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<i>Phytophthora capsici</i> causes root and stem rot disease in Capsicum. However, molecular mechanisms underlying this pathosystem are little known. The use of elicitors as tools that trigger defense responses to biotic stresses to study molecular plant defense has increased. In this study, early defense induced in the susceptible cultivar <i>C. chinense</i> using three elicitors to assess its role during interaction with hemibiotrophic <i>P. capsici</i>. The response to infection by phenotypic analyses across the time during disease development in seedlings treated with elicitors was compared. Likewise; defense-gene expression were investigated by qRT-PCR. A total of five resistance genes were used as markers of signaling pathways mediated by jasmonate/ethylene (JA/ET) and salicylic acid (SA). Further, six R genes analogs (CcRGAS) related to oomycete-defense were employed. The results showed that elicitors MeJA and b-aminobutyric acid (BABA) slightly reduced disease symptoms. Moreover, MeJA or BABA treatments followed by challenge with <i>P. capsici</i> up-regulated the expression level of genes related to the JA/ET signaling pathway (<i>CcLOX2</i>, <i>CcPDF1</i> and <i>CcETR1</i>). Furthermore, MeJA treatment followed by challenge triggered a significant induction of de CcRGAS and CcRPP13 expression within 24 h of inoculation. This suggests that in the early defense mechanisms against <i>P. capsici</i> JA signaling plays an important role.