Instructions for dehydrating chili peppers in a food dehydrator so you can preserve them for later use, make crushed red pepper, or grind them into powders for your own special seasoning blends.
Dehydrating chili peppers is one my favorite ways to preserve our chili pepper harvest. With so many peppers coming out of the garden, it can be difficult to keep them all, but once you start dehydrating, you start to realize you could grow so much more.
I fell in love with dehydrating so much that I wrote an entire book on the subject. Yes, I am the author of "The Spicy Dehydrator Cookbook". I hope you will check it out.
I of course greatly enjoy other methods of Preserving Chili Peppers, like pickling, freezing, making hot sauces (YES!) and more, but dehydrating peppers is something entirely different and yields outstanding results.
Once you've dehydrated your peppers, they will last an incredibly long time, and pretty much indefinitely if you keep them sealed in protected bags.
You can dehydrate them whole and use them for decorating purposes, or seal them and grind them up as needed. Keeping them whole will keep their overall heat and flavor longer, as the heat does tend to fade over time.
I personally like to slice thinner peppers in half and thicker peppers into rings before dehydrating them. Smaller ones can be kept whole, but the more surface area you have to dehydrate, the quicker the process will take.
Uses for Dried Peppers
How do you use a whole dried pepper? One way is to stuff them into a pepper grinder and use them to grind over your favorite foods.
You will have to break them up a bit to fit, but it works great. I keep a grinder handy with 7-Pots or other superhot chili peppers that I can grind over pizzas or whatever else I want to heat up.
They will last quite a long time this way. Think of them as your own version of crushed red peppers.
Speaking of crushed red peppers, you can also add the whole pods to a baggie and crush them up by hand, then pour them into a crushed pepper or other container to sprinkle over foods.
Most people think of pizza for crushed red peppers, but truly, this stuff can go over anything.
Another option is to rehydrate your peppers and use them to make sauces, hot sauces, or simply to season your food as you would use any other chili pepper. Here is a link for How to Rehydrate Dried Chili Peppers.
In general, it is as simple as letting them soak in very hot water until they are soft enough to work with. I have made many, many chili pastes this way, as well as a number of hot sauces, which always turn out great.
My favoriteuse by far, however, is grinding the peppers down into powders for use in making my own special chili pepper and other seasoning blends.
Once your peppers are dried, use a food processor or a grinder to grind them up as finely as you can. This is the grinder I use, which you can see in the video below: Magic Bullet MBR-1701 17-Piece Express Mixing Set
(affiliate link).
It works GREAT.
If you're going to process your dried peppers this way, you may need a mask to keep the dusty powder away from your nose, or do it in a well ventilated area.
After grinding, sift it through a fine mesh sieve to remove larger particles. Now you are free to mix your freshly made chili powders with other seasonings, such as garlic powder, dried herbs, salt and more.
Check out our section on Homemade Seasonings/Spice Blends for a few ideas. I'm making another homemade Cajun blend soon for everyday cooking.
I've included a video with basic steps below, but here is a list for dehydrating peppers you can follow. It's actually quite easy.
How to Dehydrate Chili Peppers
Wash and dry your chili peppers. Choose only fresh peppers. If they show any signs of rotting, throw them away.
Wearing gloves, remove the stems and slice the thicker peppers into rings and thinner peppers in half. Leave them whole if you prefer, but they will take much longer to dehydrate.
The gloves are important when working with peppers because the oils from the peppers can burn your skin, and the pain can linger. Need help? How to Stop the Chili Pepper Burn On Your Skin.
Place the peppers on the trays of the dehydrator. Spread them out evenly so the heat can distribute properly.
Turn on the dehydrator at 135-140 degrees F, or whatever setting your dehydrator recommends.
Drying Tip
I like to place my dehydrator in the garage because it will release fumes over time and you will notice the odor. Let the dehydrator sit anywhere from 5 hours to overnight.
It will very likely take longer than 5 hours, but much depends on the thickness of the pepper walls and how many peppers you're working with.
I personally turn mine on when I go to bed and check it in the morning. The peppers are usually dried by morning, but if not, just leave them in longer until they are dried.
