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Recado Negro - Charred Chilli Spice Paste from Yucatán

Name: Recado Negro - Charred Chilli Spice Paste from Yucatán
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 60 ml Sour orange vinegar or white wine vinegar; 3 Cloves; 1 tsp Dried Mexican oregano; 6 cloves Garlic; to taste Salt; 8 Black peppercorns; 0.5 tsp Cumin seeds; 6 Mulato chilli; 30 g Achiote paste; 2 cm Cinnamon stick

50 min (30 prep + 20 cook) Hard 8 servings Yucatán

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 27 Mar 2026 · Updated: 13 May 2026

Carbonised chilli and spice paste from Yucatán, base of relleno negro, with an utterly unique flavour.

About this recipe

Recado negro is the darkest and most complex spice paste in Yucatecan cookery, the indispensable base of relleno negro - one of the most important dishes in Maya gastronomy. It is made by completely charring mulato chillies until carbonised, then grinding them with more than ten spices, roasted garlic and sour orange vinegar, creating an intensely black paste with a flavour that has no parallel in any other cuisine in the world.

History & Origin

Recado negro is one of the most fascinating culinary legacies of Maya civilisation. Unlike other Mexican spice pastes that use toasted chillies, recado negro requires completely carbonising the chillies until they become charcoal - a technique that seems counterintuitive but generates unique flavour compounds that cannot be obtained any other way. The word recado (from the Spanish recaudo, condiment) denotes in Yucatán the ground spice pastes that serve as bases for stews, marinades and moles. Yucatecan recados have deep pre-Hispanic roots: the Maya were already grinding spices with achiote, pumpkin seeds and chillies on their metates long before the Spanish arrival. Relleno negro - the dish for which recado negro is essential - is a stew of turkey or chicken in black sauce with a pork picadillo filling, served primarily at weddings, baptisms and family celebrations throughout the Yucatán Peninsula. Preparing recado negro at home is increasingly uncommon as it requires time, multiple difficult-to-source spices and the skill to char without burning. The most traditional Yucatecan families keep their own recipes with variations in the spice blend that are passed down from generation to generation.

Estimated cost

£8.00

Total cost

£1.00

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

Calories

Protein

Carbohydrates

Fat

Fibre

200mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Place the mulato chillies on the comal over high heat. Char them completely until they are entirely black inside and out. This process takes 10–15 minutes. Ventilate the kitchen well - the smoke is intense.
💡 Do not be afraid to char them completely - this carbonisation is what gives recado negro its unique colour and flavour.
2
Leave the charred chillies to cool. Open them and remove the stalks. Soak in hot water for 20 minutes to lightly rehydrate them.
3
Dry-toast on the comal: the garlic cloves in their skins until golden, then the black peppercorns, cumin, cloves, cinnamon and oregano briefly until fragrant. Peel the garlic.
💡 Toast the spices separately as each requires a different time.
4
In a blender or food processor, grind the drained chillies (seeds removed), roasted garlic, all the toasted spices, achiote paste, sour orange vinegar and salt. Process until you have a thick, homogeneous paste. Add a little water if needed to help blending.
💡 The paste should be black, thick and dense. If it is too liquid, cook it in a pan for a few minutes.
5
Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Use as the base for relleno negro, poultry marinade or seasoning for Yucatecan stews.