Pepper Types Pictures: Visual Guide to 25+ Varieties

Discover 25+ common pepper types with clear identification pictures, heat levels (Scoville scale), and culinary uses. Bell peppers, jalapeños, habaneros, and super-hots like Carolina Reaper each have unique characteristics for cooking, gardening, and heat preference.

Peppers offer an incredible diversity of flavors, colors, and heat levels that can transform any dish. Understanding the different varieties helps home cooks and gardeners make informed choices for recipes and cultivation. This comprehensive visual guide covers the most common pepper types you'll encounter, complete with identification features and practical usage tips.

Understanding Pepper Classification Systems

Peppers belong to the Capsicum genus and are categorized primarily by species, heat level, and physical characteristics. The Scoville scale measures capsaicin concentration, which determines heat intensity from zero (bell peppers) to over 2 million units (Carolina Reaper). Most culinary peppers fall into five species categories, with Capsicum annuum containing the widest variety of common peppers.

Complete Pepper Types Visual Reference

Identifying peppers requires examining shape, color, size, and texture. This guide organizes peppers from mildest to hottest, with key identification features for each variety.

Pepper Type	Scoville Units	Appearance	Common Uses
Bell Pepper (all colors)	0 SHU	Blocky shape, thick walls, available in green, red, yellow, orange, purple	Raw in salads, stuffed peppers, stir-fries, roasted vegetables
Pepperoncini	100-500 SHU	Yellow-green, wrinkled skin, curved shape	Pickled appetizers, Greek salads, sandwiches
Poblano	1,000-2,000 SHU	Large, dark green, heart-shaped, thick flesh	Chiles Rellenos, mole sauce, roasted for flavor
Jalapeño	2,500-8,000 SHU	2-3 inches long, smooth green skin turning red when ripe	Salsa, guacamole, poppers, pickled jalapeños
Serrano	10,000-23,000 SHU	Small (1-2 inches), bright green, smooth skin, tapered shape	Fresh salsas, hot sauces, garnishes
Cayenne	30,000-50,000 SHU	Long (4-6 inches), slender, tapered, red when mature	Dried and powdered, hot sauces, Cajun cuisine
Habanero	100,000-350,000 SHU	Small lantern-shaped, thin walls, orange or red when ripe	Caribbean hot sauces, marinades, extreme heat applications
Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia)	855,000-1,041,427 SHU	Reddish-brown, wrinkled skin, pointed shape	Competitive eating, extreme hot sauces, novelty items
Carolina Reaper	1,400,000-2,200,000 SHU	Bumpy texture, red color, small stinger-like tail	World's hottest sauces, extreme culinary challenges

Bell Peppers: The Colorful Mild Varieties

Bell peppers represent the only completely non-spicy members of the pepper family. Their color indicates ripeness rather than variety—green bells are unripe, while red, yellow, and orange versions have been allowed to mature longer on the plant. Purple and chocolate varieties exist but are less common. As bell peppers ripen, their sugar content increases, making red bells the sweetest. All colors work well raw in salads or cooked in various dishes, though green peppers maintain their structure better during cooking.

Mild to Medium Heat Peppers for Everyday Cooking

Poblano peppers serve as the workhorses of Mexican cuisine, especially when dried and called ancho chilies. Their thick walls make them ideal for stuffing, and they develop a rich, earthy flavor when roasted. Jalapeños offer versatile heat that most palates can handle, while serranos provide a cleaner, brighter heat that works well in fresh preparations. When selecting mild to medium peppers, look for firm, glossy skin without wrinkles or soft spots, which indicate aging.

Hot and Super-Hot Pepper Varieties

Habaneros deliver tropical fruit notes alongside intense heat, making them popular in Caribbean and Yucatecan cooking. Their thin walls mean they cook quickly, so add them late in the cooking process to preserve flavor. Ghost peppers and Carolina Reapers belong to a different category entirely—they require careful handling (gloves recommended) and minimal usage. A single drop of reaper sauce can transform a dish, so start with tiny amounts and increase cautiously. These super-hots have gained popularity through hot sauce challenges and competitive eating events.

Practical Applications for Home Cooks

Understanding pepper types pictures helps you make better culinary decisions. Remove seeds and white membranes to reduce heat significantly, as capsaicin concentrates there. For balanced flavor in sauces, combine different pepper varieties—a habanero for fruitiness with a cayenne for clean heat. When substituting peppers in recipes, stay within the same heat category for predictable results. Remember that heat perception varies by individual, so always taste-test before serving to others.

Growing Peppers in Your Garden

Pepper plants thrive in warm conditions with consistent moisture and well-draining soil. Most varieties require 60-90 days to mature from transplanting. Start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before your last frost date. Bell peppers typically mature fastest, while super-hots like Carolina Reapers need the longest growing season. Harvest peppers when they reach full size and develop their characteristic color, though you can pick many varieties green for milder flavor. Wear gloves when handling hot peppers to avoid skin irritation.

What's the difference between red and green bell peppers?

Red bell peppers are simply mature green bells allowed to ripen fully on the plant. This extended ripening increases sugar content (making red peppers sweeter) and nutrient levels, particularly vitamin C and beta-carotene. Green peppers have a slightly more bitter, grassy flavor and maintain their shape better during cooking.

How can I reduce the heat of a pepper when cooking?

To reduce heat, remove all seeds and the white pith inside the pepper, where capsaicin concentrates. Cooking peppers can mellow their heat slightly, while adding dairy products like yogurt or sour cream counteracts capsaicin's effects. For extreme peppers, use minimal amounts—start with a tiny piece and taste before adding more.

Which pepper types are best for pickling?

Jalapeños, serranos, and banana peppers work exceptionally well for pickling. Their firm texture holds up to the vinegar solution, and their heat levels complement the tangy flavor. Small peppers like Hungarian wax or pepperoncini also pickle beautifully and make excellent additions to antipasti platters.

Why do some peppers have wrinkled skin?

Wrinkled skin typically indicates thinner-walled peppers like shishito or padrón varieties. This texture develops naturally as the pepper matures. Some hot peppers like ghost peppers also develop wrinkles when fully ripe. Wrinkles don't indicate spoilage but rather a specific variety characteristic or ripeness stage.

Can I substitute one pepper type for another in recipes?

Yes, but stay within similar heat categories. Replace jalapeños with serranos for more heat, or use poblano instead for milder flavor. For bell peppers, any color works as a substitute though sweetness varies. When substituting super-hots, exercise extreme caution—use only tiny amounts as direct replacements can make dishes inedibly hot.