Thai Bird's Eye Chilli

Capsicum annuum (nightshade)

Also known as: Thai Chilli, Prik Kee Noo

A small but ferociously hot chilli, native to Mexico but grown extensively across Thailand and Southeast Asia, where it's simply known as "Thai chilli." Slender, tapering pods start green and ripen to a vivid red, growing thickly on bushy, prolific plants. Its Thai name, "prik kee noo," translates literally to "mouse-dropping chilli," a nod to its diminutive size — though there's nothing small about the heat it delivers. A cornerstone of Thai, Vietnamese, and Indonesian cooking, essential in curry pastes, dipping sauces, and sambals, and just as good fresh, dried, or ground. Hot heat of around 50,000–100,000 Scoville Heat Units.

Days to harvest 90–100 days
Fruit size 2–5cm, slender, tapering
Sowing depth 5mm
Germination 7–14 days at 24–29°C.
Spacing 30–45cm apart
Aspect Full sun, well-drained soil
Frost tolerance Frost sensitive — needs reliably warm nights

Growing notes

Choose a full-sun, sheltered spot with good airflow. Thrives in heat and humidity, and will produce prolifically through a long, warm season. Suits 15-20L pots.

Soil preparation: Rich, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter, pH 5.5–7.0.

Support: Rarely needed given the compact, bushy habit, though a light stake can help once heavily loaded with fruit.

Watering & feeding: Water consistently and avoid letting the soil dry out. Feed lightly and regularly with a liquid fertiliser once flowering begins.

Harvest: Wear gloves when picking and handling — the heat lingers on skin. Pick once pods reach full size and colour to encourage continued fruiting. Can be used green or fully ripened red.

Timing: Expect first harvest around 90–100 days after transplanting, with continued heavy cropping through the warm months.

Key features

  • Open-pollinated heirloom, native to Mexico, naturalised across Southeast Asia
  • Hot heat — 50,000–100,000 Scoville Heat Units.
  • Small, slender, tapering pods to 2–5cm
  • Sharp, bright, immediate heat with fruity notes
  • Highly prolific, bushy plants
  • Essential for curry pastes, sambals, and dipping sauces

Short season tips

Best started indoors on heat mats — this variety needs 24–29°C soil to germinate reliably. Sow 8–10 weeks before the last frost or purchase as 6–8-week-old seedlings. Transplant into the garden only once soil temperature has reliably warmed to at least 15–16°C, and nights are consistently above 13°C. Avoid disturbing roots when transplanting — chillies resent being moved and stall easily. A long, warm season brings the heaviest yields from this prolific variety.

  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Fall

Tender perennial — most often grown as an annual

  • Basil (particularly good for capsicums and chillies) Marigolds Onion Carrots
  • Other nightshades (tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes) Fennel

Despite its strong association with Thai cooking, this chilli is genuinely native to Mexico, arriving in Southeast Asia with Portuguese traders in the 15th century. Thailand's warm, humid climate proved ideal for the variety, leading to extensive local cultivation and selection over the following centuries. Today it's fundamental to the region's cuisine, essential in curry pastes, nam pla prik, and countless dipping sauces across Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and beyond.