Jalapeño Varieties Are Many: Meet The Most Popular

Jalapeño peppers are the most popular chilies on the planet. Its very eatable low-medium heat and bright, grassy flavor make the chili very versatile in the kitchen. But, unless you’re a gardener with a penchant for spicy food, you may not know that there are many different jalapeño varieties out there. Below, we break down some of the more popular jalapeño types. We rank them from mildest to hottest, though most fit within the standard jalapeño heat range of 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville heat units (SHU).

Table of Contents

• Below standard jalapeño heat
  • TAM Jalapeño
  • NuMex Pinata
  • Mammoth Jalapeño
• Within standard jalapeño heat
  • Jalaro Jalapeño
  • Chilipeño Hybrid
  • Purple Jalapeño
  • Chichimeca
  • Conchos
  • Mitla Hybrid
  • Firenza
  • Fuego/Jalafuego
  • Mucho Nacho
• Above standard jalapeño heat
  • Black Jalapeño
  • Jalapa Hybrid
  • Biker Billy
• Must-read related posts

Below standard jalapeño heat

TAM Jalapeño

The TAM jalapeño is a super-mild version with a Scoville rating that does not get higher than 3,500 SHU and is typically much lower.

NuMex Pinata

Similar to purple jalapeños, NuMex Pinatas come in multiple colors and are mild with a 1,000 to 5,000 Scoville heat rating. Its floor sits at a level of a mild poblano pepper (1,000 to 1,500 Scoville heat units.)

Mammoth Jalapeño

As their name suggests, these are a large variety; they can grow to around five inches long and almost two inches in diameter, making them excellent as a popper pepper. They deliver 1,000 to 5,000 SHU, putting its floor, again, below the standard level of jalapeño heat.

Within standard jalapeño heat

Jalaro Jalapeño

Jalaros are colorful and can be found in yellow and orange depending on the stage of ripeness. When ripe, they are the customary mature red. Jalaros are between 2,500 and 8,000 on the Scoville Scale, so they follow a similar level of heat to the standard jalapeño. 

Chilipeño Hybrid

The chilipeno hybrid is both large and mild. These peppers start out green then progress through a purple stage before ripening to a bright red. The chilipeño’s heat measures between 2,500 and 5,000 SHU. 

Purple Jalapeño

Purple jalapeños are standard in terms of flavor and heat with their color being their only unique characteristic. Their heat is in the 2,500 to 8,000 SHU range, fitting them even with the typical common jalapeño.

Chipotle Peppers

Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked red jalapeño peppers. They are used in a variety of Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes. Chipotle peppers have a unique flavor that is smoky, earthy, and slightly sweet and typically maintain the 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville heat range of fresh jalapeños.

–> Learn More: Chipotle Vs. Jalapeño – How Do They Compare?

Chichimeca

Chichimeca peppers are relatively mild but make up for lack of heat with size — they can grow up to four inches long and one and a half inches wide. While chichimecas can measure up to 8,000 SHU, most are in the 3,500 to 5,000 SHU range; they have noticeably less heat than most other jalapeños.

Conchos

Concho jalapeños have thick walls that make them good for stuffing. Their Scoville rating tops out at about 5,000 SHU, with a range from 3,000 SHU to 6,000 SHU.

Mitla Hybrid

The mitla hybrid is popular with commercial growers and offers a moderate 4,000-6,000 SHU.

Firenza

Firenzas are medium-heat in the standard 3,000 to 8,000 Scoville range.

Fuego/Jalafuego

The jalafuego is also known as the fuego pepper and is a little hotter than the typical jalapeño (but not by much.) Along with its extra heat, the jalafuego is larger — it averages four inches but can measure up to 6 inches long. Jalafuegos usually rank between 4,000 and 8,000 on the Scoville scale. 

Mucho Nacho

Mucho Nachos are noted for being particularly flavorful compared to other jalapeño varieties. They are noticeably hotter than mild jalapenos. The Scoville range is 4,000 to 8,000 SHU, so it sits at the upper end of the typical

Above standard jalapeño heat

Black Jalapeño

Black jalapeños are exactly what the name says: peppers with black pods. Despite the dramatic appearance, they are about as mild as the typical jalapeño found in your grocery store’s produce section. A black jalapeño will give you 2,500 to 10,000 Scoville heat units. The upper limit puts it potentially on par with a serrano pepper (10,000 to 23,000 SHU.)

Jalapa Hybrid

The jalapa hybrid is hotter than the average jalapeño but has the same general size. The Scoville rating can go as high as 10,000 SHU, again touching the lowest potential heat of a serrano.

Biker Billy

Named after motorcyclist and television personality Billy Huffnagle, Biker Billy jalapenos are hot by most standards. When green, Biker Billy peppers are mild, but the heat increases as they ripen. The heat from a fully ripe pepper can rate as high as 30,000 on the Scoville scale, which puts it well out of range of most jalapeño varieties and more on par with cayenne pepper (30,000 to 50,000 SHU.)

Must-read related posts

• The Hot Pepper List: We cover over 150 chilies here at PepperScale. Search our list by name, heat levels, flavor, origin, and more.
• Are Dried Peppers Hotter Than Fresh? What happens in the drying process? Do chilies taste hotter after being dried?
• Pickled Jalapeño Vs. Fresh: How do they compare?