Serrano Chiles [Peppers] (2024)

Serrano chiles [Pronounced say RON oh] are fresh green chiles typically used to add flavor and heat to salsas and other dishes. It has a bright, sharp taste and is quite hot. Serrano chiles appear in so many dishes it’s hard to imagine Mexican cuisine without them.

Serrano chiles looklike skinny mini jalapeño chiles and measure about 1 ½ inches to 2 inches long. As serranos ripen they turn orange and then red.

How to Use

Serrano chiles are used in an infinite number of dishes. You don’t need to peel serrano the chiles to use them. Remove the stems. Removing the seeds and veins will reduce the heat but is not necessary. The seeds are edible. You can substitute jalapeños in recipes that call for serranos just a bit more because jalapeños aren’t as hot.

How Hot are Serrano Peppers?

On the Scoville heat units scale which ranks the heat of chile peppers, serrano chiles register between 10,000 to 23,000 Scoville heat units. For a comparison, jalapeño chiles register between 3,500 and 8,000 Scoville heat units.

Other Names

Serrano chiles are also known as serrano peppers and serrano chilis.

Recipes That Use Serrano Peppers

• Classic Mexican Salsa
• Black Bean Soup Recipe
• Salsa Molcajeteada
• Machaca con Huevo

More Fresh Chiles

• Poblano Chiles

More Chiles