Thai peppers are spicy chili peppers with a wide range of heat, and despite common belief, there is no single type of Thai pepper, with at least 79 separate varieties. Learn more about them, their heat ranges, how to cook with them, and more.
Scoville Heat Units: From 0 (very mild) to many in the range of 50,000 - 100,000 SHU
Capsicum Annuum
Despite what is commonly believed, there is no single "Thai pepper", though most peppers referred to as Thai are small in size and high in heat or pungency. There are at least 79 separate varieties of the pepper that have appeared from three species in Thailand, and they grow in green or red.
As with many other types of chili peppers, there is strong debate about them, and a particular confusion when it comes to Thai peppers.
Types of Thai Peppers
Prik num or "banana peppers," for example, resemble a New Mexican pepper, and they are also grown in Kashmir, India, and thus are also known as Kashmir peppers. It is further confusing as the Kashmir is ALSO known as the Sriracha, a name associated with the famous sauce originally made from these peppers in the Thai seaside town of the same name.
Others are called prik yuak (milder, sweet), prik chee fah (milder, green and red varieties), prik leuang (with milder heat, great for pickling), prik jinda (hot peppers), and prik kee noo (very hot, similar to bird's eye chilies).
Agriculturally speaking, we specify that two types of chili peppers grow for harvest in Thailand: the prik khee nu (or prik kee noo) or "bird pepper" and the prik khee fah or plain "chili pepper."
How Hot is a Thai Pepper?
Because of the wide variety, Thai peppers typically range from 50,000 to 100,000 Scoville Heat Units. Compare this to a typical jalapeno pepper, which ranges from 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville Heat Units, making the average Thai pepper about 15 times hotter than the average jalapeno.
The red bell pepper, by contrast, measures 0 Scoville Heat Units.
Cooking with Thai Peppers
Thai peppers are typically ground to add heat to curry pastes, and to add both spiciness and alluring color to Thai food. Discerning chefs and cooks love them for garnishing hot and spicy dishes, and cooking them into all manner of foods.
Thai peppers also appear in other Thai dishes and Asian cuisine including that of Myanmar, where they are known as "nga yut thee", often cooked into curries like spicy green curry, as well as in "balachuang", a common spicy relish.
Laotian cuisine incorporates similar peppers called "mak phet", which are used in pastes or stuffed and steamed to create spicy vegetable and fish dishes.
Cambodia and Vietnam have related peppers as well, featuring them in various chili pastes and sauces. They are often stir fried and essential to Thai cuisine, often added to fried rice and so many other dishes.
My Personal Experience
I have grown a few different varieties of Thai pepper in my own home garden and have had great success. They grow very easily and most plants are very productive.
These were grown in my garden. You can use other chili peppers as a substitute for Thai peppers, but I definitely encourage you to grow and cook with a variety.
They're outstanding for dehydrating and grinding into chili flakes or chili powders, and also for making hot sauce.
Try some of these recipes that love to include Thai peppers.
See also these Types of Thai Chili Peppers
About Mike
Mike is the author of "The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook" and "The Spicy Dehydrator Cookbook". He is a chili pepper enthusiast who has run Chili Pepper Madness for many years.
NOTE: This page was updated on 4/26/22 to include new photos and information. It was originally published on 10/3/13.
Watashi says
For fun, run prik kee noo through Google translate
Watashi says
Regarding prik khee nu. When I was in Thailand, I found that the bars had bowls of small red berries, much like bars in the US have popcorn. The locals would grab a handful of the berries, chew them up and wash it down with local beer (another story, there). Curious, I tried one, not even the whole thing. Imagine a cherry bomb going off in your mouth. Provided lots of entertainment to the locals...
Mike Hultquist says
Wow, amazing!
soundos says
The site is very rich in important and valuable information.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much!
Peggy Heil says
Thai pepper that's mild but supposedly the most flavorful. The first word is non...
