Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (2024)

New hot peppers like Carolina Reaper, Dragon’s Breath and Pepper X are created every year. Learn which hot pepper ranks #1 in 2024 as World’s Hottest Pepper

Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (1)

Hottest Pepper

The world’s hottest pepper is constantly changing, evolving almost.

It seems every year a new pepper is either created or discovered so check back often to see new record breaking peppers!

PepperHead® has the most up-to-date list of the World’s Hottest Peppers.

Here at PepperHead® we have been growing these “super hots” for over 20 years and have grown and eaten every pepper on this list.

We are dedicated to providing you spicy lovers with the ability to grow all of these insanely spicy peppers in your own backyards.

Without further ado, here is our Top 10 Hottest Pepper List.

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SHU = Scoville Heat Unit (A measure of Spiciness)
Pepper Scoville Scale displayed as Peak SHU Values

SHU is a way of quantifying how spicy a pepper is by measuring the concentration of capsaicinoids. Capsaicin is the chemical responsible for the spicy sensation within a pepper.

1. Pepper X 2,693,000 SHU

Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (2)

Pepper X is now the World’s hottest Pepper with an average of 2.69 Million Scoville Units and peaks over 3 Million SHU. Not much is known about this pepper since seeds have not been publicly released. So unfortunately you cannot taste or grow Pepper X yourself.

2. Carolina Reaper 2,200,000 SHU

The previous world champion, Carolina Reaper has been beat! by itself…The Carolina Reaper is once againofficially the Worlds Hottest Pepper.

Originally ranked as world’s hottest in 2013, the Reaper was tested again in 2018 with an even higher SHU. (71,000 SHU higher to be exact) This gives the reaper a renewed title as World’s Hottest!

It was bred for heat and that it is, with an average SHU of 1,641,000 SHU and peaks at 2.2 Million SHU!

Let’s put the scoville rating into perspective for you:

The Carolina Reaper pepper is 200x hotter than a Jalapeno#WorldsHottestPepper

Just looking at the pictures above, you know its one mean pepper. The Carolina Reaper has a unique stinger tail that is unlike any other pepper and every pod is different!

It gets this insane heat from being a cross between a Ghost Pepper and a Red Habanero. Oddly enough this pepper doesn’t just have heat, but excellent fruity flavor to boot. Well, that is before it melts your face off.

More Carolina Reaper Info

Seeds

Carolina Reaper

$9.95

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Powders

Carolina Reaper Powder

$23.95

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Whole Peppers

Whole Carolina Reaper Peppers

$9.95

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NEW

Powders

World’s Hottest Pepper Powder Sampler Kit

$60.00 Original price was: $60.00.Current price is: $39.95.

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Watch these Chicks eat The Carolina Reaper

10 Even moreHilarious Videos of The Carolina Reaper Challenge

Test your heat tolerance with thePepperHead Challenge!Eat a whole Carolina Reaper Pepper on camera and receive a FREE T-Shirt!

You can now buy the reaper as powder, live plants or seeds so you can grow your own plant and try for yourself.

3. Trinidad Moruga Scorpion 2,009,231 SHU

Straight from the depths of hell the Trinidad Scorpion Moruga Blend, AKA Moruga Scorpion, is a rare sought after pepper that was only just recently discovered.

Native to the lands of Moruga in Trinidad and Tobago. Once you take a bite of this formidable pepper the heat never stops building.

This pepper may be lacking the Reaper’s stinger, but don’t let that fool you. The Moruga Scorpion is every bit as hot as The Carolina Reaper.

More Moruga Scorpion Info

Seeds

Trinidad Moruga Scorpion

$7.95

Add to cart

Powders

Moruga Scorpion Powder

$18.95

Add to cart

Watch Rhett & Link from Good Mythical Morning Eat the Moruga Scorpion

4. 7 Pot Douglah 1,853,936 SHU

Well renown in the pepper community as one of the hottest peppers with the best flavor.

The 7 Pot Douglah is the hottest pepper you can find that isn’t red.

The hottest “superhot” peppers are traditionally red, but the Douglah defies the odds by being brown AND scortching hot.

You can’t go wrong with fresh, dried, or powdered Douglah on any food.

Also known as 7 Pod Douglah, Chocolate 7 Pod or the 7 Pot Brown.

More Douglah Info

Seeds

7 Pot Douglah

$7.95

Add to cart

Powders

Douglah Powder

$18.95

Add to cart

5. 7 Pot Primo 1,469,000 SHU

The 7 Pot Primo is very distinctive with its long skinny “tail”.

This pepper was created by horticulturist Troy Primeaux.

