Serrano peppers are among the most popular chilies, but they can still be surprisingly hard to track down. So what’s a smart serrano pepper substitute that’ll still work with most recipes in case your local grocer doesn’t carry this chili? Let’s break down your three best options to keep your spicy cooking moving along.
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The best substitute for serrano pepper: Jalapeño pepper
That’s right. The most popular chili in the world is a terrific substitute for the serrano. It’s easy to find (nearly every supermarket carries them), but more importantly they share a similar fresh bright and grassy taste. The flavor integrity of your recipe will be overall intact, with one big exception — the heat.
Jalapeño peppers — while also a medium heat pepper (2,500 to 8,000 Scoville heat units or SHU) — can be up to nine times milder than a serrano (10,000 to 23,000 SHU). If heat is important to you or your recipe, you may need to increase the chili amount required in the recipe to make up the difference. The walls of jalapeño peppers are meatier than the serrano as well, so consider how this may affect usage in your recipe. You may want to dice the jalapeños to lessen the texture difference.
Learn More: Serrano Vs. Jalapeño — How Do They Compare?
A step up in heat (but harder to find fresh): Cayenne pepper
You won’t find fresh green cayenne in every grocery store, but if you can, it makes for a suitable serrano substitution. Green cayenne peppers don’t share the same bright flavor, but its taste is neutral enough that it won’t surprisingly affect your dish.
Careful, though: This is a significant heat upgrade. Cayenne peppers sit near the upper end of medium-heat chilies, 30,000 – 50,000 SHU. That can be up to five times spicier than the serrano. It’s a level of heat that may be too much for those with sensitive palates. If you opt for cayenne, consider lessening the chili used in the recipe. Start small and spice it up to taste.
Note, too, if you opt for a fresh red cayenne, there will be a color difference in your dish. Serrano chilies are typically sold while green (they age to red), while cayenne peppers are easier to find in their mature red color. If the color matters to your plate presentation, keep this in mind.
Learn More: Cayenne Vs. Serrano — What Are The Differences?
From your spice rack: Crushed red pepper
While this may seem like a “no other choice” solution, most crushed red pepper flake blends have a base of red cayenne peppers. For the most common CRP blends, that base is then cut with less spicy peppers, like crushed ancho and other dried chilies. So the heat is tuned down to a spiciness more comparable to a serrano level of spiciness (or less.)
Of course, if the recipe calls for a fresh chili substantially within the recipe, this substitution will not be as viable. This is more of a solution when the serrano pepper called for was primarily there to supply spiciness. There will also be a “peppered” chili flake look noticeable in the dish. If that impact on presentation is of concern, opt for one of our fresh chili options.
A fresh/dried combo: Green bell pepper and crushed red pepper
This is a bit of a culinary hack, but it works. Green bell peppers have a grassy, bright flavor, but of course, zero heat. You can add in some spiciness with some crushed red pepper flakes, adding until the heat is to the desired level you prefer. This allows you to have a fresh pepper flavor while still getting the spiciness. And you’re more likely to have a bell around than even a jalapeño.
It’s a good hack, but there’s one thing to consider. The walls of bell peppers are much thicker than the walls within a serrano. They have more of a bulk to them, and that can impact the overall mouthfeel of your dish. A solution would be to dice the bell down into smaller pieces, so the thicker walls were less noticeable.
Other options
You may have either jalapeño powder (more likely) or serrano powder (less likely), available to you. Either of these powders, of course, work, each providing the expected heat and a level of expected flavor. The tricky part with using either is how much powders permeate a dish where they are used. You can easily overuse a powder, and as such, over-heat your dish. Use moderation and, if it’s possible, taste-test with a bit of powder at a time to get the right level of spiciness.
You may also have dried serranos available, but that’s likely an uncommon scenario. This chili isn’t commonly dried for sale. If you have the choice, green serrano powder will provide more of the bright, grassy bite you’d expect. If you want something slightly sweeter (and even slightly smoky), try red serrano powder.
Must-read related posts
- Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Quiche with Serrano Peppers: The chilies really shine in this showstopper brunch recipe.
- Crushed Red Pepper Vs. Cayenne: Since we mention both here as viable serrano substitutions, learn how they each compare one on one.
- Too Much Crushed Red Pepper – Here’s How To Fix: This is a danger of the CRP substitution. Get a handle on how to temper down your meal if you get a heavy hand on the pour.
