Here's Where McCormick's Crushed Red Chili Flakes Fall On The Scoville Scale

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Crushed red chili flakes are a bold, impactful staple of any well-stocked spice cabinet. As with many spices, there's probably a good chance that the label in your cabinet reads "McCormick" – one of the most globally-recognizable spice brands in the world. So, for heat-sensitive home cooks, how hot are McCormick crushed red pepper flakes, exactly? 

Chili peppers are the fruit of the Capsicum plant, and their spicy heat comes from the chemical compound capsaicin. The level of capsaicin differs from one type of chili pepper to the next, and that level is measured on the Scoville scale. Every 15 Scoville Heat Units represents about one part per million of capsaicin present in a pepper. The average commercial bottle of crushed red chili flakes sits at 15,000 to 30,000 SHU. McCormick, however, lists its crushed red pepper blend slightly higher at a "medium" 25,000 to 40,000 SHU — considerably hotter than, for comparison, Tabasco sauce at 5,000 to 15,000 SHU. 

Commonly, store-bought spice blends include a few different varieties of red chili peppers. According to the official McCormick website, its version of the pantry staple "starts with whole, ripe peppers," blending "the optimal levels of seeds and pods to deliver bold flavor and balanced heat." Indeed, crushed red pepper seasoning is made from the dried fruit and seed pods of the capsicum pepper, and the majority of the capsaicin in that pepper is found in its interior ribs, which hold the seeds. However, foodies remain in the dark as far as which red chili pepper varieties McCormick specifically uses. 

Ultimately, with a lack of brand confirmation, fans can do little more than speculate on the blend of red chili peppers McCormick uses in its crushed red pepper flakes, since the only ingredient McCormick lists for its classic crushed red pepper seasoning is "red chili peppers." While this cagey label does not reveal which varieties are used in the brand's unique proprietary blend, one type of pepper is more common than all others to make commercial versions of this dried seasoning: cayenne.

Considering cayenne peppers sit at 30,000 to 50,000 SHU, this might suggest that McCormick's blend also incorporates some less-spicy pepper variety, reducing the overall intensity to that lower 25,000 to 40,000 SHU metric. Serrano (10,000 to 23,000 SHU), dried poblano (1,000 to 1,500 SHU), and dried red bell pepper (0 SHU) are common, milder ingredients in chili flake seasoning blends. So, perhaps one of these elements could be in the mix. Regarding taste, cayenne pepper on its own delivers an earthy, neutral flavor. McCormick describes its crushed red pepper flakes as tasting "slightly fruity," which might indicate the addition of a fruity-tasting chili variety like orange habanero or red jalapeño. 

However you use it, a little goes a long way. Try not to exceed ¼ teaspoon of red chili flakes per four servings of a prepared dish. Here at Tasting Table, we reach for 'em to give shrimp scampi a spicy kick and to upgrade roasted carrots. And if you're looking for a spicier blend, McCormick also makes a "Thai style" version of its crushed chili pepper condiment that sits at a significantly higher 48,000 to 50,000 SHU.