A guide to dried chillies: how to toast, rehydrate and use them

Dried chillies: the heart of Mexican flavour

If French cooking is built on its mother sauces, Mexican cooking is built on its dried chillies. They are the ingredient that gives depth, colour, aroma and complexity to most Mexican dishes, from the most elaborate moles to the simplest salsas.

Working with dried chillies requires technique. It is not enough to throw them into the stew: you must know how to toast them, rehydrate them and combine them to draw out their full potential. This guide will teach you, step by step, how to master this fundamental art.

The essential dried chillies

Ancho chilli

It is the dried poblano chilli. Colour: dark red, almost black. Flavour: sweet, fruity, with notes of prune and chocolate. Heat: low (1,000-2,000 SHU). Uses: mole poblano, red enchiladas, adobos, mild salsas. It is the all-rounder chilli that works in almost everything.

Guajillo chilli

Colour: bright red, smooth skin. Flavour: tangy, earthy, with notes of green tea. Heat: low to medium (2,500-5,000 SHU). Uses: red salsas, adobos, birria, tamales. It is the chilli that brings the most colour to dishes.

Pasilla chilli

It is the dried chilaca chilli. Colour: black, wrinkled skin. Flavour: bitter, herbal, with notes of liquorice and dried fruit. Heat: medium (1,000-4,000 SHU). Uses: black mole, dark salsas, fillings. It brings depth and complexity.

Chipotle chilli

It is the ripe jalapeño chilli, dried and smoked. Colour: dark brown. Flavour: intensely smoky, sweet, with notes of tobacco and chocolate. Heat: medium-high (5,000-10,000 SHU). Uses: smoky salsas, meat adobos, tinga.

Morita chilli

Similar to the chipotle but smaller and more intensely smoked. Colour: dark purple. Flavour: deeply smoky, slightly sweet. Heat: medium-high. Uses: table salsas, adobos, stews.

Chile de árbol

Colour: bright red, thin and elongated. Flavour: direct heat, with herbal and nutty notes. Heat: high (15,000-30,000 SHU). Uses: hot table salsas, infused oils, garnish. It is the chilli of heat.

Mulato chilli

A variety of dried poblano chilli (different from the ancho). Colour: chocolate-black. Flavour: chocolatey, sweet, slightly bitter. Heat: low. Uses: mole poblano (it is one of the three chillies of the mole), dark salsas.

Technique 1: how to toast dried chillies

Toasting is the first and most important step. Toasting a dried chilli activates its essential oils, intensifies its flavour and makes rehydration easier.

The comal method (dry pan):

1. Open the chillies with your hands or scissors and remove the seeds and veins (unless you want more heat)
2. Heat a comal or large pan over a medium heat (no oil)
3. Place the opened chillies, skin-side down
4. Press with a spatula for 10-15 seconds
5. Turn and repeat: 10-15 seconds more
6. The chillies should change colour slightly, release their aroma and become flexible

Signs it is well toasted:

• An intense aroma that fills the kitchen
• The chilli becomes flexible
• It changes colour slightly (lighter on the inside)
• Small blisters appear on the skin

Signs you have gone too far:

• Black smoke
• A burnt smell
• A rigid, brittle chilli
• A uniform black colour (burnt, not toasted)

IMPORTANT: a burnt chilli is bitter and beyond saving. It is better to fall short than to overdo it. If it burns, throw it away and start again.

Technique 2: how to rehydrate dried chillies

After toasting, the chillies are rehydrated so they can be blended into salsas and adobos.

Classic method (hot water):

1. Boil water in a pot
2. Remove from the heat
3. Submerge the toasted chillies in the hot water
4. Cover with a plate to keep them submerged
5. Leave to rest for 20-30 minutes until soft
6. Drain and reserve the water (it is liquid gold for salsas)

Rehydration times:

• Chile de árbol: 10-15 minutes
• Guajillo chilli: 20-25 minutes
• Ancho chilli: 20-30 minutes
• Pasilla chilli: 25-30 minutes
• Dried chipotle chilli: 30-40 minutes

Quick method (microwave): place the chillies in a bowl with water, cover with cling film and heat for 3 minutes. Leave to rest for 10 minutes. It is not ideal but works in emergencies.

Classic chilli combinations

Dried chillies are rarely used alone. The combinations are what create the complexity of Mexican flavour:

• Mole poblano: ancho + mulato + pasilla (the trinity of mole)
• Basic red salsa: guajillo + ancho (colour and sweetness)
• Birria: guajillo + ancho + de árbol (sweet-spicy balance)
• Pastor adobo: guajillo + ancho + chipotle + achiote
• Salsa macha: de árbol + morita + garlic fried in oil
• Oaxacan black mole: chilhuacle negro + mulato + pasilla + chipotle

Common mistakes when working with dried chillies

1. Not deveining: the veins and seeds bring a lot of heat but little flavour. Remove them if you want to control the heat level.
2. Soaking in boiling water: the water should be hot but not boiling. Excess heat draws out bitterness.
3. Soaking for too long: more than 45 minutes and the chillies turn bitter and lose flavour.
4. Not straining the salsa: for smooth salsas, strain after blending to remove skins.
5. Blending without toasting: toasting first makes an enormous difference to the flavour.

Where to buy dried chillies in the UK

Mexican dried chillies are increasingly accessible in the UK:

• Specialist Mexican shops: check our map of shops for the nearest one
• Online: a limited but growing range
• Markets: some spice stalls include Mexican chillies
• Specialist online shops: several Mexican retailers in the UK deliver nationwide

Substitutions with European chillies

If you cannot find Mexican chillies, these are approximations with Spanish products available in the UK:

• Ancho chilli → ñora (similar in sweetness, less complex)
• Guajillo chilli → dried choricero chilli
• Chipotle chilli → smoked paprika from La Vera (only the smokiness, not the heat)
• Chile de árbol → dried guindilla

Mastering dried chillies is mastering Mexican cooking. With this guide and the right ingredients, you have everything you need to make authentic salsas, moles and adobos. Explore our recipes to put what you have learned into practice and discover more on our Mexican cooking blog.