Hottest Chili Pepper in the World

Sharing is caring!

The hottest chili pepper in the world as of now is Pepper X, which was officially recognized by Guinness World Records in 2023. Developed by Ed Currie, the same breeder behind the Carolina Reaper, Pepper X averages an astonishing 2.693 million Scoville Heat Units (SHU), making it significantly hotter than its predecessor. This chili is the result of over a decade of crossbreeding, designed not only to break records but also to deliver intense heat paired with complex flavors.

The hottest chili pepper in the world was long considered the Carolina Reaper with up to 2.2 Million Scoville Heat Units. Guinness World Records declared the variety officially the hottest chili in the world in 2013 and certified the record for the hottest pepper in the world in 2017. The Carolina Reaper is also known by its breeding name HP22B and was bred by Ed Currie in Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA. With an average value of 1.5 to 2.2 million Scoville Heat Units, the Carolina Reaper surpassed its predecessor Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Butch T.

The predecessor of the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Butch T was the Naga Viper, which hold the record for the hottest chili in the world in 2011 for a few month. Previously, the Infinity Chili was the hottest chili in the world for a short period of two weeks in February 2011. From 2007 to February 2011 the Bhut Jolokia was the hottest chili in the world. This variety was the first chili pepper that reached the 1 Million Scoville Heat Units mark. The Bhut Jolokia is also known as Ghost Pepper. The world’s first record for the hottest chili is held by the Habanero Red Savina. Red Savina was unbeaten from 1994 to 2007 over a decade with 577,000 Scoville Heat Units.

🔥 Hot recommendations for you:

Last updated on November 9, 2022 at 2:09 pm - Image source: Amazon Affiliate Program. All statements without guarantee.

Official World Record Holders

In the following table you will find an overview of the officially awarded chili varieties and their scoville values. On the Scoville Scale page you will find a complete list of all types of chili peppers, sorted according to their heat level.

Year	World's Hottest Chili Pepper	Scoville Heat Units	Scoville Level	Breader
2023 - 2024	Pepper X (Crossbreed of a Carolina Reaper and what Ed mysteriously classifies as a “pepper that a friend of mine sent me from Michigan that was brutally hot”)	2,693,000 SHU	10+++	Ed Currie
2013 - 2023	Carolina Reaper	1,500,000 - 2,200,000 SHU	10+++	Ed Currie
2011 - 2013	Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Butch T	1,500,000 - 2,009,231 SHU	10+++	Butch Taylor
2011	Naga Viper	600,000 - 1,382,118 SHU	10++	Gerald Fowler
2011	Infinity Chili	500,000 - 1,067,286 SHU	10+	Nick Woods
2007 - 2011	Bhut Jolokia (Ghost Pepper)	600,000 - 1,041,427 SHU	10+	Natural variety from India
1994 - 2007	Habanero Red Savina	250,000 - 577,000 SHU	10	Frank Garcia

Looking for something else?

The History of the Hottest Pepper in the World

Habanero Red Savina

World Record Holder 1994 – 2007

Habanero Red Savina is a type of chili pepper that is widely regarded as one of the hottest peppers in the world. It was developed in the early 1990s by a man named Frank Garcia, who crossbred different types of habanero peppers to create a strain that was even hotter than the original habanero. The result was the Habanero Red Savina, which is said to have an heat rating up to 580,000 Scoville heat units (SHU).

The Habanero Red Savina is a small, round pepper that is roughly the size of a golf ball. It has a bright red color and a slightly wrinkled texture, with a shape that is similar to a lantern. The pepper has a distinct fruity flavor that is accompanied by a strong, intense heat. The heat of the Red Savina is not just hot, but it also lingers for a long time after eating, which can be a challenge for those who are not used to eating spicy foods.

Despite its intense heat, the Habanero Red Savina is a popular ingredient in many different types of cuisine, particularly in Mexican and Caribbean dishes. It is often used to add a fiery kick to salsas, sauces, marinades, and rubs, as well as in soups, stews, and chili con carne. The Red Savina can also be dried and ground into a powder, which can be used to add heat to dishes without altering their texture.

Bhut Jolokia / Ghost Pepper

World Record Holder 2007 – 2011

Bhut Jolokia, commonly known as the ghost pepper, is a type of chili pepper that originates from the Northeastern region of India. It was once recognized as the world’s hottest chili pepper, with a Scoville rating that reached over 1 million SHU (Scoville heat units).

The Bhut Jolokia was first cultivated in the Indian states of Assam, Nagaland, and Manipur. It is known by several other names in India, including Raja Mircha, Naga Jolokia, and Bhutia Pepper. The pepper plant can grow up to 4 feet in height and has a bushy appearance with small, pale green leaves. The pepper pods are long and thin, with a distinctive wrinkled surface and a bright orange or red color when mature.

The Ghost Pepper is a popular ingredient in Indian and Southeast Asian cuisine, where it is used to add heat and flavor to curries, chutneys, pickles, and spice blends. It is also used in the preparation of hot sauces and salsas, and as a seasoning for meat, fish, and vegetable dishes. Bhut Jolokia is often used in small quantities due to its intense heat, and it is recommended to wear gloves when handling the pepper to avoid skin irritation.

Infinity Chili

World Record Holder 2011

Infinity Chili is a type of chili pepper that is known for its extreme heat. It is a hybrid of several different types of chili peppers, including the Naga Morich and the Bhut Jolokia. The Infinity chili was developed by Nick Woods, a chili grower from the UK, and it was named the world’s hottest chili pepper by the Guinness World Records in 2011.

