Jalapeño VS. Chipotle - Westlandpeppers (2025)

FAQs

Jalapeño VS. Chipotle - Westlandpeppers? ›

To produce chipotle peppers, jalapeño peppers are smoked for days and dried. The way in which the peppers are dried will determine how the product is sold. Jalapeño peppers that aren't dried as long are known as morita peppers. Morita peppers are deep red in color and bring a fruity, gentle flavor to dishes.

To put it simply, a chipotle pepper is a jalapeño that has been left on the vine to ripen until red, and is then smoked and dried. Believe it or not, the word “Chipotle” isn't just a name for a restaurant.

Great Substitute for Chipotle Peppers: Ancho Chilis

These dried and ground Mexican poblano peppers pack smoky flavors with a little heat. Ancho chilis also have a sweet undertone, bringing a new flair to any dish.

There's no real substitute, but chipotle peppers are jalapeños that are dried and smoked, so you could use jalapeño pepper and add a little bit of liquid smoke. Since the chipotles are in adobo, you'd have to add a little bit of tomato sauce and maybe just a splash of vinegar, as well.

What Do Chipotle Peppers Taste Like? Chipotles range in heat from 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville units, making them much hotter than ancho chiles (1,000–1,500 SHU) but milder than tiny red chiles de árbol (15,000–30,000 SHU).

The freshly-harvested chiles are then slowly smoked over mesquite wood for hours, even days. This slow process draws out any remaining moisture (concentrating their flavor and improving shelf life), and imparts that decadent smoky flavor that chipotles are renowned for.

Poblano peppers are milder than jalapeño peppers. As we've established, poblanos tend to top out around 2,000 heat units on the Scoville scale. On the other hand, jalapeño peppers can range from 2,500 to 8,000 heat units, which means that the mildest jalapeño is comparable to the spiciest poblano.

Simply stated, a chipotle pepper is a dry-smoked jalapeno pepper. Chipotle peppers are most commonly made from fully-ripened deep red jalapeno peppers. The jalapenos fully ripen on the plant as long as possible before they are harvested for smoking. Chipotle peppers date back to the Aztecs.

Cayenne pepper comes in robust flakes or a finely ground powder. Cayenne is a spicy chipotle powder substitute for any dish lacking heat. Because cayenne is spicier, use half the amount you would when substituting for chipotle powder.

Chipotle peppers are smoke dried jalapeños. Essential to Mexican cuisine and Mexican-inspired foods, add to chili, salsas, soups, stews, rubs and marinades. Also adds smoky heat to chocolate.

Can you eat chipotle peppers in adobo sauce? ›

You can add puréed chipotles in adobo sauce to a heap of sauces for some extra spice and flavor. They're great thrown into a barbecue sauce you already love or into some mayo to get you to that intersection of spicy and fatty. (That's right, you can make your own chipotle mayo at home.)

Chipotles have been positively linked to a reduction of heart attacks and strokes. They reduce the presence of cholesterol and triglycerides which can both lead to life-threatening conditions. Capsaicin in the peppers widen and relax blood vessels, which can reduce blood pressure.

The jalapeño is variously named huachinango, for the ripe red jalapeño, and chile gordo (meaning "fat chili pepper") also known as cuaresmeño.

Fully ripened red jalapeno peppers are best for making chipotles. However, green jalapenos you can use, but they will take longer to smoke.

Chipotles are essential to a proper cemita and great on a mushroom and spinach torta. And they're killer with egg sandwiches, here blended into guacamole or mayo. And let's not forget about tacos; fry up some Mexican chorizo and add chipotle for an extra jolt of spice.

Chipotle peppers can vary in spiciness, but they generally have a moderate level of heat. The adobo sauce adds some additional spiciness, but it can be adjusted by adding more or less sauce based on your preference. The average heat range for chipotle peppers is around 2,500 to 8,000 SHU (The Scoville Heat Units).