Looking for a simple way to add a bit of kick to otherwise bland slow cooker meals? Try adding a can of green chiles straight from the pantry. From chicken chili to potato soup, green chiles are the key to unlocking deliciously spicy flavor in your next slow cooker recipe.

While green chiles may be a familiar ingredient to those who love to add heat to just about everything their tongue touches, the spice-averse have nothing to fear from the humble canned good. Every chile releases a compound called capsaicin, which our tastebuds perceive as heat. These levels are measured on the Scoville scale. For comparison, the more commonly consumed habanero sits at a tolerable 100,000 to 350,000 units.When it comes to the humble “green chile,” the most common types of pepper used in the canned product are milder varieties like Anaheim, Poblano, and Pasilla. These chiles rate much lower on the Scoville scale at roughly 1,000 to 2,500 units. 

Considering that the humble jalapeño weighs in at around 6,000 units, even the mildest palates can enjoy the warming heat that canned green chiles bring to the table. So, don’t be afraid to toss a few into your next batch of slow cooker chili for a little warming heat.