If you can't find the green chili you need, there is most certainly a substitute.
Green chili peppers bring a hint of sweet, smoky heat to many savory recipes. But what happens when the supermarket is out of that fresh chili pepper you need? Or, what if that chili pepper brings a bit too much heat to that evening's dish on the dinner table? There are several substitutions you can use when a recipe calls for green chili peppers depending on how they will be used in the recipe.
Anaheim Chili Peppers
Anaheim chili peppers are green in color when not fully ripened and are also known as the California green chili. Anaheims are available year-round, but are said to be the best quality in the summer. This chili is often used for chili rellenos and is a common addition to salsas. Adequate substitutions for this chili include: poblano chilies and canned green chilies.
Jalapeno Peppers
Jalapeno peppers are spicy green peppers that vary from medium to hot in terms of the heat factor. They are smooth and dark green in color. When smoked, they are called chipotles. These peppers add a little bite to chili and make an excellent spicy topping for a variety of foods. To get the same heat level as a jalapeno, use half the amount of serrano chilies, based on the amount of jalapenos called for in the recipe.
Thai Chilies
Thai chilies can be red or green. These thin-skinned chilies are found in a wide variety of Asian dishes. The dried version of this chili is often called the bird chili, because of the dried chilie's resemblance to a bird's beak. Adequate substitutions include serrano chilies or cayenne peppers, fresh or dried.
Poblano Peppers
This is a mild, large pepper with a thick, green skin. Best when harvested in the summer, the poblano can be dried to a reddish-brown version called the ancho chili. If you use poblanos together with mild peppers, such as bell peppers, the combined flavors add a complex richness to dishes. Good substitutes include canned, green chilies or Anaheim chilies.
Tags: chili peppers, Adequate substitutions, canned green, canned green chilies, chili often, chili pepper
