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A poblano pepper is a large, dark green, heart-shaped chili with thick walls and a mild, earthy heat. Are poblano peppers spicy? Only a little: University of Florida extension lists poblanos at about 1,000 to 2,000 Scoville heat units, compared with 2,000 to 8,000 for a jalapeno and 0 for a bell pepper. When a poblano ripens and is dried, it becomes the ancho chile, a sweet, raisin-dark pod used in sauces and chili powders. Below are the heat facts, what the USDA database does and does not list for poblano nutrition, how the dried ancho chile compares, and how to handle and cook poblano peppers.
Peptide Labs does not sell poblano peppers or chile products. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- Poblanos are mild chilies: about 1,000 to 2,000 Scoville heat units in University of Florida extension data.
- A ripened, dried poblano is called an ancho chile.
- USDA SR Legacy has no entry for raw poblano, so this guide uses clearly labeled nearest entries instead.
- The dried ancho has its own USDA entry; drying removes water, so fiber, vitamin A and potassium are concentrated, while vitamin C is nearly gone.
- Heat sits mostly in the white ribs and seeds; removing them makes a poblano milder.
What is a poblano pepper?
Poblanos belong to Capsicum annuum, the same species as bell peppers, jalapenos, serranos and cayenne. They are usually sold green and unripe, when the flavor is grassy and the heat is gentle. Left on the plant, they ripen to a deep red and taste sweeter. Their broad shape and sturdy walls make them the classic pepper for stuffing, roasting and dishes such as chiles rellenos and rajas (roasted pepper strips).
If you want the sweet, zero-heat cousin, see our bell peppers guide; for the next step up in heat, our jalapeno guide covers its Scoville range and nutrition per pepper.
Are poblano peppers spicy?
Mildly. Heat in chilies comes from capsaicinoids, and the Scoville scale ranks peppers by how much of these compounds they carry. University of Florida extension (UF/IFAS) gives these ranges:
| Pepper | Species | Scoville heat units (UF/IFAS) |
|---|---|---|
| Bell pepper | Capsicum annuum | 0 |
| Poblano | Capsicum annuum | 1,000 to 2,000 |
| Jalapeno | Capsicum annuum | 2,000 to 8,000 |
| Serrano | Capsicum annuum | 10,000 to 25,000 |
| Cayenne | Capsicum annuum | 25,000 to 50,000 |
| Habanero | Capsicum chinense | 100,000 to 350,000 |
Individual poblanos vary, and every so often one is noticeably hotter than its neighbors. Penn State Extension notes that capsaicin is concentrated in the membranes (the white ribs) and seeds, so cutting those out gives you a milder pepper. For the far end of the scale, see our sibling guide to the habanero. Research on capsaicin itself is summarized, without hype, in our cayenne pepper guide.
Ancho chile: the dried poblano
UF/IFAS explains that ripened, dried poblanos are called ancho. Anchos are wrinkled, deep red-brown and taste sweet and fruity with mild heat. They are soaked and blended into sauces such as moles and enchilada sauce, or ground into ancho chile powder. Because ancho is a whole dried pepper, it is different from chili powder blends, which often add cumin, garlic and salt, and from paprika, which is made from other dried Capsicum annuum peppers.
Poblano nutrition: what USDA lists
We use the USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy database for every food guide on this site. It has no entry for raw poblano, so there is no USDA SR Legacy value to quote for a fresh poblano. It does have an entry for dried ancho, and it has raw entries for related peppers. The table puts them side by side per 100 grams. Read the green bell and generic green chili rows as nearest neighbors, not stand-ins.
