Capsicum annuum
Jalapeño - Scoville, Taste & Uses
The Jalapeño is Mexico's everyday heat, and a kitchen friend. Green pods taste fresh, bright, and grassy. Red pods turn sweeter, with a fuller flavor. The heat is medium. It lands clean, then fades. Most citizens meet Jalapeños in salsa, escabeche, or nachos. Makers smoke ripe pods into chipotles, which add depth to stews and rubs. Thick walls grill well, stay juicy, and stuff neatly for poppers. You will see them in tacos, burgers, and breakfast bowls. The Scoville range runs 2,500 to 8,000 SHU. That is enough to wake you up, not enough to scare you. Reliable heat, steady character - approved by the Ministry of Heat Affairs. Jalapeño typically measures 2,500-8,000 SHU (Medium). Shows up across Mexico, Veracruz in condiments, pickles, and marinades. Use Jalapeños fresh in pico de gallo, guacamole, and tacos. Pickle them for escabeche, sandwiches, and pizza. Grill or roast to soften heat and add smoke. Stuff with cheese for baked poppers, or slice thin for burgers and bowls. Smoke ripe red pods to make chipotles, then blend into adobo, chilis, and marinades. Ferment rings for sauces and salsas. They pair well with lime, cilantro, garlic, cumin, and oregano. Cheese, chicken, pork, and beans all welcome this pepper's steady warmth. See sauces using Jalapeño
Also known as: Chile Jalapeño, Huachinango, Cuaresmeño
Species
Capsicum annuum
Heat
Flavour
Medium, grassy, Bright, Crisp, versatile
Origin / Regions
Mexico, Veracruz
Colour / Shape
Green when unripe, red when ripe
Pod size
5-8 cm long, 2-3 cm wide
Try it in the wild
Get sauces featuring Jalapeño
3 European small-batch sauces - flavour, fire and occasionally a bit of chaos, in a box.
Sauces Using Jalapeño
Explore how makers use Jalapeño across styles and regions.
Crunchy Classic
Our classic crunchy chili oil, ideal for everyday use. Fried garlic and onion deliver a delightful smoky crunch. The carefully curated spice blend, crafted in-house, features chipotle flakes and star anise. Szechuan pepper adds a hint of citrus, while balsamic vinegar strikes a perfect sweet-and-sour balance. Fun fact: the rapeseed oil is cultivated in the Green Belt around Brussels. The Crunchy Classic is your new must-have food topping.
Fermented Jalapeño
Our Fermented Jalapeño Hot Sauce is made from jalapeños slowly fermented for 6 weeks, developing a tangy, intensified flavor that perfectly elevates Mexican dishes, fries, pizza, pasta, eggs, soups, and more. A true Roots Radicals classic. As a zero-waste brand committed to the circular economy, Roots Radicals upcycles the jalapeño pulp to ferment green tomatoes for another signature product, while the garlic peels are transformed into our flavorful Baked Garlic Peel Salt.
Holy Smokes
Authentic pecan smoked chipotle peppers with apple cider vinegar to create a smoky tangy delight for the senses.
La Mexicana
by MAMBOOOH berlin chili manufactory
Experience the taste of salsa with the mild spiciness of red and green jalapeño peppers. Tomatoes and bell peppers combine with cumin and coriander to create an unforgettable taste experience.
Nummy Nutty
This crunchy chili oil honors the classic fried garlic and shallots while adding a delightful twist with nuts and seeds. The buttery aroma of pistachios pairs beautifully with the spicy pumpkin seeds. Combined with our in-house spice blend of sumac, cumin, and piment d’Espelette, you’ll experience a deep and layered flavour profile. It’s subtly smoky, lightly sweet, and irresistibly savoury—that’s the Nummy Nutty, in a nutshell!
Supreme Spicy
Turn up the heat with this spicy crunchy chili oil! Fried onion and garlic provide the perfect crunch for any dish, while the Bird’s Eye chilies deliver a serious kick. Admittedly, this chili is forty times hotter than the classic jalapeño, but the mild-sweet balsamic vinegar creates a refined balance. Supreme Spicy is great for those who don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen—just a drizzle of this crunchy chili oil can elevate the dullest dish into a true flavour bomb.
Flavour & Aroma
Heat Profile
Scoville range
2,500-8,000 SHU
Heat label
Medium
Harvest window
Summer to early autumn
Sauce Index count
10
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
Jalapeño typically measures 2,500-8,000 SHU (Medium). Ranges shift with cultivar and growing conditions.
Medium, grassy, Bright, Crisp, versatile
Chile Jalapeño, Huachinango, Cuaresmeño show up as common aliases depending on region. This pepper's alternate names mostly come from regional dialects.
Consider Aleppo, Cherry Pepper, Chipotle, Espelette for comparable heat or recipes.
- Aleppo - Medium
- Cherry Pepper - Medium
- Chipotle - Medium
- Espelette - Medium
Use Jalapeños fresh in pico de gallo, guacamole, and tacos. Pickle them for escabeche, sandwiches, and pizza. Grill or roast to soften heat and add smoke. Stuff with cheese for baked poppers, or slice thin for burgers and bowls. Smoke ripe red pods to make chipotles, then blend into adobo, chilis, and marinades. Ferment rings for sauces and salsas. They pair well with lime, cilantro, garlic, cumin, and oregano. Cheese, chicken, pork, and beans all welcome this pepper's steady warmth.
Jalapeños are easy for home growers. They prefer warm climates, full sun, and well-drained soil. Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost. Transplant when nights stay above 10°C, and days reach 21 to 29°C. Plants grow 60 to 90 cm tall. Expect harvest 65 to 85 days after transplanting. Pick green for bright flavor, or wait for red for sweeter notes. Water evenly, feed lightly with balanced fertilizer, and stake if windy. Containers work well, at least 10 liters with good drainage.
Use gloves, ventilation, and soap to remove capsaicin 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