Scotch bonnet peppers, with their heat and fruity tang, are very popular in Caribbean cuisine, but they can be tough to find. They are not common in most general supermarkets, unless you live in the sub-tropics or in an urban area with a high Caribbean population. So what happens when you stumble upon a great-looking recipe that uses scotch bonnet peppers? What is a good scotch bonnet substitute that may be easier to find? We have a few options for you here.
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Your best option: Habanero pepper
If your goal is to find a substitute that’ll bring a similar level of heat to the recipe, then the habanero pepper is your best bet. In fact, the habanero and the scotch bonnet are close cousins. They both range from 100,000 to 350,000 on the Scoville scale, with the biggest difference coming from the overall sweetness. Habaneros aren’t quite as fruity sweet as scotch bonnets are. There is a fruitiness to habaneros, yes, but not as pronounced as a scotch bonnet.
The biggest benefit to a habanero as a scotch bonnet alternative: They are likely easier to find. Many stores carry habaneros, as it’s a very popular chili. And if they don’t, they are common sites at farmers’ markets and a popular crop at chili farms. Your chances are much greater of finding habaneros in a pinch.
There are other habanero-like chilies, too, that make good scotch bonnet alternatives. None are as easy to find as habs, but if you come across fatalii chilies, Madame Jeanettes, or datil peppers, all three can work very well instead.
Easiest to find: Jalapeño or serrano peppers
Nearly every grocer carries jalapeños, and serrano peppers are becoming more popular as well. As they are easy to find, both can serve as scotch bonnet substitutes in a pinch, but you’ll be giving up a lot in both flavor and heat.
Jalapeños (2,500 to 8,000 Scoville heat units) and serranos (10,000 to 23,000 SHU) are mere blips on the Scoville scale compared to the extra-hot scotch bonnet. If you’re looking for your recipe to be extra-hot, neither of these chilies will deliver that level of spiciness.
The flavor tradeoff (especially for green jalapeños and serranos) is noticeable as well. Both of these chilies in their most common green form have a bright, grassy bite. If you’re looking for something sweeter, look for the fully mature red versions of these peppers. These red versions will be sweeter — not fruity, but sweeter and less grassy. They are much better options than their green counterparts (if you can find them.)
Learn More: Green Vs. Red Jalapeño — How Do They Compare?
A good low heat fit (but hard to find): The rocotillo pepper
There’s no doubt about it, if you’re having trouble finding scotch bonnets, then finding a rocotillo pepper may be even harder. But if you happen to live in an area with Caribbean peppers around, and your reason for looking for a good scotch bonnet pepper substitute was due to not preferring the high heat, then take a look at this tasty hot pepper.
Rocotillos are much milder, at 1,500 to 2,500 on the pepper scale. That’s less than a jalapeño, so nearly everyone can take the heat the rocotillo brings. And best of all, it has a comparable fruitiness to it, so you’ll definitely get the right flavors for Caribbean cuisine.
Must-read related posts
- Scotch Bonnet Vs. Habanero: We compare these two chilies head-to-head. Yes, they are very similar, but learn the differences.
- The Hot Pepper List: This pepper is one of over 150+ we profile on our filterable list. Search by heat, flavor, origin and more.
- Are Dried Peppers Hotter Than Fresh? If you go with a dried chili as an alternative, what should you expect in terms of heat? Do chilies lose spiciness when dried?
going in with my new harvest of Fish peppers will keep y’all posted