Safety Advice
When working with hotter peppers, including superhots, it is important to wear gloves when handling the peppers both in raw and dried forms. The oils can get on your skin and cause burning sensations. See above.
Need help? How to Stop the Chili Pepper Burn On Your Skin.
Also, the powders are quite fine and may get into the air if you are not working in a well ventilated room, so you may want to wear a mask and goggles. Superhot chili peppers, truly, are called superhots for a reason.
Yield
1 pound of fresh chili peppers will yield about 4 ounces of dried chili pepper pods.
How to Store Dried Chili Peppers
Once they are dried, remove and store them in baggies or containers, or use as you wish. Keep them in a dark place, like your pantry, for freshness.
These are the products that I use to dehydrate chili peppers and make blends, and I personally recommend them. They are affiliate links - just an FYI. If you use them, let me know if you have any questions and I can help. Email me anytime.
How to Dehydrate Chili Peppers - Recipe Method
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh chili peppers
Instructions
- Wash and dry your chili peppers. Choose only fresh peppers. If they show any signs of rotting, throw them away.
- Wearing gloves, remove the stems and slice the thicker peppers into rings and thinner peppers in half. Leave them whole if you prefer, but they will take much longer to dehydrate. The gloves are important when working with peppers because the oils from the peppers can burn your skin, and the pain can linger. Need help? How to Stop the Chili Pepper Burn On Your Skin.
- Place the peppers on the trays of the dehydrator. Spread them out evenly so the heat can distribute properly.
- Turn on the dehydrator at 135-140 degrees F, or whatever setting your dehydrator recommends.
- Once they are dried, remove and store them in baggies or containes, or use as you wish. Keep them in a dark place, like your pantry, for freshness.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Mike's Recommended Products
- Excalibur Dehydrator - I use mine all the time. They make excellent dehydrators.
- Nesco Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator FD-75A
- For Dehydrating peppers and other foods. - Magic Bullet MBR-1701 17-Piece Express Mixing Set - For Grinding down the peppers for powders.
- The Spicy Dehydrator Cookbook - My cookbook. Check it out!
- For Dehydrating peppers and other foods.Other Resources
- How to Dehydrate Chili Peppers and Make Chili Powders and Blends - A longer video by me, or watch the shorter one below
- Preserving Chili Peppers
This post was originally published on 10/7/2016. It has been updated to include some new information and photos. Enjoy!
Melynda S Zeek says
Do you have the instructions to do this in an oven please? I do not have a food dehydrator. thank you
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Melynda, the best way is to dry them per the dehydrator recipe, but use baking sheets and keep the oven as low a temp as you can go. Most don't go as low as the dehydrator, so you can keep the oven cracked for reduced heat and air flow. Too much heat will cook the peppers, so keep an eye on them.
Stephen says
Great help. I just got into growing last year and got a cayenne seedling to make crushed red pepper for pizza and pasta. As I type this I got my entire cayenne harvest, a ghost, a peach ghost, a hab, and a reaper dehydrating to make a crushed pepper blend.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Glad to be helpful, Stephen!
Lynn Huntley says
Love your site and ideas. Can you dry the plant leaves? We just pulled all our plants (frost hit them) and was looking at all the beautiful leaves. Left them on the lawn for the deer.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Lynn, you can dehydrate plant leaves. They will crumble and disintegrate.
Nik Sutton says
I've just put on a nice mixed batch of, Habaneros, Trinidad Scorpions, Komono Dragons and Carolina Reapers. This is definitely not an indoor mix, so it's off out to the shed! I can't wait until it's ready tomorrow 😉
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Yes, good idea to do this outside. I usually dehydrate in my garage. Enjoy!
Cindy Kolan says
I'm new to dehydrating and have to look up the process for everything I do. This was by far the most detailed and informative site I've come across. Thank you!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Cindy! Glad to be helpful.
Peter Schulte says
When you dry peppers for grinding/powder--do you dry it until brittle, or leathery like a Mexican guajillo for example, before grinding?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Peter, yes, get them as dry as possible for grinding. Any softer peppers won't break down as much. Good luck!