David Clements says
Mike
Someday we need an article on the peppers and food from Guam and the islands in that area. I had lunch at work with a coworker who was from a small island around Guam and he introduced my to some incredible chilies and food. I never thought I would eat shrimp heads in Island Chilies and soy, or mangos in vinegar with Island chilis and Habaneros or smoked bacon marinated in soy and Siracha. The Thai peppers reminded me of the Tinian peppers he brought one year after his favorite Island chilies didn't produce after a typhoon.
Anyway at least one fan would like to see it!
Dave
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Dave. I would absolutely LOVE to learn more about the cuisine of Guam and include recipes here. So many amazing spicy recipes in the world I wish I could share!!
David Clements says
Here is my version of Dennis's spicy marinated smoked bacon, the only Guam recipe I unashamedly stole and made my signature dish. It's worth a try.
https://www.food.com/recipe/spicy-marinated-bacon-536089
DustyDave
michael says
Dianne.
You may have to grow them yourself. But try getting some seeds for Buena Mulata peppers. They are cayenne-shaped heirloom peppers that also provide a comparable amount of heat to the cayenne (30,000 to 50,000) (not too hot). These chilli's start purple and turn red.
Mary Kambalu says
i desperately need long Thai chilli cabscum annum seeds to grow in Malawi. any leads please?
Miguel says
Hi mike! Love the information on your website! Native New Mexican here our green chile is no joke! However banana peppers always seem to have a vinegary flavor to me while green Chile is usually earthy and robust! Keep up the good work.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Miguel. I appreciate it.
Dianne says
Hi, I have cashew chicken at a small restaurant in Bangkok when I go there for work. Their recipe includes a very deep purple pepper (some version of Thai chili) that I really like. Note: I am kind of a wimp - so I'm sure it isn't at the typical Scoville ratings although spicy to me. This restaurant is in the American Embassy where employees go to eat so likely they tone it down a bit when choosing the chilis. I would really like to buy a similar pepper here if possible. I was surprised when one the lady's I was having lunch with who is from Bangkok stated it was a Thai chili. She said they become milder when dried which made sense then why I was able to tolerate it and really liked it
It is really deep purple, very flat, shiny, and smooth (not wrinkled like typical ones), and kind of tough to chew through. I attempted to attach a picture but I guess that is not allowed here.
So of the 79 types, any recommendations for me to "copy" what I had over there? I am craving the dish and likely won't be back there until next year now.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Dianne, it's hard to say, as it is probably a local Thai chili that they dry there and use in dishes. They probably get fried into the sauce and/or ingredients for some heat/flavor, and can be tough to chew as they are still dried. You can send me a photo if you'd like via email. You can use other peppers that you find available to you locally. Not sure what is around you. Chile de Arbol (https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-types/medium-hot-chili-peppers/chile-de-arbol-chili-peppers/) is an attainable dried Mexican pepper, though fairly hot. Japones (https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-types/japones-pepper/) are good Japanese dried pods, about double jalapeno heat. You can also use fresh peppers. The typical jalapeno might be a good choice for you for heat and flavor. I'm happy to help you adapt. See my Cashew Chicken recipe here as a reference: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-recipes/chicken/sweet-and-spicy-cashew-chicken-with-peppers/
Stefanie says
Hello Mike
Loving your site!
I have a nice quantity of small Thai reds that I’m anxious to get fermenting. Any tips on how to de-stem the little beasts?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Hi, Stefanie. Thanks. Yeah, they are small peppers and you have to destem a lot of them to get a good sized batch. I usually just slice them off with a knife.
Dan B says
These are called sili in the Philippines, where they are one of two types of chilis that seem to make up 90%+ of the market. Cheapest and readily available. They also go by the name Siling lanugo, which translates as "wild chili".
My wife is from the Bicol region, renowned in the rest of the Philippines for the heat of its cuisine. Sili is everywhere.
I grow them at our retirement home in Bicol and they are very easy to grow and very productive. Short of weeding they don't need much care.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks for the info, Dan!
