Cubanelle peppers are considered a sweet pepper, although they have a little heat. Cubanelle peppers are also called Italian Frying Peppers, because they are often eaten fried in oil. They are usually light green or yellow. Cubanelle peppers have 0-1,000 Scoville Heat Units, so when selecting a substitute for this hard-to-find pepper, it’s important to pick a mild pepper. Read below to find out the 4 best Cubanelle pepper substitutes.
1. Banana Pepper
Banana peppers are the best choice for a Cubanelle pepper substitute. They have a mild, tangy taste and are often found pickled. They are usually very accessible at grocery stores. Banana peppers have 0-500 Scoville Heat Units so they are slightly milder than Cubanelle peppers. These peppers will fairly seamlessly replace Cubanelle peppers in most recipes.
2. Anaheim Pepper
Anaheim chile peppers originate from New Mexico, and are easier to find in stores in the United States than Cubanelle peppers. They are much milder than Calabrian chili so you may need to use more to get the same heat as the Calabrian chili. Anaheim chiles are sometimes known as New Mexico Chilis or Hatch Chili Peppers. They are very versatile and can be found in a variety of forms, such as jarred and pickled. Anaheim chiles are named after the city of Anaheim, California after they were brought there from New Mexico.
3. Poblano Pepper
Poblano peppers are a great Mexican pepper with a mild heat level. When Poblanos are red they can be hotter than the green variety. They are very fleshy and versatile and can easily be found in stores, either fresh or dried. When they are dried, they are called Ancho peppers. Keep in mind that they are slightly spicier than Cubanelle peppers, so you will need less in your recipe to get the right heat level. They also aren’t as sweet as Cubanelle peppers.
4. Bell Pepper
Bell Peppers are almost always available at every grocery store, and have a very mild, sweet flavor. They have no heat, so they may not be a good substitute if you’re looking for the slight kick that Cubanelle peppers have. They are somewhat blander than Cubanelle peppers, but if you have a recipe where the flavor of the pepper is not that important, then Bell Peppers would make a fine substitute.