Sonny says
I dehydrated some superhot beasts & Trinidad Scorpions. I have put in a mason jar. Dehydrated them for 16 hours ground to powder do I have to store in freezer or can I just store in my spice cabinet? I have over 8 ounces and do not want to loose them from bad storage. Really do not think I will use all the seasoning in a 12 month period. Would appreciate your expertise knowledge and wisdom. Thank-you.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sonny, you can keep it in your pantry, or in a cool, dry place. You can freeze some to keep it fresher longer. I've had some spices longer.
LBinTX says
So one pound of fresh chiles results in 4 ounces of dried. How much ground powder does that equal? It's Hatch season and I'd love to make some Hatch chile powder but don't want to end up with something like 1 Tablespoon. I want to have plenty to put on everything!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
It is about 1 ounce powder. Enjoy!
Dave Robertson says
Hi Michael, I have been dehydrating chili peppers for years using a little electric smoker I have. I use all types of Chilis from Jalapenos to Armageddons and them together. I mix it with toasted allspice, Szechuan peppercorns, cumin seeds. I grind it up and jar it. I put that stuff on everything!!!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent, Dave! It's so great, isn't it? I love it. Thanks for sharing!
Kevin Hanson says
I've heard that when dehydrating larger whole peppers to puncture the whole pepper with a knife in several places to allow for air and heat circulation for a more even drying. I'm just a novice but it seems to make sense. Thanks. Just thought I'd put that out there. - Kevin
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Kevin, absolutely. You can do it that way. It just might take longer to dry, but totally doable.
Winnie says
Hi! You recipe sounds excellent! I was wondering if I can use green and yellow chilli, also can I use ones that are frozen previously? I have about 100 of those in the freezer at the moment and the other half started making every curry with chilli powder rather than chilli these days....
Thanks!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Hi, Winnie. You can dehydrate any chili peppers, regardless of color. So yes, you can dehydrate those. Also, yes, you can dry peppers that were frozen. They may take longer, but they will dehydrate. Let me know how it turns out for you. Enjoy!
Winnie says
Thank you Michael! I might try this this week! How do you know if they are probably dehydrated, if they were previously frozen? Thank you!
Winnie
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Winnie, they will be somewhat brittle and you won't feel or see any moisture at all, even if they were previously frozen.
Keith Holton Jr says
Can dehydrated Peppers be canned I have a gallon bag of dehydrated peppers and I'm worried they're going to go bad before I can eat them all
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Keith, dehydrated food is essentially preserved, as all moisture is removed from it. It doesn't need to be canned, but does need to be sealed in airtight containers or bags and kept in a cool, dark place, like a pantry. It will last years this way.
Erik R. says
Hi,
I store my dehydrated peppers in clear jars with gaskets on a rack in my kitchen. They've been fine since last fall. Still spicy as heck. (Smoked ghost peppers for fun).
Is there any reason to be concerned about mold or anything that could make us sick? Have I stored them wrong? They seem perfect still.
Thanks!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Hey, Erik. As long as they are properly sealed and sufficiently dried, they should be fine. You run more of a risk if there is still any moisture left with the peppers. If they are completely dried from the smoking process, they'll last for years, though they can lose potency after a while.
Michael says
Excellent thank you. I hope I didn't miss it, but have you every done this with poblanos to make dried ancho chile peppers? I use these a lot making my own chili powder, various Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes. My garden produced an abundance of poblano this year, so I am "blessed". Thank you.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Michael! Oh yes, I love making my own ancho powder at home. So great when it is freshly ground! You are truly blessed!
Aaron says
I've read on a hot pepper forum that your not supposed to go above 115 when dehydrating peppers or you will lose flavor.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Aaron, no, check the documentation that came with your dehydrator. I don't notice any flavor issues at all from dehydrating above those temperatures. If you dehydrate at too low a temp, you run the risk of contamination.
Mark Akins says
Hi Mike,
Thanks for posting this. I’ve seen on a number of sites where they blanch the peppers before dehydrating them, but you don’t. Have you ever blanched them first?
Take care,
Mark
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Hello, Mark. No, blanching isn't necessary. Blanching softens up the peppers, but after dehydrating, the results are the exact same. No moisture remains.
