Kevin's Fried Chicken

Kevin's Fried Chicken is a modern Capsicum chinense hybrid associated with Kevin Bane in the United States. The named pepper came from material Kevin received from an Italian grower or friend, and Kevin later described the line as a very hot and flavourful cross with another accidental cross occurring in his own field. That origin story gives the variety its core identity as a Kevin Bane selection built from Italian source stock and then shaped further in the United States.

The fruit is consistently described as a smaller version of the Fried Chicken pepper, but with the same heavily bumpy, craggy surface. Kevin's own description says the pods look more like nuggets, which matches the mature fruit shown in listings and grower images. Mature pods are orange, thickly wrinkled, squat to blocky, and often lobed or folded, with some fruit carrying a short pointed tail or hooked tip. The overall pod look is what drives the name, giving it a fried-chicken or nugget-like appearance rather than a long or smooth form.

Grower and vendor descriptions repeatedly present it as a heavy producer. Plants are noted for setting so much fruit that branches may need support under load. Available plant images show green foliage and a typical chinense habit, with some plants also showing darker purple-toned veining or stem colouring around the nodes and main veins while the leaf blades remain green.

Heat descriptions place it firmly in the superhot range, with published figures of 900000 to 1200000 SHU and repeated descriptions of a very hot burn. Seller notes describe it as not just hot but also strongly flavoured, with bright citrusy-grapefruit notes and some floral character. Review blurbs and grower-facing descriptions also place it as a useful pepper for sauces, powders, and other preparations where that flavour can carry through the heat.

By 2024 it was already appearing publicly under the Kevin's Fried Chicken name, and by 2025 to 2026 it had moved into seed catalogues and grower circulation more broadly. Within hobby chilli circles it stands out as a named superhot with a distinctive backstory and a very recognisable pod form, combining Kevin Bane's selection work, Italian source material, extreme heat, and the unusual nugget-like orange fruit that made the variety memorable.