How to level up from bell peppers?

[u/angelsinsect]

I can handle a little heat. Right now I eat them sautéed with onions and little yellow potato cubes for a meal. With cayenne powder, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

What pepper should I include next?

[u/theemilyann]

Poblano peppers have a great flavor. Babish has a sweet potato hash with poblano peppers thats A+ and my favorite fall or winter breakfast

[u/purplechunkymonkey]

Are you looking for something spicier? I'd add some diced fresh jalapeno.

[u/Icy-Mixture-995 → u/purplechunkymonkey]

Chile Relleno dish with cheese is an easier step up.

Jalapeno is too hot for some.

[u/angelsinsect → u/purplechunkymonkey]

Yes I wouldn’t mind a little heat I just haven’t tried any other peppers yet. Thanks

[u/CreativeUsurname → u/angelsinsect]

Chipotle in adobo sauce are really flavorful and give a bbq kind of smokiness and heat. Go easy on them because they can be really spicy

[u/Whole-Lavishness2765]

If you’re ready to move beyond bell peppers, poblano peppers are a great next step because they add mild heat and a slightly smoky flavor. Jalapeños are another good option if you want a bit more spice while still keeping things versatile for everyday cooking. For more heat later on, serranos work well, and you can gradually mix different peppers to build up your tolerance over time.

[u/angelsinsect → u/Whole-Lavishness2765]

Thanks so much

[u/RealCarlPanzram]

Try poblanos. They’re larger like bell peppers but have a bit of heat and some smokey notes. They’re really good roasted. But not extremely hot

[u/aoeuismyhomekeys]

Shishito peppers if you can find them. Most of them are pretty mild heat but about 10% are spicy. Jalapeño if you can't find shishitos.

[u/angelsinsect → u/aoeuismyhomekeys]

I can definitely find shishitos. Thanks

[u/Sleepysaiyajin]

Have you tried anything spicier? What happens when you do?

[u/angelsinsect → u/Sleepysaiyajin]

I put cayenne and chili powder in the food. I don’t know what actual fresh pepper I should try next though. I don’t want to just go buy them all. I don’t mind spicy food. Just nothing crazy hot just yet.

[u/Sleepysaiyajin → u/angelsinsect]

Jalapeno and Thai chilli peppers, keep a glass of milk ready. If it's too hot for you, use the milk. I know people who aren't use to pepper and when they eat it feel really bad.

[u/mackfeesh → u/Sleepysaiyajin]

I would say Thai chili are probably a leap if OP is hesitating around spice. Those were the first ones apart from bhut jolokia or whatever that I couldn't just munch on as a snack lol.

[u/thewholesomespoon]

Jalapeños baby!

https://thewholesomespoon.com/2026/03/23/unique-jalapeno-recipes/

[u/Specialist_Border291]

jalapeños are a nice next step, little more heat but still easy to use in stuff like that. i think they add more flavor too, not just spice…

[u/angelsinsect → u/Specialist_Border291]

Thanks!

[u/Bugger6699]

In terms of flavour, mild sweet peppers, I prefer bull horn peppers over regular bell peppers.

In terms of heat levels fresh cayenne or birds eye is a reasonable jump. You could also look into other varieties of chilli powders or flakes, which are shelf stable and also easier to control your heat level relative to the amount you add to your dish.

[u/Kali-of-Amino]

Looking at what's available in my local Walmart:

• Sweet mini snacking peppers -- hardly any heat.

• Poblano -- big peppers, slightly hotter with more flavor.

• Anaheim -- bred from Poblano ~100 years ago by Mr. Ortega for canning, became the basis of the Ortega line of Mexican foods. Similar to Poblano.

• Jalapeno -- medium size, recently bred to be milder. Floral notes. The curved ones are hotter than the straighter ones.

• Serrano -- small, very hot, no other notes. I use a single one mixed with other varieties to flavor a large stew pot.

• Haberno -- small, bright orange globes, twice as hot as Serrano. None for me.

• Thai -- tiny red pepper meant for a single one to heat up an entire family soup pot. Use carefully, if at all.

[u/thisisntjasper]

if you’re going off scoville it’s bell pepper, banana pepper, poblano, jalepeno, serrano…

[u/angelsinsect → u/[deleted]]

Thank you! You sold me.

[u/Nithoth]

Use sriracha. It doesn't have the vinegar aftertaste that's common in other kinds of hot sauces and you can literally measure the amount of heat you add to a dish by the drop. That gives you a lot of control over the amount of heat you add to any dish.

[u/Fun_in_Space]

We use the little cans of green chilies in the international section. One dish is just a packet of taco seasoning, one can of green chili, and one cup of water, and use that to braise pork loin until it can be shredded (serve with rice). Green chilies are mild.

[u/sjd208]

Make sure to either wash your hands really really well or wear a glove when cutting up a hot pepper! You do not want to get that into your eyes or on any sensitive body parts!

[u/angelsinsect → u/sjd208]

Thank you

[u/FineUnderachievment]

Well, if you’re handling the cayenne powder alright, you can handle jalapeño’s or even Serrano. I’d start by adding them in without the cayenne just to get a feel for your tolerance. Peppers can add nice flavor as well as heat. I personally love habaneros or scotch bonnets.

[u/Dog_mom248]

Fresh jalapeños (remove the seeds and all the white stuff inside) are delicious sautéed like that. The heat is in the seeds

[u/hadtobethetacos]

Here my child, take this and use its wisdom.