Understanding dried chiles is key to understanding Tex-Mex and Mexican cooking. They are the workhorse of Tex-Mex and Mexican kitchens. Their flavors vary widely from fruity and raisiny to acidic and smoky. The heat levels (measured in SHU units on the Scoville Scale) can vary from just perceptible to volcanic.
It’s not only important to know how to use them; it’s also important to know how to buy them. Dried chiles should not be dried so much that they are hard and break, rather than being soft and somewhat pliable. If they are too old and too dry, you will lose a lot of the complexity offered by the chiles.
Below you’ll find a list of chile peppers commonly used in Mexico and the United States. I’ve added a link to quality sources of each pepper, a general description, and some recipes for some of them.
Guajillo Chile
- Source Chile: Mirasol
- Scoville Scale: 2,500 – 5,000
- Flavor Notes: Sweet, smoky, and crisp.
- Comments: Tough skins. It’s best to strain any sauces made from them. One of the three most popular dried chiles in Mexico.
- Where to buy: Amazon
Recipes
Ancho Chile
- Source Chile: Poblano
- Scoville Scale: 1,000 – 1,500
- Flavor Notes: Mildly smoky, lightly sweet, raisiny.
- Comments: Sometimes mislabeled as pasilla. An ancho should have wrinkly flesh whereas a pasilla has smooth flesh. One of the three most popular dried chiles in Mexico.
- Where to buy: Amazon
Recipes
Arbol Chile
- Source Chile: Arbol
- Scoville Scale: 15,000 – 30,000
- Flavor Notes: Slightly grassy, acidic, and nutty.
- Where to buy: Amazon
Recipes
Cascabel Chile
- Source Chile: Chile Bola
- Scoville Scale: 1,000 – 3,000
- Flavor Notes: Lightly tart, smoky, and nutty.
- Where to buy: Amazon
Recipes
Pasilla Chile
Also called: Pasilla Negro or Chile Negro
- Source Chile: Chilaca
- Scoville Scale: 1,000 – 2,500
- Flavor Notes: Earthy and smoky flavor with a subtle fruitiness. One of the three most popular dried chiles in Mexico.
- Comments: Sometimes mislabeled as Ancho. A pasilla should have smooth flesh whereas an ancho has wrinkly flesh.
- Where to buy: Amazon
Recipes
Pasilla de Oaxaca Chile
Also called: Pasilla Oaxaqueno or Chipotle de Navidad
- Source Chile: Chilaca
- Scoville Scale: 4,000 – 10,000
- Flavor Notes: Complex, strong smoky flavor with hints of tobacco.
- Comments: Hard to find. A smoked variant of the pasilla.
- Where to buy: Amazon
Mulato Chile
- Source Chile: Fully ripe poblano
- Scoville Scale: 2,000 – 3,000
- Flavor Notes: The most intensely fruity of the dried chiles. Notes of chocolate, licorice, and cherry.
- Where to buy: Amazon
Puya Chile
Also called: Pulla
- Source Chile: Puya
- Scoville Scale: 5,000 – 8,000
- Flavor Notes: Like a smaller, hotter guajillo with a strong fruity flavor..
- Where to buy: Amazon
New Mexico Chile
Also called: Chile del Norte
- Source Chile: Red anaheim
- Scoville Scale: 750 – 1,250
- Flavor Notes: Lightly pungent, sweet, and smoky.
- Where to buy: Amazon
Chipotle Meco
Also called: Chipotle Tipico
- Source Chile: Smoked, dried red jalapeno
- Scoville Scale: 5,000 – 10,000
- Flavor Notes: More intense and rich than chipotle moras due to a longer smoking time. Smoky and subtly sweet with a tobacco toastiness.
- Where to buy: Amazon
Recipes
Chipotle Morita
Also called: Chipotle Mora
- Source Chile: Smoked, dried green jalapeno
- Scoville Scale: 2,500 – 10,000
- Flavor Notes: Smoky, with a touch of woodsy sweetness. Milder in flavor than a chipotle meco due to a shorter smoking time.
- Where to buy: Amazon
Chiltepin Chiles
- Source Chile: Chiltepin
- Scoville Scale: 50,000 – 100,000
- Flavor Notes: Smoky and earthy
- Comments: The chiltepin is the official State Native Pepper of Texas, with the jalapeno being the Official State Pepper of Texas.
- Where to buy: Amazon
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