Some peppers cultivators have tried to replicate the Primo look by breeding their own peppers to have a long stinger.

When you just look at this pepper, you know it’s going to be INSANELY hot. It coincidentally looks strikingly similar to The Carolina Reaper…

More Primo Info

6. Trinidad Scorpion “Butch T” 1,463,700 SHU

The Trinidad Scorpion Butch T is a previous Guinness World Record Holder (2011) from Australia.

No doubt it’s insanely hot, but other peppers have been proven to be hotter.

It’s aptly named due to the scorpion stinger found at the tip of the pepper and also the creator, Butch Taylor.

The burn from this pepper is unlike any other.

The Trinidad Scorpion Butch T pepper burns like you swallowed a 1,000 suns.

More Butch T Info

Seeds

Trinidad Scorpion Butch T

$7.95

Add to cart

Powders

Trinidad Scorpion Butch T Powder

$18.95

Add to cart

7. Naga Viper 1,349,000 SHU

Naga Viper is an extremely rare pepper cultivated in the UK. Hybridof many different peppers and years of cross pollination created this variety of “Super HOT” pepper.

It was never fully stabilized before being released so pod variation is expected.

More Naga Viper Info

Seeds

Naga Viper

$7.95

Add to cart

8. Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia) 1,041,427 SHU

The Ghost Pepper is the most famous “Super Hot” due to the amount of press it has received in the past.

It exploded in popularity on YouTube and other social sites where pepperheads ate whole Ghost Peppers as part of a challenge.

This is the first pepper to scientifically test over 1 million scovilles.

Many mistakenlybelieve the Ghost Pepper is still the World’s Hottest pepper, this list showsit is far from it.

This isn’t 2007. If you have friends that still think the Ghost Pepper is the hottest pepper, share this page with them.

However, don’t be fooled by how low this is on the list as it can still bring a grown man to his knees.

More Ghost Pepper Info

Seeds

Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia)

$7.95

Add to cart

Powders

Ghost Pepper Powder

$17.95

Add to cart

Kid swallows ghost pepper, instantly regrets it.

9. 7 Pot Barrackpore ~1,000,000 SHU

The 7 Pot Barrackpore is one of the hottest of the 7 Pot peppers.

This one is from the Town of Chaguanas in Trinidad and Tobago.

Many of these “super hots” come from this region.

More Barrackpore Info

Seeds

Barrackpore

$7.95

Add to cart

10. Red Savina Habanero 500,000 SHU

Back in the early years of super hots, the Red Savina Habanero was KING!

It held the title of the World’s Hottest Pepper from 1994 to 2006. 12 Years!

The Red Savina has since been dethroned and many peppers have passed it in heat, but still to this day it is one of my favorite peppers to grow because it has the perfect balance of heat and flavor..

The Red Savina just barely makes the Top 10, but does so in fashion with its great flavor and extreme heat.

More Red Savina Info

Are you a PepperHead®?

Try growing these Superhot peppers! PepperHead® seeds grow real peppers with real published SHU ratings.

Order all Top 10 Hottest Pepper Seeds and save 30% over purchasing individually!

We are so excited about our brand new product, the PepperHead Powder Sampler Kit! Its the perfect gift for spicy lovers.

NEW

Powders

World’s Hottest Pepper Powder Sampler Kit

$60.00 Original price was: $60.00.Current price is: $39.95.

Add to cart

Honorable Mentions

Lets talk about some upcoming hybrid peppers that show promise. These two hot peppers will be added to the list once their validity has been confirmed.

Dragon’s Breath 2,483,584 SHU

There have been recent reports of a Dragon’s Breath pepper claiming to be hotter than the Carolina Reaper.

Preliminary testing of the Dragon’s Breath pepper pegs it at2,483,584 SHU which would blow the Carolina Reaper out of the water.

It could be a publicity stunt in which the “news” websites ate up, even claiming Dragon’s Breath could kill you. Technically a pencil can kill you too…

$8.95Read more

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671 thoughts on “Top 10 World’s Hottest Peppers

  1. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (59)

    Scot Light says:

    I’m surprised that the chiltepin isn’t on this list. It is at least worth an honorable mention, being the Mother of all Peppers and all. And for the person who complained that none of these are “found in nature,” here you go. The Chiltepin has been around for thousands of years, grows in nature, is the best tasting pepper in existence and is at least ALMOST as hot as some of the peppers on this list. Can you tell I’m a fan of the Chiltepin?

    September 23, 2023 at 8:55 pm

    Reply

    • Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (60)

      Nicole Contreras says:

      I love chiltepin, one of my favorite peppers, I felt the charts were off placing if far down the list.