Leticia Lopez says
My dad and I are drying our peppers on the table and he has this food dehydrator! I asked him why?!? You have a dehydrator and your using up half of your table to do this! He said that he doesn’t like the aroma. Then I said, “ well put it in the garage”. He said, “ no because we live in Minnesota”. I’m not quite understanding why he thinks it doesn’t work, but does anyone here have experience with this in a colder state?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Leticia, you can place the dehydrator outside, but yes, temperatures can be an issue, and yes, you will get the aroma of peppers in the air when using a dehydrator.
John says
Do you find that dehydrating with heat vs. air-dried cooks the flesh a bit resulting in a loss of flavor? I feel like mine start tasting closer to green peppers than their natural flavor.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
John, I'm actually discussing a topic like this in a chili pepper group, regarding heat and how it could affect the pods. I typically dry my pods between 125-135 F (51-55 C), though I have gone higher temps, up to 140 F. I didn't notice any flavor loss, though it may depend on what peppers you are starting with, and whether or not you are seeding them or not before drying.
Jerry Blandfordding says
Mike, I was born near the Mexican border 76 years ago and one of my favorite activities was riding the school bus watching the Mexican people utilizing the world's simplist method of dehydrating chile. It was great feeling the cool fall air, seeing feed shocks in the fields, pumpkins everywhere and every Mexican roof covered with green chile. It was beautiful watching the green turn fantastic shades of pink, yellow and finally red as they reached maturity and started to dehydrate.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
That sounds fantastic. Wish I could see that. Gorgeous, I'm sure.
Jerry blandford says
Mike In the past I canned Serranos,diced carrots, onions, and cauliflower together and everything picked up Heat from the Serranos. I had a new Yankee brother-in-law who thought even Kale was picoso. On day at a family lunch a vegetable salad was passed around the table followed by a dish of my Serrano/carrot mix. For a prank I slipped one of the hot carrots onto his veggie salad. In a short time he screamed at his wife "what did you do the salad?" She yelled back and the fight started. For once chiles made me keep my mouth shut.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Haha, great story, Jerry! I love it.
Theresa518 says
I have only been dehydrating for a few weeks but it is so fantastic! I moved it to the garage because of the "aroma" so now our garage smells like a medical marijuana dispensary for the first few hours of dehydrating the hot paper lanterns and thai chili. Sorry neighbors!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
That's GREAT, Theresa. Yep, I do much of mine in the garage for the same reason. LOL. Enjoy.
Laura says
After reading a few different articles on what I can do with all the extra peppers I will have, I feel more at ease about not having to waste any. I will definitely be attempting spice. Question: Do I leave all the seeds to be included in the grinding process?
REPLY: Thanks, Laura. You can leave the seeds in, but many people remove them before use, depending on the recipe and application. If dehydrating, they will mostly fall out anyway. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
jeff palmer - from greenfield Wis says
I just learned a new way to do this - you cut up any chili you have in rings or bits. Then you put them into the microwave on warm for at least 15mins (level power dependent). It makes the kitchen smell wonderful - habs are my fav to do with this with. I used to use the oven but they got done too well (I know operator error). The comes the spice grinder - love this article
Jeff
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome, Jeff. Thanks!
Django says
Hi, is it not possible to dehydrate in a conventional oven?
REPLY: Django, yes, you can also dry in an oven with low heat. I have a page on drying with information about using an oven in the Preserving section. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Leo Lessard says
Hi, I dehydrate all the time. Your steps are basically what I follow but I don't cut into rings as they will diminish in size quite a bit. I use the large spice plastic jars to store the powder. I have 5 of them: Serrano (loses its smoky flavor but the heat is still there), Jalapeno (keeps the jalapeno flavor and heat), Tabasco (extremely smoky flavored and very hot), Thai (nice flavor and extra hot) and Very Hot (all other peppers go in here from Tepin, Pequin, Douglah 7-pot, Habaneros, Scorpions, Cayenne etc.) Grinding is no problem, it is when you lift the lid off the grinder and release a bit of the powder into the air. After awhile, you will feel it on your face and arms. Pouring into a bag or into the spice jars with a funnel just adds more to the air. Careful - it will get ya..
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sounds great, Leo. Thanks for sharing your methods.