How Hot Is Carolina Reaper Jerky, Really?

It is the hottest thing on the table, by a wide margin. The Carolina Reaper held the Guinness World Record for the hottest chili pepper from 2013 until 2023, averaging around 1.6 million Scoville heat units with individual pods tested past 2 million. Our two Reaper bags sit at the top of the 1 to 5 heat meter, and the owner's own description of one of them is "insanely hot, use with caution."

Where the Reaper sits

For scale, a jalapeño runs roughly 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville units and a habanero somewhere between 100,000 and 350,000. A ghost pepper is about 1 million. The Reaper starts above that and climbs, which is why a Reaper bag is not a dare so much as a commitment. In jerky the heat arrives a beat late, because the sugar in the cure lands first; the Settlers Carolina Reaper Beef Jerky is built exactly that way, sweet up front and then the pepper.

The second Reaper on the site is the Jerky Hut label Carolina Reaper Extremely Hot, a 7 oz bag that layers red chili, habanero and cayenne under the Reaper and is the one beef bag on the site whose label says gluten-free. Both are a 5 on our meter. There is no 6.

What the first bite does

Expect a few seconds of flavor, then a building heat that peaks around a minute in and takes several more to fade. Milk or anything with dairy helps; water does not. People who like it tend to eat two or three pieces at a sitting, not a bag, which is a point in favor of the 7 oz size over a snack pouch. At the table we keep a cooler of water for this shelf, and it is the one bag we will talk you out of if you ask.

If that sounds like too much

One notch down is the ghost pepper tier, and it is a real step: the Settlers Ghost Pepper Beef Jerky is hot without being an endurance test. Habanero is the next step below that, in the Kowifornia Gal teriyaki. A full side-by-side of the hot shelf is in the ghost pepper versus Carolina Reaper guide, and the Heat Seeker preset in the box builder puts all four hot bags together for the person who wants the whole ladder.

Quick answers

How many Scoville units is Carolina Reaper jerky?

The jerky itself is not Scoville-rated; the pepper is. Carolina Reapers average about 1.6 million Scoville heat units, with pods measured above 2 million. The amount of pepper in each bag is the maker's recipe.

Is Carolina Reaper jerky dangerous?

It is very hot, not dangerous for a healthy adult eating a few pieces. Start with one piece, have dairy nearby, and keep it away from kids. If you have a medical condition that reacts to capsaicin, skip it.

Which is hotter, your Carolina Reaper or your ghost pepper jerky?

The Carolina Reaper bags. Both Reaper bags are a 5 on our meter; the Settlers Ghost Pepper is a 4 and the Chernobyl ghost pepper is a 5.

The bags in this guide

Build Your Hut Box · Shop all 26 bags · Call (518) 330-2629