      August 14, 2024 at 6:27 pm

      Reply

  2. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (61)

    Sage says:

    The Poblano is the hottest! Can hardly eat it.

    September 24, 2023 at 5:48 pm

    Reply

    • Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (62)

      Juliet says:

      Its so mild probably well below 2000 SHU

      August 7, 2024 at 8:43 am

      Reply

  3. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (63)

    Shawn Grigg says:

    I feel like cake, ice cream, and farting just as much as I like to poop out Carolina reapers the morning after I ate all that Carolina reaper cake and ice cream with Carolina reaper cream sauce on top of my bean sauce so I could fart Carolina reaper in the morning cuz I like my Carolina reaper I’m not boring I’m just mentally challenged used to be called retarded but now it’s called mentally challenged ever since I ate that Carolina reaper.

    September 27, 2023 at 7:14 am

    Reply

  4. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (64)

    Jamil Ahmed says:

    I will like to purchase 25 seeds of top 25 hottest peppers. To be shipped to saudi arabia by courier or express mail parcel. Can you give me an idea about cost.

    October 1, 2023 at 11:12 am

    Reply

  5. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (65)

    Annie says:

    Ya’ll, I just wanted to look at the comments. You guys are crazy.

    October 5, 2023 at 4:17 pm

    Reply

  6. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (66)

    Jesse says:

    I ate a dragonns breathh pepper wih Pure Evil 13 Million SHU on it and iim dying…

    October 16, 2023 at 9:33 am

    Reply

    • Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (67)

      Ronald Bednarek says:

      Not 13 million, it’s damn near 3 million and to this date, seeds aren’t available. Pure capsaicin is 16 million, there are NO peppers thar come close

      July 11, 2024 at 3:55 pm

      Reply

  7. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (68)

    Cocytus says:

    Updated number 1 hottest pepper also by the same breeder is Pepper X.

    October 30, 2023 at 6:58 am

    Reply

  8. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (69)

    Jayden says:

    Yup Dragon’s breath and Pepper X exits

    November 11, 2023 at 2:11 pm

    Reply

    • Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (70)

      Ringo says:

      All hail Pepper X. What a day to be alive.

      November 16, 2023 at 4:18 pm

      Reply

      • Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (71)

        Rusty says:

        I’ve had pepper x and after eating a bite I did not feel like it was a good day to be alive just saying but was surprised that at first it was kind of fruity before my face felt like it was melting

        December 30, 2023 at 12:35 am

  9. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (72)

    Hartono Tanaja says:

    Anywhere you can buy this hot peppers (Carolina Reaper) in bulk quantity for industrial use? I just get an impression that they are only good for hobbyist and only available in small quantity.

    November 23, 2023 at 10:59 pm

    Reply

  10. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (73)

    Dani says:

    I worry about to taste it caralina reaper

    December 1, 2023 at 2:47 pm

    Reply

    • Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (74)

      Ronald Bednarek says:

      The reaper tastes pretty good, but you can feel the heat build and when it does, it feels like your skin is being welded off. And if you start doing the boogie dance and find bread to stuff in your mouth, the intensity builds matching g your body temp…..if you are goingvto try, have a loaf of bread standing by

      July 11, 2024 at 3:53 pm

      Reply

  11. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (75)

    Arthur says:

    GOD DAMN I HAD ALL OF THOSE FOR LAST YEARS CHRISTMAS

    December 7, 2023 at 11:25 am

    Reply

  12. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (76)

    James McDermott says:

    I don’t believe eating extremely hot chili peppers above 500,000 SHU is good for your health. The natural reaction to most people is to spit it out when tasted. That’s the body’s natural reaction for a reason.

    December 22, 2023 at 4:58 am

    Reply

  13. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (77)

    farai wisdom says:

    among them all which one has a wider market. im a chilli farmer in Africa

    January 16, 2024 at 1:57 pm

    Reply

  14. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (78)

    Boris says:

    how do i get the pepper X chilly sent to Australia are thef
    se chillys grown in Australia

    January 31, 2024 at 9:07 pm

    Reply

  15. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (79)

    Joffi says:

    How did Cameroon Pepper Miss this list?

    February 2, 2024 at 11:09 am

    Reply

  16. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (80)

    Tim Hallbeck aka Timmeh says:

    Background info:
    Within the family Nightshade, genus Capsicum, there are multiple species of chili, each of which can have its own hottest, sweetest, most flavorful, etc. ranking. Most but not all of those mentioned here are capsicum chinense (yes that is spelled correctly) and generally referred to as habaneros. Poblano and serrano and jalapeños are a different species (annuum), tabasco and thai yet another (frutescens), so you can grow 1 from each of the groups in the same garden and get pure strain chilis.