Sandi Sherwood says
Hi --
I'm making a Thai chicken salad for 4 that calls for 2 shredded red chili peppers. It doesn't specify what kind. Although I have the common small red Thai peppers, I can't take a lot of heat. Do you think I should use the full amount of the ones I have or would you recommend substituting another type of pepper (available in a grocery store or an international market) -- or, alternatively, perhaps using one of my Thai peppers with a different, less fiery, kind for the second?
Thanks,
Sandi
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sandi, you can realistically use any red peppers for your recipe. It really depends on your heat tolerance. If you can't take much heat, go with milder peppers. Thai peppers can be pretty hot. You might consider something like using a red bell pepper and 1 or 2 Thai peppers to bring a touch of heat. You can always add more, as desired. Let me know if this helps. Enjoy!
christopher says
Hello there,
American born Thai person here. I just wanted to point out that “prik khee nu” literally translates to, mouse turd chili, because of its size and shape, and, is a different variety from Thai bird chili’s called “prik chee fa” which translates to, chili’s that point to the sky. Here’s a link to several commonly used varieties of chili’s in Thailand.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.foodrepublic.com/2016/08/31/hot-stuff-what-are-the-different-thai-chilis/amp/
Joe says
I grew prik che fah (I think) ...peppers pointing to the sky
Funny story...I grew them from dried peppers in my parrots food
So I had two plants and they did very well. Sadly, I had to harvest them before they turned that brilliant red
..frost was coming.
I want to use them in a carrot and garlic based hot sauce but not sure what heat level I am working with. I have not tested them yet.
I was researching them and found your site.
Any suggestions?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Joe. These would make a great hot sauce, but yes, some heat levels can vary. Try this sauce, which can be adapted to your peppers. I think it is what you are looking for: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/devils-tongue-hot-sauce/. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Sean P. Riley says
I'm living in Chiang Mai, Thailand and while there is of course a veritable cornucopia of chilies happening here (and I DO love all of them) I'm finding myself missing some of the blander things found in California. I regularly bought Huy Fong Foods Sambal Oelek chili sauce for using in my regular cooking. Loved it because it was flavorful and not really hot but had enough to enhance the flavor of the dish I was preparing, keeping it from being bland without blasting my tastebuds out!
So my question is, I want to try and recreate that style of chili sauce. Thai peppers are notorious for being ample hot to put it mildly (hah, now there's an oxymoron!) so what in your expert opinion should I be seeking out here in Thailand to use for doing a knockoff of the Huy Fong Sambal Oelek?
Thanks,
Sean
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sean, I wish I had a definitive answer for you, but as there are so many different types of Thai peppers available to you, I think the smartest thing you can do is ask around with the locals. I'm sure someone can recommend some peppers that are at a heat level you prefer. Or, acquire some and give them a taste to test them out. I have a recipe for homemade sambal oelek, so that might help as well. Curious to know what you find up finding and using. https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-recipes/sauces/sambal-oelek-recipe/
Don Morey says
Hi Mike, your site is Awesome. The recipes, the information about peppers and just the whole content of your site is a must read and I look forward to your weekly post. As far as my favorite spicy recipe goes, I like them all. The hotter the better. I’m looking forward to cooking up a pot of your Spicy Turkey Chili. I have Carolina Reapers that are fresh out of our garden that are just waiting to jump into the pot. Thanks for ALL of the great info on your site. Be well, Don
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks so much, Don! I appreciate the kind words. Take care.
Amy says
Great website. Just graduating from pickles and Jalapeño relish to hot sauce. My birds eye peppers are very prolific. As I pick them I find that it’s hard to only get the red ones and a lot of green come with.
Can I use the green ones or no? Will they eventually ripen off the plant or no?
Thanks!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Amy, yes, you can use the green peppers for hot sauce. It will affect the final color a bit, as well as flavor, as they're more "green" or vegetal, but some people prefer that. It won't be as pronounced if using a mix of green and ripe peppers. Let me know how it turns out for you. Also, you can leave them on a windowsill in the sun for a couple days and they will continue to ripen.
coolboi says
Yes,You can use the green ones in foods as well as the red ones
There are very spicy. I had firsthand ex.
