Capsicum chinense
Habanero - Scoville, Taste & Uses
Habanero delivers tropical fire in a small lantern pod. Ripe peppers glow orange, with floral perfume and mango like sweetness. The heat arrives fast, then lingers for minutes. Citizens taste them in Yucatán citrus salsas, Belizean hot sauces, and Jamaican marinades. Makers like the thick flesh for purées and mash ferments. Dice tiny pieces into ceviche, or blitz with garlic and sour orange for recado. A single pepper seasons a whole pot. Dehydrate slices for fruit leather heat, or smoke them for deep savory notes. The Scoville range stretches from 100,000 to 350,000 SHU. Respect the flame, enjoy the fruit - cleared by the Ministry of Heat Logistics. Habanero typically measures 100,000-350,000 SHU (Very Hot). Shows up across Mexico, Yucatán Peninsula in condiments, pickles, and marinades. Use habaneros sparingly in raw salsas, fruit relishes, and ceviche. Blend roasted pods with vinegar for Caribbean style pepper sauce. Pair with stone fruit, pineapple, or citrus to showcase sweetness. Add minced habanero to jerk pastes, taco fillings, or bean stews for a fragrant kick. The pepper ferments well for hot sauce mash, and dries into potent flakes. A single pepper can season a liter of oil or brine, so scale recipes carefully. See sauces using Habanero
Also known as: Orange Habanero, Yucatán Pepper
Species
Capsicum chinense
Heat
Flavour
Hot, Fruity, Citrusy, floral, lingering
Origin / Regions
Mexico, Yucatán Peninsula
Colour / Shape
Orange when ripe, sometimes red
Pod size
4-6 cm long, 2-4 cm wide
Try it in the wild
Get sauces featuring Habanero
3 European small-batch sauces - flavour, fire and occasionally a bit of chaos, in a box.
Sauces Using Habanero
Explore how makers use Habanero across styles and regions.
Agave Chilli Crisp
Award-Winning Flavour: Great Taste Award 2025 Gold at the European Hot Sauce Awards 2025 The Agave Chilli Crisp is a team effort between Trouble and Spice and Antillean Coast. Sweet, spicy, crispy, this jammy chili crisp is a whole new adventure. Spread it over a wrap, heat it up to toss with fried foods, or mix through rice. We’ve taken the sweet heat of Hot Agave Habanero and blended it with crunchy Chilli Crisp and vibrant Caribbean seasonings to create something truly special. Imagine the warm, aromatic notes of cinnamon, and allspice, layered over the natural sweetness of agave and the fruity kick of citrus and habanero. Our spiciest blend uses habanero peppers, but the heat is beautifully balanced by sweetness and spices. Serious warmth that never overwhelms - though pair with hot sauce if you want brain-scorching heat All natural. Small batch. Made for flavour lovers. Ingredients: Agave (60%), chilli (17%), garlic, onion, sesame seed, sunflower oil, orange, lemon, cinnamon, all-spice, paprika concentrate, salt, acetic acid.
Banana Barbecue
Our Banana BBQ Sauce was born from a happy accident inspired by Filipino banana ketchup. Combining ripe banana’s sweetness with smoky BBQ flavors, it’s a rich, indulgent sauce perfect for grilled veggies, smoky dips, or unique dressings. Roots Radicals is a zero-waste, circular economy brand. This sauce contains 33% rescued ingredients and includes other Roots Radicals products like our Vegetable Bouillon.
HABANERO & TOMATILLO HOT SAUCE
Hot Mexican style chili sauce with Habanero chilies and tomatillos. The original and award-winning Crazy Bastard Sauce. Perfectly balanced flavour and just the right amount of heat to use on everything.
La Caribeana
by MAMBOOOH berlin chili manufactory
I'm one of those hot sauces, not for the faint of heart. In 100 ml, I combine mango with a hint of coconut, making me incredibly fruity. The freshness and fruitiness of lime and ginger round me out, creating an absolute flavor explosion. The habanero inside me packs a serious punch, making me a fantastic hot sauce. I'm best used for marinating fish, meat, tofu, or vegetables, but also simply for dipping or as a salad dressing. Incidentally, I won a silver medal at the Clifton Chili Club's National Chili Award in 2024. This makes me, and I'm very proud of this, a truly excellent chili sauce. You should definitely try me yourself and be convinced of my intense, fruity taste.
Scharfe Melone Hot Sauce
by Capsup
Entdecke die perfekte Fusion aus köstlichen, frischen Zuckermelonen und der fruchtigen Würze von Roten Habaneros! Unsere einzigartige Hot Pepper Sauce startet mit einer erfrischenden, pikanten Note, entwickelt aber schnell ihren Charakter
Xemxi
Xemxi (shemshee) is a light and fresh orange jam made with whole oranges, complimented with fresh ginger, lemon juice and honey, finished off with a habanero kick.
Flavour & Aroma
Heat Profile
Scoville range
100,000-350,000 SHU
Heat label
Very Hot
Harvest window
Late summer to early autumn
Sauce Index count
12
History & Culture
Botany & Growing Notes
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Trial Box visual placeholder
- 3 × 100 ml sauces (varied styles)
- Tasting card & pairing pointers
- Ships EU-wide; limited runs
Trial Box
One-off box to explore heat and flavour across different sauce styles. No commitment; just taste and take notes.
Buy Trial BoxFAQ
Habanero typically measures 100,000-350,000 SHU (Very Hot). Ranges shift with cultivar and growing conditions.
Hot, Fruity, Citrusy, floral, lingering
Orange Habanero, Yucatán Pepper show up as common aliases depending on region. This pepper's alternate names mostly come from regional dialects.
Consider Bird's Eye, Brazilian Malagueta, Datil, Madame Jeanette for comparable heat or recipes.
- Bird's Eye - Very Hot
- Brazilian Malagueta - Very Hot
- Datil - Very Hot
- Madame Jeanette - Very Hot
Use habaneros sparingly in raw salsas, fruit relishes, and ceviche. Blend roasted pods with vinegar for Caribbean style pepper sauce. Pair with stone fruit, pineapple, or citrus to showcase sweetness. Add minced habanero to jerk pastes, taco fillings, or bean stews for a fragrant kick. The pepper ferments well for hot sauce mash, and dries into potent flakes. A single pepper can season a liter of oil or brine, so scale recipes carefully.
Habaneros need a long, warm growing season. Start seeds indoors 10 weeks before the last frost, since germination prefers 27°C soil. Transplant outdoors when nights stay above 15°C. Plants reach 60 to 90 cm tall, and need full sun plus fertile, fast-draining soil. Provide regular feeding rich in potassium and calcium to avoid blossom end rot. Expect 90 to 110 days from transplant to ripe pods. In cooler climates, use greenhouses or large containers you can move indoors at night.
Wear gloves when cutting habaneros, and avoid contact with eyes or soft skin. Use ventilation when blending to limit chili aerosols. If capsaicin touches skin, wash with soap, then apply dairy or diluted vinegar to break the oils.
Sources
- Republic of Heat tasting lab field notes
- Producer dossiers submitted through Directus
- Open cultivar registries & academic pepper research
We cross-reference seed banks, peer-reviewed literature, and reputable producer data for SHU and origin claims.
Reviewed by Republic of Heat - last updated 2025-11-08