# What chilies do you like in your chili? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 3, 2009, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chilies-do-you-like-in-your-chili/519787 "2009-12-03T00:59:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chilies-do-you-like-in-your-chili/519787/1 "2009-12-03T00:59:02Z")
Personally, when I make chili, I like to stay away from the chili powder in favor of fresh chilies. My favorite is the red chili pepper. (Sorry, forget the real name.) What are yours? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chilies-do-you-like-in-your-chili/519787/2 "2009-12-03T01:03:07Z")
Anchos, cascabels, chipotles, serranos, habaneros. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chilies-do-you-like-in-your-chili/519787/3 "2009-12-03T01:13:06Z")
Hatch green (Anaheim). ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chilies-do-you-like-in-your-chili/519787/4 "2009-12-03T01:59:13Z")
Ancho, chipotle, perhaps jalapeno, and hot (or sweet) smoked paprika (ground red pepper). Also green bell pepper. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chilies-do-you-like-in-your-chili/519787/5 "2009-12-03T02:09:08Z")
Serrano, habanero (both home grown), Anaheim, paprika, and maybe some Asian Death peppers. But I still use chili powder (Gebhardt’s, the original chili powder. Accept no other.). ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chilies-do-you-like-in-your-chili/519787/6 "2009-12-03T02:57:12Z")
Ancho, serrano, guajillo, chili pequin, paprika, and jalapeno. I like chipotles but think they are too smoky for my style of chili. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chilies-do-you-like-in-your-chili/519787/7 "2009-12-03T03:28:14Z")
When I’ve made chili, I’ve used jalapenos, but I could maybe go with something just a little bit hotter. You need some of the actual pepper flavor in addition to the heat, and it seems kind of silly to use a really hot pepper if you’re just going to cut it with bells. ---
**Author:** ![Terraplane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Terraplane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terraplane)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chilies-do-you-like-in-your-chili/519787/8 "2009-12-03T05:00:31Z")
Ancho, guajillo, cascabel, and cayenne. Roast them all together along with some comino, grind it all up, and you have a chili powder that can’t be beat. You also have a runny nose and burning eyes but a good pot of chili is worth the discomfort. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chilies-do-you-like-in-your-chili/519787/9 "2009-12-03T05:20:31Z")
Ancho, pasilla, guajillo, and morita (or chipotle, dried). I also like a little bit of pequin or habanero in it, too, but those first four are my musts. edit: I should add, those are all the dried chile additions. For the fresh chiles, I like serranos and/or habaneros, as well as some milder poblanos and maybe banana peppers. ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chilies-do-you-like-in-your-chili/519787/10 "2009-12-03T13:30:38Z")
If I make a chili with one chile, it’s Ancho. Two, and it’s usually Guajillo-Pasilla. Three, and it’s Guajillo-Pasilla-de Arbol. Which reminds me: I’ve got five pounds of venison sitting in my freezer earmarked for chili… ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chilies-do-you-like-in-your-chili/519787/11 "2009-12-03T17:49:48Z")
dried chiles - chipotle - I like the smokiness fresh chiles - jalapeno - I like the grassy green flavor it brings