What is it?

Chile peppers are members of the genusCapsicum. They contain varying levels of the substance capsaicin, which accounts for different levels of heat. Many fresh chiles are available in their green (unripe) as well as red or orange (fully ripe) forms; some chiles are only consumed as unripe or ripe.

For more information on specific chile varieties, see the ingredient profiles below:

Anaheim chiles

Bird chiles

Chiles de arbol

Habanero chiles

Jalapeño chiles

Poblano chiles

Scotch Bonnet chiles

Serrano chiles

Recipes

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  Recipe

  Multicooker Chicken Scarpariello with Rigatoni

  A classic of both Italian-American restaurants and home cooking, this sweet-and-sour dish cooks up quickly in an Instant Pot or other multicooker. The dried pasta cooks in the sauce, adding…

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  Recipe

  Duck-Pistachio Lettuce Wraps

  This colorful wrap features crunchy pistachios and cabbage, plus luscious duck confit and quick-pickled chiles. The thinly sliced chiles sit in a combination of white vinegar and sugar. You can…

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  Recipe

  Sausage and Charred Broccolini Pizza

  Charring broccolini on the grill gives it a sweetness that complements the cheese and the hot chiles. A little heavy cream adds moisture and keeps the heat in check.

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  Recipe

  Black Pepper Tofu

  Tofu’s proponents have tried to get us to see all the ways to improve its texture—freezing or pressing or boiling to rid it of spare water, broiling or roasting to…

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  Recipe

  Chinese Garlic Black-Bean Pork Fried Rice

  Salty-sweet fermented black bean sauce elevates this quick stir-fry to something extraordinary. But it's a great way to use up what you have. No carrots or cabbage in the fridge?…

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  Recipe

  Buttery Black-Eyed Pea Stew with Fried Corn Cakes

  A creamy, vegetable-rich stew with a crunchy corn cake—what could be a better match? We call these sorts of dishes complicated simplicity. They're also the essence of what we believe…

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  Recipe

  Shu Mai-Style Burgers

  There are salmon and tuna burgers, and one could easily call a crab cake a crab burger. But because they lack fat, they make nice burgers but not crunchy-crusted, drip-down-the-chin…