Ancho Chilies

The Complete Culinary Guide

The Basics

How-To Find/Choose/Prep

Cooking & Culinary Info

Nutrition & Science

What Are They?
Ancho chilies are dried, ripe poblano peppers (part of the highly variable species Capsicum annuum). Along with mulato and pasilla chilies, anchos are part of the 'Holy Trinity' of Mexican chilies, famous for their use in moles and related dishes. Like fresh poblanos, ancho chilies are generally low in heat, with a distinctive sweet, fruity flavour.
Where Can I Get Them?
Mexican and Central America grocery and specialty stores, some well-stocked supermarkets, and online.
Flavour Profile
Fruity, and moderately smoky, with raisin, coffee, and chocolate notes. Ancho chilies generally contribute fairly mild heat to recipes.
Other Names

Spanish: Chile ancho

Scoville Heat Units

1,000-2,000* (fairly mild)

*Some poblano peppers (and consequently some ancho chilies) are considerably hotter than others, even when originating on the same plant. If in doubt, taste a small sample.

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Ancho Chili FAQs

How are ancho and mulato chilies different?

Both chilies are dried poblanos, but they differ in their harvesting, and therefore in their flavours. Ancho chilies are harvested when they are just ripe, and not overly hot. Mulatos are allowed to mature longer and are harvested later. This makes them spicier, and gives them a more chocolaty taste than ancho chilies.

Are ancho chilies the same as poblano or pasilla peppers?

In short, no. Ancho chilies are a type of dried poblano pepper. Recipes that call for poblano peppers are generally specifying fresh, green (i.e. unripe) poblanos. Ancho and mulato chilies are both dried red (i.e. ripe) poblano peppers. Unfortunately, the names ancho and poblano can get swapped around sometimes in English-language recipes and resources.

Pasilla chilies are dried chilaca peppers (a completely separate variety), but for some reason the word 'pasilla' is often incorrectly applied to (fresh) poblanos, and even occasionally to dried ancho chilies.

How-To

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Find
Look for ancho chilies at Mexican and Central American grocery stores. Their popularity in Mexican cooking means that they can sometimes be found at well-stocked supermarkets, especially in areas with larger Hispanic populations. Many online vendors also sell ancho chilies. See below for more details.
Choose
Look for smooth, evenly coloured, unbroken chilies with no signs of mould. Dried ancho chilies should be somewhat soft and flexible - avoid extremely brittle chilies. Note that individual ancho chilies can vary in size considerably, ranging from 8-18 cm (3-7 inches). Bear this in mind when working with ancho chilies by quantity, rather than by weight.
Prep
Difficulty: Easy - Ancho chilies are generally prepared by removing the stems and, in many cases, the seeds. Many recipes call for the chilies to be toasted and/or soaked in hot water before using. See below for more details.
Use
Ancho chilies are most commonly used as dried, shelf-stable ingredient, or as a ground powder. Whole chilies are used to make a wider variety of sauces, stews, and salsas. Fresh/raw poblano peppers are also widely used, but are not interchangeable with ancho chilies from a culinary perspective.
Store
Short Term (up to 6 months): Keep dried chilies (or chili powders) in an airtight container in a dark cupboard. Chili peppers are especially attractive to certain insect pests (e.g. cigarette beetles), so ensure that the container truly is air-tight!
Long Term (up to 1 year): Store in a sealed bag or container and freeze.

FINDING ANCHO CHILIES

Mexican and Central American grocers are generally going to be your best bet, but there are other options if you don't have easy access to these. Well-stocked supermarkets and/or specialty/organic grocery stores may stock ancho chilies in the Mexican section, though this is less common in areas without large Hispanic populations. Ancho chili powder can be more common, and can make an acceptable substitute in many recipes (see substitution notes below). If local stores aren't an option for you, look for online spice sellers and chili peppers specialists. Make sure you're ordering your chilies from a company with relatively high turnover and quality guarantees; peppers that have sat on the shelf for a couple of years are going to be disappointing.

Fresh (i.e. undried) green poblano peppers are fairly common in many grocery stores in North America, but it should be noted that these are not the same as ancho chilies, which are made from dried ripe (red) poblano peppers.

Ancho chili seeds can also be purchased for cultivating your own plants, which makes it possible for dedicated DIY-ers to make their own ancho and/or mulato chilies.