The Infinity Chili was first grown in the UK in 2010 by Nick Woods. It was the result of crossbreeding several different chili pepper plants to create a new hybrid that would be even hotter than the Bhut Jolokia, which was then recognized as the world’s hottest chili pepper. The Infinity chili has a distinctive elongated shape, with a thin skin and a bright red color when fully ripe. The pepper can grow up to 2 inches in length, and it has a Scoville rating up to 1,067,286 SHU.

Due to its extreme heat, Infinity Chili is not commonly used in everyday cooking. However, it is a popular ingredient in spicy sauces, marinades, and rubs, where it is used to add a fiery kick to meat, fish, and vegetable dishes. Infinity Chili can also be used to make homemade hot sauce or chili powder, which can be added to soups, stews, and chili con carne. It is important to use this pepper in small quantities, as too much can overpower the flavor of a dish.

Naga Viper

World Record Holder 2011

Naga Viper is a very hot chili pepper. It was developed in the UK by chili farmer Gerald Fowler, who crossbred several different types of chili peppers to create a new hybrid that would be even hotter than all other peppers known today, which was then recognized as the world’s hottest chili pepper.

The Naga Viper was first grown in the UK in 2010 by Gerald Fowler. It is also a hybrid of several different chili pepper plants, including the Naga Morich, the Bhut Jolokia, and the Trinidad Scorpion. The pepper has a distinctive wrinkled surface and a bright red color when fully ripe. It can grow up to 2 inches in length, and it has a Scoville rating with a peak of 1,382,118 SHU.

While Naga Viper’s extreme heat makes it unsuitable for everyday cooking, it is a popular choice for adding a fiery kick to meat, fish, and vegetable dishes through the use of spicy sauces, marinades, and rubs. Additionally, Naga Viper can be utilized to create homemade hot sauce or chili powder, which can be incorporated into soups, stews, and chili con carne for an added punch of heat.

Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Butch T

World Record Holder 2012

Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Butch T, also known as simply Trinidad Scorpion, is one of the hottest chili peppers in the world. It is named after the town of Moruga in Trinidad and Tobago, where it was first discovered. In this article, we will explore the history, appearance, culinary uses, health benefits, and precautions of Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Butch T.

The Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Butch T was first discovered in the mid-2000s by chili farmer Butch Taylor in the town of Moruga, Trinidad and Tobago. It quickly gained a reputation for its extreme heat and was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world’s hottest chili pepper in 2012, with a Scoville rating of 2 million SHU. This pepper has also a distinctive wrinkled surface and a bright red color when fully ripe, just like the most superhots. It can grow up to 2 inches in length, and its flavor is described as fruity with a fiery kick.

Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Butch T is a rare and incredibly hot chili pepper that is a popular ingredient in spicy sauces, marinades, and rubs. It is prized for its heat and fruity flavor, but should be used with caution due to its extreme heat. If you are a fan of spicy food and looking to add a new level of heat to your dishes, Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Butch T may be just what you need.

Carolina Reaper

World Record Holder 2013 – 2023

The Carolina Reaper is a chili pepper that has gained worldwide recognition for its extreme heat. It was created by South Carolina farmer Ed Currie in 2013, and since then, it has become one of the hottest chili peppers in the world.

Carolina Reaper (HP22B) was created by Ed Currie, who spent more than 10 years breeding chili peppers to create the perfect combination of heat and flavor. Carolina Reaper was officially recognized as the world’s hottest chili pepper by the Guinness World Records in 2013, with a Scoville rating of average 1.6 million SHU up to 2.2 million SHU. The pepper has a distinctive red, bumpy, and wrinkled appearance and is known for its extreme heat and its fruity and sweet flavor.

While it’s not typically utilized in everyday cooking, it’s a prevalent component in spicy sauces, marinades, and rubs. If you enjoy spicy cuisine and want to add an extra layer of heat to your dishes, Carolina Reaper might be exactly what you’re looking for. Nevertheless, it’s essential to use it with care and in moderation to prevent digestive problems and overpowering your dish’s flavor.

This pepper should be handled with extreme caution. Contact with the pepper or its seeds can cause skin and eye irritation, and ingesting large amounts of the pepper can cause stomach upset and digestive discomfort. It is important to wear gloves when handling Carolina Reaper, and to keep it out of reach of children and pets.

Pepper X

World Record Holder 2023 – Present (Current World Record Holder)

Pepper X is the reigning champion of extreme heat, officially recognized by Guinness World Records in 2023 as the hottest chili pepper in the world. It was developed by Ed Currie, the same farmer and breeder who created the Carolina Reaper, after over a decade of careful breeding. Pepper X boasts an average Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) rating of 2.693 million, making it significantly hotter than its predecessor.

This chili has a striking greenish-yellow color and a gnarled, wrinkled surface that mirrors its intense potency. Despite its fiery reputation, Pepper X also offers a complex flavor profile, with earthy and citrusy notes hidden beneath its extreme heat.

Due to its extraordinary spiciness, Pepper X is not commonly used in everyday cooking. Instead, it is a popular ingredient in specialty hot sauces, spice blends, and extreme heat challenges for chili enthusiasts. It is a must-try for those who seek the ultimate heat experience—but it should be used with extreme caution.

Handling Pepper X requires proper safety measures. The oils from the pepper can cause severe skin and eye irritation, and ingesting even small amounts can lead to intense burning sensations and digestive distress. Always wear gloves when handling Pepper X and keep it away from children and pets to avoid accidents.