get our Chicken Chile Verde recipe. (Or strive our Slow Cooker Chicken Chile Verde recipe.)
13. Chicken-Fried and Pickled Pepper Sandwiches
Use a variety of small peppers for pickling, such as baby bells, Cubanelles, or banana peppers. They combine on a sandwich roll with chicken breasts are dipped in buttermilk, then dredged in flour seasoned with paprika, black pepper, and ground mustard. Get our Chicken-Fried and Pickled Pepper Sandwiches recipe.
14. Papalote Salsa
Pasilla chiles (in their dried and ground form) mingle with chiles de arbol (a small, spicy Mexican pepper), tomatoes, vinegar, cilantro, scallions, and pumpkin seeds in this blended taqueria-style salsa. Get our Papalote Salsa recipe.
15. Spicy Chicken Chile Taco Dip
This gooey dip features Anaheim chiles, poblano peppers, and serranos, along with onion, garlic, Roma tomatoes, and Mexican spices. Leave out the chicken and you have a hearty vegetarian dip packed with cheese and black beans. Get our Spicy Chicken Chile Taco Dip recipe.
16. Lotsa Serranos Blazing Hot Sauce
As the name implies, this hot sauce is jam-packed with spicy serrano peppers, plus lime juice, garlic and onion powders, cider vinegar, and salt. It’s a pure, potent complement to pulled pork, tacos, and far more. However use it inside 2 weeks, or the freshness begins to fade. Get our Serrano Hot Sauce recipe.
17. Habanero Orange Stomach Punch Hot Sauce
If you prefer habanero peppers, we’ve got you covered too. This is actually milder than the first habanero hot sauce we brewed up, but definitely still for heat seekers only. (If you want to soften it with a little sweetness, try this habanero-infused Smoked Cherry Hot Sauce, which continues to be a lot spicy.) Get our Habanero Orange Hot Sauce recipe.
18. Chile Lime Tequila Compound Butter
Minced serrano or jalapeno peppers spice up a compound butter also spiked with tequila and lime juice. Perfect for patting on seared or grilled steaks or fish (or chicken, or corn, or…anything savory, really). Get our Chile Lime Tequila Compound Butter recipe.
19. Jalapeño Cilantro Yogurt Spread
A simple but flavorful sauce that lends both spice and creamy coolness to all sorts of grilled or roasted meats or veggies, this can also be used as an easy dip (try it with sweet potato chips). If you don’t like cilantro, you possibly can substitute one other recent, leafy inexperienced herb. Get our Jalapeño Cilantro Yogurt Spread recipe.
20. Spicy Chipotle Tuna Melts
With diced fresh jalapeno and canned chipotles in adobo, these tuna melts transcend the diner classic. Get our Spicy Chipotle Tuna Melt recipe.
21. Grilled Shisito Peppers
The Japanese cousin to Spanish Padrón peppers, these are equally great grilled and sprinkled with coarse salt, but we like to add a little togarashi (a Japanese spice mix usually containing red chile, dried orange zest, nori, sesame seeds, and ginger). Get our Grilled Shisito Pepper recipe.