    Notice I didn’t used the term pepper until now. Pepper is more a cooking term than a biological term. Black pepper for example is from the family Piperaceae, genus Piper, very different attributes than Nightshades (its a vine). Yet in cookbooks they’re just different kinds of peppers.

    The chinense rules the roost when it comes to SCH, while the annuum are the most widely used because of their shorter growing period and hardiness vs weather.

    February 4, 2024 at 11:09 am

    Reply

  17. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (81)

    David says:

    I absolutely love the Reaper, to have such nice flavor first up and then ,Pow right in the kisser.. it really needed a more stealthy name as the face melting heat just builds and builds.

    April 13, 2024 at 8:52 pm

    Reply

  18. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (82)

    Samuel Siamah says:

    How can I get the seedlings to grow in Ghana?

    May 15, 2024 at 6:35 pm

    Reply

  19. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (83)

    skibidi says:

    I like the Carolina Reaper

    May 20, 2024 at 6:47 am

    Reply

    • Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (84)

      Sff says:

      Pppolllllleeeennnn

      June 11, 2024 at 6:02 pm

      Reply

  20. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (85)

    Sundance Kid (John) says:

    How can I find which of all the hot peppers ️ is the best anti oxidants? I find that the Carolina Reaper and the Red Jalapeños work for me while green Jalapeños and numerous other hot peppers do not work for me health wise for what I assume is anti-oxidant purposes and for destroying toxic sulfur compounds that we all get from ultra violet combining with sulfur that we invest with food during daytime. What does Carolina Reapers and Red Jalapeños have in common that improve my health, that Habeneros (spelling?) and many other food store hot peppers do not have in common?

    June 22, 2024 at 1:47 am

    Reply

  21. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (86)

    CRAIG KISSINGER says:

    I tried the Carolina Reaper & the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion and the heat was stupid intense but didn’t seem to last as long as I thought it would, with that being said I do Believe I have hit my max on those 2. and Idon’t think I’ll be trying the Pepper X.

    July 2, 2024 at 12:10 am

    Reply

  22. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (87)

    Michael Martin says:

    I call BS on all the people saying they grow/ate Pepper X.

    From everything I have been able to find it is unobtainable as a plant, seed and pod. You can only buy sauces made from it. In fact, I even contacted Ed Currie at PuckerButt Pepper Company and offered $200 for a single plant.

    If I am wrong and you people claiming to be growing Pepper X aren’t lying (which we already know you are), please point me in the direction to buy a few plants. I will even pay you a finders fee of $100.

    July 8, 2024 at 4:37 pm

    Reply

    • Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (88)

      David Porter says:

      I’m with you. If you find where to get them, I would love to know also.

      September 14, 2024 at 7:25 pm

      Reply

    • Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (89)

      Ross says:

      I am a ficus collecter and bonsai artist and i understand his level of care and craft…i offer him 2,000. That might get you a single seed…but id do ot if he offered. I have some scorpions turning red right now. I accidentally made a new pepper…its shaped like a ufo where the bottom bell is a scotch brain.

      August 19, 2024 at 8:13 pm

      Reply

  23. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (90)

    Michael says:

    I have eaten a Carolina Reaper only once. To me… it tasted like soap poured out of a hobos shoe while on fire. I love hot peppers, this was the nastiest thing I’ve ever tasted as well as the hottest.

    July 13, 2024 at 2:20 am

    Reply

  24. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (91)

    Stefan Babineck says:

    Hello I have a pepper and wish to know the Scoville level on it and perhaps you have route to finding this out thank.you!!!!

    July 31, 2024 at 1:50 am

    Reply

    • Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (92)

      Cristian Hernandez says:

      Stick it up your ass , then hold your breath . This should let you know the Scoville level. Your welcome, glad to help.

      August 23, 2024 at 12:55 pm

      Reply

  25. Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (93)

    Armadine says:

    I wonder if any of these pepper are actually natural or not manually crossed or breed, something grows in nature? I would love to see a list where only natural grows pepper are on the list.

    August 25, 2024 at 10:53 am

    Reply

    • Top 10 World's Hottest Peppers (94)

      PepperHead says:

      There are very few peppers left that have not been cultivated. Peppers have been cultivated for thousands of years. Almost every single fruit and vegetable you know and eat today is the same way. Wild fruits, vegetables and yes peppers are basically inedible.

      September 18, 2024 at 10:20 am

      Reply

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