Thai chili substitute

Planning to make a Thai dish and looking for Thai chili substitutes? This post is specially created for you. 

This guide for Thai chili pepper substitutes has everything you need to know about Thai chili peppers. Its heat intensity, taste, and flavor. It also assists you in choosing the possible replacements for Thai chili depending on your preference and availability.

Learning more about Thai chili would give me more freedom to customize a recipe without altering the authenticity of a dish.

What is Thai pepper?

Thai pepper is a generic term that refers to hot chili peppers that originated from Thailand. Specifically, there are more than 70 chili pepper varieties(varying in heat level from mild to super hot) that belong to this region.

Generally, in the United States, the Thai chili pepper variety usually denotes the small hot chili pepper type, which is small in size, with thin meat. 

In this type, the seeds are clustered closely and occupy most of the interior. It has concentrated heat and subtle flavors compared to the Green bell peppers.

What does Thai pepper taste like?

These Thai chili peppers provide a depth of heat and mild flavors that do not alter their co-ingredient natural flavor. 

What are Thai chili substitutes?

We all know replicating the dish with the right ingredients is a half success. 

Selecting the proper substitute depends on the preferred personal preference, the availability, and the choice of preserving the heat or the color. All the factors are considered to provide you with a list of Thai chili substitutes.

Let’s learn the tips and tricks to create a dish with its close substitute as much as possible.

Indian green chili. It's one of my top picks for substituting Thai peppers. These are closest to the flavors and the heat. These are available in your local Indian store.

Serrano pepper. Grocery store-friendly ingredients, available throughout the year. This has similar flavors, but serrano peppers have a lower heat profile than Thai peppers. 

Add up cayenne pepper or red chili flakes.

Bell pepper. The first choice for Thai chili substitutes, because of its easy accessibility. But note that bell peppers give the dish a peppery flavor without heat. Hence, this works well when you want to keep the heat low. 

Then, how to substitute? Thai chili pepper is not advisable to be replaced with green bell pepper with the same numbers, because both highly vary in heat and flavor. 

If a recipe calls for 2 Thai chili peppers, you may substitute with a tablespoon of finely chopped bell peppers to match the mild Thai chili flavors. 

If you want to add a bit of heat, you may add crushed red pepper on top of green bell pepper. 

Jalapeno. Jalapeño and the Thai chili pepper vary in flavor and heat. You may use this as a Thai chili substitute for its taste. And you may add the heat with cayenne pepper or use habanero seeds.

Crushed red pepper flakes. Suppose you are thinking of an ingredient to add up the heat. This works. 

Long green chili pepper. Moderately hot, similar to Thai chili pepper meat.  

Anaheim pepper. These are low in heat, with sharp flavors, making them suitable for any dish. If you plan a mildly hot dish, this works perfectly as a perfect Thai chili substitute.

Cayenne pepper. If you are searching to match the heat of green chili, ground cayenne pepper is the ideal option. Here, note that ground cayenne pepper has a distinct flavor entirely different from the fresh green chilies.

Paprika. Add excellent heat, but it may make the dish look luscious red. For the authentic pepper flavors, add some fresh peppers of your choice. 

Habanero. This hot pepper is one of the super hot substitutes for Thai chili. But add them as half the quantity, as it could potentially increase the dish's heat.

Red chili powder. It's good to spice up the dish, but be aware that this works well on dishes that look red.