ChilliFacts

Scotch Bonnet vs Bird's Eye Chilli

Scotch Bonnet is hotter, at about 225,000 SHU against 75,000 SHU for Bird's Eye Chilli: about 3× as hot, using typical values. Across the measured ranges the gap runs from 1× to 7×.

Data checked October 20, 2026 · How we rank and verify

225,000 SHUScotch Bonnet
75,000 SHUBird's Eye Chilli
3×Heat ratio
Scotch BonnetHotter
Pepper X: 2,693,000 SHUDragon's Breath: 2,480,000 SHUCarolina Reaper: 1,641,183 SHUTrinidad Scorpion Butch T: 1,463,700 SHU7 Pot Primo: 1,400,000 SHUKomodo Dragon: 1,400,000 SHUNaga Viper: 1,382,118 SHUTrinidad Moruga Scorpion: 1,200,000 SHUInfinity: 1,176,182 SHU7 Pot Brain Strain: 1,175,000 SHU7 Pot Douglah: 1,170,000 SHUDorset Naga: 1,032,310 SHUGhost Pepper: 1,001,304 SHUNaga Morich: 1,000,000 SHUDalle Khursani: 393,950 SHUFatalii: 262,500 SHURed Savina: 248,556 SHUHabanero: 225,000 SHUDatil: 200,000 SHUKanthari: 80,640 SHUCayenne: 40,000 SHUTabasco: 40,000 SHUGuntur Chilli: 36,160 SHUKashmiri Chilli: 20,800 SHUSerrano: 15,000 SHUByadgi Chilli: 10,000 SHUJalapeño: 5,000 SHUScotch Bonnet · 225KBird's Eye Chilli · 75,0001K SHU10K SHU100K SHU1M SHU
Scotch Bonnet and Bird's Eye Chilli on the Scoville scale. Each dot is a pepper in our dataset, on a log scale.

Side by side

Scotch BonnetBird's Eye Chilli
Typical heat225,000 SHU75,000 SHU
Measured range100,000–350,000 SHU50,000–100,000 SHU
StatusLab testedLab tested
SpeciesCapsicum chinenseCapsicum annuum (often confused with C. frutescens bird chillies)
OriginCaribbean (especially Jamaica)Southeast Asia (species from the Americas)
FlavourNot documentedFruity, lightly earthy
Coloursred, yellow, orangered, green

The Scoville maths

The Scoville scale is linear: a pepper at 2,000,000 SHU has twice the capsaicinoids of one at 1,000,000 SHU. So the ratio is a simple division, 225,000 ÷ 75,000 ≈ 3×. Real pods vary, so the gap between any two fruits can be smaller or larger (1× to 7× across the measured ranges).

In between

2 peppers sit between Bird's Eye Chilli and Scotch Bonnet by typical heat.

About each pepper

Scotch Bonnet: A Caribbean C.

Bird's Eye Chilli: Like all chillies it originated in the Americas.

Compare either pepper with another →

Questions

Which is hotter, Scotch Bonnet or Bird's Eye Chilli?

Scotch Bonnet. It averages about 225,000 SHU against 75,000 SHU for Bird's Eye Chilli, about 3× as hot.

How many times hotter is Scotch Bonnet than Bird's Eye Chilli?

About 3× using typical values (225,000 ÷ 75,000). Comparing the extremes of each measured range gives anywhere from 1× to 7×.

How hot is Scotch Bonnet?

Scotch Bonnet: 100,000–350,000 SHU, lab tested.

How hot is Bird's Eye Chilli?

Bird's Eye Chilli: 50,000–100,000 SHU, lab tested.

Are Scotch Bonnet and Bird's Eye Chilli the same species?

No. Scotch Bonnet is Capsicum chinense; Bird's Eye Chilli is Capsicum annuum (often confused with C. frutescens bird chillies).

People also compare

Sources

  1. UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions, 'Peppers Ranked by Heat': Scotch Bonnet: 100,000-350,000
  2. NMSU Chile Pepper Institute, 'Heat' page (archived 19 Jun 2021): Scotch Bonnet: 350,000 tested
  3. NDSU Extension FN584 'From the Garden to the Table: Salsa!': Bird's Eye Chilli: 50,000-100,000
  4. UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions, 'Peppers Ranked by Heat': Bird's Eye Chilli: 50,000-100,000

Full source lists are on each pepper's page.