Mario Duenas says
I have a plant that was sold to me as a Thai Dragon Chili, but in doing some research I’ve found that it does not resemble a Thai dragon plant at all. The peppers it produces are about 3-4” long and tend to curl and twist, they don’t seem to want to turn red, and instead just settle between dark green and red before beginning to dry on the plant. They don’t grow in upright bunches like the Thai dragon does, but rather produce 1-3 hanging peppers. Finally, the plant is about 2 1/2 to 3 ft tall and looks like a little tree, rather than the shorter bush style plants I see Thai dragons turning into. Can you offer some possibilities as to what I have? I’ve harvested when the peppers are both dark green and when they’re in between green and red, and at green they seem to be quite hard, but when they start to turn they get very spongy. I’m confused!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Mario, there are so many different peppers, you could have any sort of variety. Maybe send me some pics and I can try to help identify them. Or scroll through my Chili Pepper Types Page and see if you can find anything close to what you have.
keith shoemaker says
hello,
I love chili peppers but my Thai peppers look horrible. my suspicion is when i bought them as plants at Walmart, they had already been forced to flower. They have been in Re-Veg mode for months. I am getting ready to acquire the items necessary to do a good germination setup, but i want to find some very good genetics to start with in my project. Can you recommend a vendor with quality Thai Chili seeds. a cayenne pepper crossed with a thai chili would be a nice cross to have, as well as, the several different varieties you discussed with another poster.
let me know if you can help. I live in Southeast Florida in Broward County
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Keith, check my Chili Pepper Seeds and Plants resources page for more some places you can check. Let me know if you find anything.
Jman says
How to know which "thai chili" we are getting? Many seeds packets just say "thai chili" or "thai red chili" and then you have to wait for the peppers to grow for the surprise as to which kind you're getting. I prefer to grow the 2-3" variety which is a bit cooler than my current batch of the little stubby fireballs. Any way to specifically find out which variety is being sold as "thai red chili"? Biological name maybe?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Jman, the only way to know is to ask the seller. I know it's frustrating when you don't know what you've planted. You might check with an online resource who sells the exact seeds you want rather then some generic packet. Check out my Chili Pepper Seeds Resources Page.
Kirstie says
Hi Mike, I have a Thai chilli plant thats on fire, I cant give them away quick enough. I thought about making some chilli chocolate bark but oerhaps these little guys will be too hot. I was thinking perhpas some Chilli Oil. Do you have any great suggestions for this??? A lot of the chillis are starting to dry and shrivel up although im still using them..
Thanks
Mike Hultquist | Chili Pepper Madness says
Hi, Kristie. Yes, MANY suggestions. First, check this page for preserving ideas: How to Preserve Chili Peppers. Or this page: Preserving Chili Peppers. You can easily freeze some, though I LOVE drying them out and grinding them up for chili flakes and powders. Chili oil is another great suggestion. You can use up a LOT of them with the above. Let me know if you need more ideas.
john says
great stuff mike
Valerie Langford says
I have been trying to buy Thai yellow chili sauce and have given up and want to make it myself. It is a golden sauce, it is not hot. Now I am not sure what peppers to grow...any suggestions and growing tips would be much appreciated.
REPLY: Valerie, there are yellow and orange Thai peppers out there. Do a search for them for seed resources. Here's a link to the orange variety: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-types/medium-hot-chili-peppers/orange-thai-chili-pepper -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Erin says
None of the stores near me carry the red Thai chili peppers. What is a similar type of pepper? Is habenero close? It's for a soup. Thanks for any help!
REPLY: Erin, you can try cayenne peppers, or any hotter red chili. Habaneros can work, though be ready for the extra heat. Serranos can work in a pinch, as they are more common, though the color difference will affect the final presentation. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Steven.Hetletvedt says
I have a batch of Thai Chili Peppers. They are Green and Beautiful. how long does it take for them to start to turn red in order to make the foods I eat much better. Please advise.
Steven
REPLY: Stephen, Thai peppers typically take about 80 days to mature. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.