Cubanelle peppers have a sweet, mild flavor with a light green to yellow color. They have an elongated shape and are similar to banana peppers.
Cubanelle pepper is commonly found in Italian or Caribbean regions, so if you are out of this area, you may find it difficult to get cubanelle peppers.
However, if you are making a recipe that calls for cubanelle and you can’t find any, you can always use other cubanelle pepper substitutes and achieve a similar heat and flavor.
There are different options to choose from, depending on the dish you are making; you can use jalapeno pepper, Anaheim peppers, paprika pepper, banana peppers, sweet chili pepper, bell peppers, and a handful of other types of peppers to replace cubanelle pepper.
Although they may not match the cubanelle’s capability in the frying pan. Follow us as we deal with all the different available cubanelle pepper alternatives.
What Is Cubanelle Pepper?
The cubanelle is a sweet pepper with a mild flavor, with a Scoville heat unit ranging from 0-1000 SHU. It is a moderately hot pepper and is usually picked before they ripen when they are light green or yellow-green in color, but as the pepper ripen, they turn bright red to orange-red.
Cubanelle pepper pods grow up to 4-6 inches long and 2 inches wide; they have a banana shape and taper near the bottom. The pepper has glossy skin and is smooth and firm.
Cubanelle is also known as the Italian frying pepper because they are super delicious when tossed in a frying pan with a little olive oil.
It is commonly used in salads, casseroles, or a yellow mole sauce. They can be used as topping on subs or pizza as well, and they can also be used to make stuffed peppers. Cubanelle can be used for general cooking, just as you would any bell pepper.
They have large-sized pods, so they can be stuffed with your favorite filling before baking or grilling.
Cubanelle peppers are used in cooking recipes throughout Central America, including Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic; they are also becoming increasingly popular in stores in the US.
The cubanelle pepper is mildly hot; it measures about 0 – 1,000 Scoville heat units; this is quite milder than a typical jalapeno pepper.
Jalapeno peppers measure about 5,000 SHU; this makes cubanelle pepper five times milder than an average jalapeno pepper. But if you have low heat tolerance, you may notice a twinge of heat on your tongue, even with cubanelle pepper.
What Do Cubanelle Peppers Taste Like?
Cubanelle peppers have a slightly sweet taste and a crunchier texture than a typical bell pepper. You can toss them in a frying pan with a bit of salt for a quick snack.
Their thin walls make them good for stuffing and either grilling or baking, and they do not require a long cook time.
Best Cubanelle Pepper Substitutes
If your recipe calls for cubanelle pepper, you can use any other chili pepper instead if you can’t find them.
But to achieve a similar taste and heat as you would with cubanelle peppers, you’ll need the best cubanelle pepper substitute. Here are some great alternatives you can use to replace cubanelle peppers in a dish:
1. Bell Peppers
Bell peppers make a great alternative for cubanelle peppers, and green bell peppers, in particular, look and taste the most like cubanelle.
They have a strong flavor that is also mildly sweet. Bell peppers have thick walls and large cavities, and this makes them one of the best cubanelle pepper substitute to use in a stuffing recipe.
But because bell peppers are not particularly hot, you can add a pinch of chili powder or other spices during or after the cooking process to make your food spicier.
2. Anaheim Peppers
Since cubanelle peppers have a low heat rating of about 100 to 1,000 SHU, most substitutes are somehow hotter.
One of such substitutes is anaheim peppers with a high Scoville heat rating of about 500 to 2,500 SHU. However, the peppers are slightly sweet and similar enough to replace cubanelle in most recipes.
Anaheim chilies have thick walls and may not be nearly as good as a frying pepper, but they can be stuffed with filling.
3. Passilla Chilli Peppers
Pasilla chili peppers are mild and have a flavor taste of raisins; this is how the peppers got their name— pasilla, which is the Spanish term for “raisin .”They are native to Mexico and are often available as dry, whole chilies or processed into a powder.
Pasilla chili peppers have a dry and hot flavor, and it feels like chocolate powder on your tongue. Its distinct flavor may make it difficult to replace the cubanelle with an exact amount of pasilla. You can add as much as you would prefer.
4. Poblano Chilli Pepper
The poblano chili pepper is native to central Mexico and is also widely available throughout the US. They have a similar appearance to bell peppers but with a more pointed bottom.
They have a large size, and this makes the peppers suitable for stuffing. The poblano chili pepper has a dried variant, also known as ancho peppers, which simply means “broad” in Spanish.
Poblano peppers are usually harvested when they are green, but as they mature, they become red and are hotter with more flavor than when green.
These chilies are moderately hot, but the level of spiciness varies from plant to plant, and you may find that even peppers of the same plant might bear varying heat intensity.
5. Banana Peppers
Banana peppers have a distinct taste. They are quite sweet and may not be the best cubanelle pepper substitute, but they do have a comparable heat profile ranging between 0 to 500 SHU, similar to that of cubanelle.
Banana peppers are frequently used in sandwich and pizza toppings and are a great option to use if your recipe needs a bit of spice. The thick walls of banana peppers make them unsuitable for frying.
6. Sweet Chili Pepper
When harvested, the Italian sweet chili pepper has a red color and is sweet and mild chili pepper. It is very versatile and can be fried, sautéed, or roasted and stuffed.
It can also be pickled and added raw in salads. Italian sweet chili peppers are very delicious and suit many recipes.
7. Pimento Pepper
The pimento pepper has a red color and is quite similar to bell pepper; it is also very delicious. This pepper has a heart shape and is moderately hot with a delectably mild and sweet flavor.
This is a cherry pepper (capsicum annum) that is slightly smaller than a bell pepper. It is usually available in bottles and is great for making snacks or salad.
8. Thai Prik Num Chilli
Thai prik num originates from Thailand and is a pale light green chili pepper that can be consumed raw, pickled, and frequently used in different dishes.
It can be found underneath the table and can serve as a mild condiment after pickling the pepper soaked in vinegar. Thai prik num that is dark green or red in color is hotter than the light green ones.
You can slice the peppers and add them into Thai dishes for color and taste. If you are trying to tone down the heat of Thai dishes, you can use the Thai prik num as an excellent alternative to cubanelle pepper.
They have thick walls and are finger-shaped. You can serve the chili sliced or use it as food decor.
9. Jalapenos
Jalapenos also make a great replacement for cubanelle peppers. Unlike cubanelle peppers with the shape of a regular bell pepper, jalapenos look like chili peppers and are great for stuffing recipes.
Jalapeños have a light flavor, unlike cubanelle with a more earthy flavor. Jalapenos can be used in replacement of cubanelle peppers in salsas and salad toppings.
These chilies are quite spicer than other peppers, and you can reduce their spiciness by removing the ribs and pits before adding them as an ingredient into your dish.
10. Paprika
Paprika is another type of mild pepper that is usually available in dried and crushed variants rather than being sold fresh.
However, certain types of paprika, such as hot Hungarian paprika, are quite spicy. They have a distinct flavor which can be enhanced by grounding and drying the peppers to achieve a slightly smoky flavor, making it a poor substitute for most other peppers due to the flavor.
You can find some smoked paprika goods with a more pronounced smokey flavor. It is commonly used in Spanish and Hungarian dishes and can be added to sauces and dishes to add a subtle color.
If you can’t find cubanelle pepper, they are a handful of replacements you can use instead, and they are sure to deliver a similar taste and flavor.
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