PREPARING ANCHO CHILIES

Ancho chilies don't require a a great deal of preparation, though the particular method(s) necessary will vary from recipe to recipe. As a general rule, the stems are removed and discarded, and the pepper is sliced open to discard the seeds (though this is often optional depending on the desired heat of the final dish, as the seeds and membranes are the spiciest part of the pepper).

Ancho chilies, likes many other dried chilies, are often toasted in a dry pan to accentuate their flavour. The toasted chilies are then generally rehydrated in warm water or stock, then used (plus or minus the flavourful soaking liquid) in a recipe. In some cases, they're added directly to a soup or sauce, especially if the end result is pureed. The particular method necessary are usually specified in a given recipe, but these basic principles can easily be used by the cook looking to create or adapt a recipe featuring anchos.

Whole ancho chilies are easily dried and pulverized in a spice grinder, food processor, or large mortar and pestle to create chili flakes. Discard the stems before crushing, and (if desired) remove the seeds for a milder end product. Finely ground chili powder is a little harder to achieve at home because of lingering moisture and the tough skins of the chilies, but it can be made by further drying chili flakes and running them through a good spice grinder. Do not try to grind ancho chilies without toasting/drying them first, as they generally contain enough residual moisture to make the end product somewhat gummy.

Culinary Info

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Flavour Profile
Fruity, with raisin, coffee, and chocolate notes. Ancho chilies are generally not smoked, but nevertheless are often described as having a slightly smoky flavour. Ancho chilies are fairly mild, and generally do not contribute a great deal of spiciness/heat to recipes.
Substitutions
Mulato and pasilla chilies have similar (but certainly not identical) characteristics, and can often be used in place of (or in addition to) ancho chilies. Ground ancho chili powder, which can be more readily available, can also make a good substitute in some places. See Substitution Note below for more information.
Cuisines
Ancho chilies are most commonly used in Mexican and Tex-Mex cooking. They're particularly conspicuous and important in many of the famous mole sauces from Puebla and Oaxaca. Anchos are part of the "Holy Trinity" of dried chilies, and enjoy considerable popularity in a wide variety of dishes.
Flavour Pairings
Tomato, cumin, oregano, dried fruits, cinnamon, beans, citrus, and meats, to name a few. Ancho chilies pair very well with other chilies (especially red guajillos and smoky chipotles), and are frequently combined with them to create rich and complex sauces, adobos, salsas, etc.
Varieties
Ancho chilies are fairly uniform, without any particularly distinctive culinary varieties. Note that mulato chilies are a separate variety of dried, mature poblano pepper. Smoked anchos can occasionally be found.

Ancho chilies are prized for their distinctive flavour, and while it's true that no other chili tastes exactly the same, there are several others that are similar enough to swap in for them in various settings. The other two members of the Mexican chili 'Holy Trinity,' the mulato and pasilla chilies, both feature similar fruity, dark, rich flavour profiles. Mulatos are biologically very similar, coming from the same pepper variety (the poblano), but pasillas are actually a little closer in terms of flavour. Pasillas have a similar raisin-like flavour, but tend to be a bit earthier and less fruity. They also tend to be a bit spicier. Mulatos tend to be a bit more chocolaty, with notes of cherry and licorice. They also tend to be spicier than anchos - sometimes considerably so.

Ancho chili powder is somewhat common in grocery stores and bulk stores in North America, and can be used in place of whole ancho chilies - with some caveats. Dried chili powders tend to lose fruitiness and flavour complexity much faster than their whole counterparts, and can sometimes taste a little flat. If you are using ground ancho chili powder, try to ensure that it's very fresh. There's also the issue of substitution quantity, as a whole pepper doesn't translate easily to a quantity of dried chili. You can experiment with quantities, but as a general rule one average-sized ancho chili translates to around 4-5 teaspoons of ancho chili powder.

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Nutrition
Exceptionally high in Vitamins C and K and moderately high in a variety of other vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients.
GMO Status
Non-GMO - there are no genetically modified or genetically engineered chili peppers in the food supply.
Health & Science
Ancho chilies contain pungent chemical capsaicin, which is responsible for the fiery flavour of chilies in general. Beyond its significant culinary importance, capsaicin is also a frequent subject of scientific and medical research. That being said, anchos contain far less capsaicin (and are therefore much milder) than many other chilies.
Organic vs. Conventional
Poblano peppers and their dried products (ancho and mulato chilies) may be grown using conventional or organic agricultural methods. Organic certification can be found for some products.