| Per 100 g (USDA FDC ID) | Calories | Fiber (% DV) | Vitamin C (% DV) | Vitamin A (% DV) | Potassium (% DV) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raw poblano (no SR Legacy entry) | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Ancho, dried poblano (169396) | 281 | 21.6 g (77%) | 2 mg (2%) | 1,022 mcg (114%) | 2,411 mg (51%) |
| Green bell pepper, raw, nearest mild entry (170427) | 20 | 1.7 g (6%) | 80.4 mg (89%) | 18 mcg (2%) | 175 mg (4%) |
| Hot chili, green, raw, variety not named (170497) | 40 | 1.5 g (5%) | 242.5 mg (269%) | 59 mcg (7%) | 340 mg (7%) |
| Jalapeno, raw (168576) | 29 | 2.8 g (10%) | 118.6 mg (132%) | 54 mcg (6%) | 248 mg (5%) |
What the ancho row shows is mostly the effect of drying. In USDA data the ancho entry is about 23% water, against about 94% for a raw green bell pepper, so everything that stays behind is packed into fewer grams. That is why 100 grams of ancho carries more than a day’s Daily Value for vitamin A (as carotenoids, covered in our beta-carotene guide) and three quarters of the Daily Value for fiber. Vitamin C is a different story: it does not survive drying well, and the ancho entry lists almost none.
Of course, nobody eats 100 grams of dried chili at a sitting. USDA lists one ancho pepper at 17 grams. Per pepper, that works out to:
- Calories: about 48.
- Fiber: about 13% of the Daily Value, part of the picture in our fiber-rich foods guide.
- Vitamin A: about 19% of the Daily Value.
- Vitamin B6: about 35% of the Daily Value; riboflavin about 29%.
- Iron: about 10% of the Daily Value, in the plant (non-heme) form our iron foods guide explains.
- Potassium: about 9% of the Daily Value.
In a sauce, one or two anchos are usually spread across several portions, so each plate gets a fraction of these numbers. Fresh green poblanos, like other green chilies, are mostly water and low in calories; the generic green chili and green bell entries above suggest they supply vitamin C, but without a poblano entry we cannot give exact figures. A store’s Nutrition Facts label on canned or frozen roasted poblanos, if present, is the better source for those products.
How to choose, roast and handle poblanos
- Choose: look for glossy, firm, dark green peppers with no soft spots or wrinkles.
- Store: keep them unwashed in the refrigerator crisper and cook them while they are still firm.
- Roast: char the skin over a gas flame, under the broiler or on a grill until blistered, cover for a few minutes to steam, then peel off the skin and remove the stem, seeds and ribs.
- Cool the heat: scraping out the ribs and seeds makes poblanos milder, per Penn State Extension.
- Protect your hands: poblanos are mild, but Poison Control still advises gloves for hot peppers and keeping your hands away from your eyes and face. If chili gets in your eyes, rinse with plenty of warm water for 15 minutes; call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 with questions.
Who should be careful with poblano peppers
- Reflux: NIDDK lists spicy foods among foods that may make acid reflux symptoms worse. Poblanos are mild, but if chili dishes trigger symptoms, talk with your doctor; our GLP-1 heartburn guide covers reflux on those medicines.
- Nightshade questions: peppers are nightshades. Our nightshade guide looks at what the evidence does and does not show about sensitivity.
- Allergy: peppers are not among the nine major food allergens under US law, but individual pepper allergies exist. Stop eating them and see a clinician if you react.
- Salt in prepared foods: canned chiles and restaurant chiles rellenos can be salty; see our low-sodium foods guide for reading labels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are poblano peppers spicy?
Mildly. University of Florida extension lists poblanos at about 1,000 to 2,000 Scoville heat units, milder than a jalapeno. Some individual peppers run hotter.
What is an ancho chile?
An ancho is a poblano that has ripened and been dried. It is sweet, fruity and mildly hot, and is used in sauces and ground chile powder.
Is a poblano hotter than a jalapeno?
No. In UF/IFAS data the top of the jalapeno range (8,000 heat units) is four times the top of the poblano range (2,000).
Does USDA list poblano nutrition?
The USDA SR Legacy database has an entry for dried ancho but none for raw poblano, so fresh poblano numbers are not available from that source.
How do you make a poblano less spicy?
Remove the white ribs and seeds, where most of the capsaicin sits, according to Penn State Extension.
Do I need gloves to cut poblanos?
They are mild, but Poison Control recommends gloves for hot peppers and keeping hands away from your eyes. Wash your hands with soap and water afterward.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Related guides: Habanero Pepper: How Hot It Is, Nutrition and Safe Handling, Bell Peppers Nutrition: Red vs Green vs Yellow, USDA Facts, Jalapeno: How Hot It Is, Nutrition Facts and Safe Handling.