If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! – Mike H. It’s time to consider this method more fully. Smoking chili peppers allows you to incorporate new flavor elements into your dishes. Consider substituting fresh or roasted peppers for lightly smoked peppers for a nuanced smoky changeup. Combine smoked chili powder with other ingredients for homemade rubs and seasonings that you can sprinkle over dishes or create roasted or grilled meats that no one has ever tried before. Use them at your next party and truly WOW your guests. They’ll be begging you – “Where did you get this seasoning? I simply must have some!” You can swell with pride as you withhold your new secret ingredient. Or feel free to share! Smoked chili peppers should be enjoyed by all! Let’s talk about how to smoke peppers. Next, slice the peppers in half and core them out, if desired. You don’t need to, though. I keep them intact as most of the heat is within the pepper innards. Again, if you see any rot, toss them out. Also, if the peppers are thicker walled, you can slice them into quarters or rings, therefore increasing the surface area for the smoke to penetrate. You can also use your grill with a smoker box, as long as you are able to maintain a constant temperature. Next, get your smoke going. There are many different wood options available to you. I prefer maple wood, though mesquite is a good choice, as is hickory. 3 is best, as it takes a while for the wood smoke to truly permeate the peppers, but check on them at the 2 hour mark to make sure everything is OK. At this point, the peppers will be smoked but not completely dried. Thinner peppers will be dryer than others. If smoking thinner walled peppers like habanero peppers, smoke them for less time if you plan on using them in a non-dried form. You can smoke longer if you’d like, as the peppers will not be completely dried after 3 hours. It will take many more hours to completely dry the peppers in the smoker, but I prefer a different method to finish the process. Finally, dry your smoked peppers in a dehydrator. A dehydrator is the most efficient way to completely dry chili peppers. Transfer the smoked peppers to your dehydrator trays and dehydrate them at 125 degrees F for about 8-10 hours, or until they are completely dried through. At this point, you can store the pods in sealable containers and use them as needed. Alternatively, crush them and sprinkle over foods, or grind them into powders for making new blends and seasonings, or just sprinkle them as they are for a nice touch of smoked chilies. Be sure to use gloves if handling hotter peppers, as they may irritate your skin. This is particularly true of superhot peppers. 2 pounds of chopped pepper pods yields about 3-4 cups of dried peppers, and when ground, yields about 1 cup of powder. I made some smoked chili powder with my yield. Use in as you would any recipe that calls for chili powder. It adds a nice smoky element to the dish. Use a milder wood to impart a lighter smoke flavor. Once smoked and dried, you are free to store them and rehydrate them as needed, or grind them up, per above, into a perfect homemade chipotle powder. Enjoy! 95 Incredible Recipes to Turn Up the Heat on Jerky, Hot Sauce, Fruit Leather and More. Buy a Dehydrator (affiliate link, my friends!) - I recommend Nesco products for easy dehydrating at home.
