Learn how to dehydrate chili peppers in a food dehydrator so you can preserve them for years, make crushed red pepper, or grind them into powders for your own special seasoning blends. Full video instructions below.
How to Dry or Dehydrate Chili Peppers
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.
Once you've dehydrated your peppers, they will last an incredibly long time, 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.
How to Dehydrate Chili Peppers - the Method
NOTE: The full instructions with measurements are listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
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 Drying Peppers
When working with hotter peppers, including superhots, it is important to wear gloves when handling peppers both in raw and dried forms. The oils can get on your skin and cause burning sensations.
Need help? How to Stop the Chili Pepper Burn On Your Skin.
Also, if making powders from dried peppers, 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. They can cause you to cough and sneeze.
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. The 1:4 ratio is usually one you can rely on.
See my post on Chili Pepper Measurement Conversions.
How to Store Dried Chili Peppers
Once your chilies 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.
How Long Do Dried Chili Peppers Last?
Dried chili peppers will last for many years when properly stored. They will begin to lose some potency after 6-12 months, but can still be used.
How to Use Dried Peppers
How do you use dried peppers? Here are several ways I used them.
- Make Chili Flakes. Simply add the dried peppers to a baggie and crush them by hand to make your own chili flakes. See my post on Homemade Chili Flakes.
- Make Chili Powders. Grind your dried peppers into powder form for sprinkling over foods or making your own unique chili powder blends.
- Make Your Own Spice Blends. Mix your fresh chili powder with other dried ingredients to make your own unique, personalized seasoning blends. See my Homemade Seasonings/Spice Blends for a few ideas.
- Make Hot Sauce. You can make hot sauce from both dried peppers and chili powder. See my post on How to Make Hot Sauce from Dried Chilies. Works great for other sauces, too.
- Pepper Grinder. Add them into a pepper grinder and use them to grind over your favorite foods, like pizza.
- Make Chili Paste. Dried peppers can be rehydrated in hot water or liquid and blended with other ingredients to make chili paste and other sauces.
Cookbook & Product Recommendations
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 enjoy spicy cooking and dehydrating, I hope you'll check out my cookbook!
- The Spicy Dehydrator Cookbook, by Mike Hultquist (affiliate link, my friends!)
Recommended Products
- COSORI Food Dehydrator (Great Dehydrator!) (Paid Link)
- Buy a Food Dehydrator
- 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.
Amazon Affiliate links, my friends! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe and instructional post, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
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 seal them in baggies or sealable containers, or use as you wish. Store them in a dark place, like your pantry, for freshness.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
This post was originally published on 10/7/2016. It has been updated to include some new information, photos, and video. 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.