Hottest Peppers in the World, Ranked by Scoville Heat
Pepper X is the hottest pepper in this ranking at 2,693,000 SHU. 4,243 chili pepper varieties are ranked here by Scoville heat units, hottest first.
Ranks 1981–2000 of 4,243 · browse the full database
- =1979Honey Badger RocotoC. pubescens25,000–35,000 SHU
- =1979Black CobraC. annuum15,000–35,000 SHU
- =1983Yellow Ding DongC. annuum30,000 SHU
- =1983Criolla SellaC. baccatum25,000–30,000 SHU
- =1983Aji ApricotC. baccatum15,000–30,000 SHU
- =1983Aji Lemon BallsC. baccatum15,000–30,000 SHU
- =1983Aji Valle del CancaC. baccatum15,000–30,000 SHU
- =1983Aji White Lightning BoltC. baccatum15,000–30,000 SHU
- =1983Barker's HotC. annuum15,000–30,000 SHU
- =1983Biker BillyC. annuum15,000–30,000 SHU
- =1983Brazilian ArbolitoC. baccatum15,000–30,000 SHU
- =1983Chile de Arbol × Pimenta FrancescaC. chinense15,000–30,000 SHU
- =1983Chile de Arbol de Baja CaliforniaC. annuum15,000–30,000 SHU
- =1983Chile de Arbol PurpleC. annuum15,000–30,000 SHU
- =1983Fidalgo Roxa × Grao de BodeC. chinense15,000–30,000 SHU
- =1983Grao de BodeC. chinense15,000–30,000 SHU
- =1983Peppapeach RedC. baccatum15,000–30,000 SHU
- =1983Peppepeach RedC. baccatum15,000–30,000 SHU
- =1983Sugar Rush AmarilloC. baccatum15,000–30,000 SHU
- =1983Sugar Rush CreamC. baccatum15,000–30,000 SHU
How to read these numbers
Ranked on the upper Scoville figure held for each variety. Capsaicin content swings with the seed line, the soil, the weather and where on the plant a pod grew, and two labs testing the same harvest can return different numbers. Very few of these varieties have ever been through a certified test; most figures trace to a breeder or a seed seller rather than a laboratory.
No warranty. WikiPepper publishes these figures as reported and warranties none of them. Treat a Scoville number as a claim about one harvest, not a property of the variety, and do not rely on it for anything that matters.
A rank marked = is shared: those varieties hold the same upper figure, usually because one breeder’s published number was applied across a family, so their order on the page carries no meaning. 952 varieties have no Scoville figure recorded at all and are not ranked; they still appear in the database. Spotted a figure you can source? Tell us.