Recipes with ancho chillies
159 verified Mexican recipes with ancho chillies.
Ancho is the dried poblano: sweet, with raisin and chocolate notes, and barely hot. It gives body and depth to mole poblano, adobos for carnitas and cochinita, chile colorado, enchilada sauces and tacos al pastor marinades. Together with guajillo and pasilla it forms the 'holy trinity' of Mexican dried chillies.
This page gathers 159 verified Mexican recipes with ancho chillies, ordered A to Z — including Adobo de Cerdo (Pork in Dried Chilli Sauce), Michoacán-Style Pork Adobo, Veracruz-Style Chicken Adobo. Total times range from 10 to 900 minutes, so there are weeknight options as well as weekend pot-cooking projects. The quickest is Salsa de Chile Serrano (10 minutes in total). Indicative UK price: £4.99 per 100g (researched for our cost estimates).

Adobo de Cerdo (Pork in Dried Chilli Sauce)
Pork stewed in a thick dried chilli sauce with spices and vinegar, a traditional Mexican dish with an intense and deeply flavourful character.
75 minmedia6 servings
Michoacán-Style Pork Adobo
Pork in guajillo and ancho chilli sauce, Michoacán-style, sweet-sour and aromatic.
150 minmedia6 servings
Veracruz-Style Chicken Adobo
Veracruz chicken stewed in thick adobo of dried chillies, vinegar and spices.
90 minmedia6 servings
Marinated Skirt Steak
Citrus and chilli marinated skirt steak, grilled to perfection.
42 minmedia4 servings
Asado de Boda (Zacatecan Wedding Stew)
Traditional Zacatecan pork stew in a dried chilli and chocolate sauce served at celebrations.
130 minmedia8 servings
Asado de Chile Colorado Duranguense (Durango Pork in Red Chile Sauce)
Pork simmered in thick Durango red chile sauce.
120 minmedia6 servings
Northern Mexican Pork Roast in Red Chilli Sauce
Northern-style pork stewed in intense red dried chilli sauce, a festive favourite.
115 minmedia8 servings
Atapakua (Purepecha Pumpkin Seed Sauce)
Thick Purepecha sauce of pumpkin seeds and chillies, a culinary heritage of Michoacan.
55 minmedia6 servings
Lamb Barbacoa
Lamb slow-cooked in maguey leaves with chiles and spices.
330 mindificil12 servings
Pit-Roasted Barbacoa
Lamb slow-cooked overnight buried in an earth pit lined with maguey leaves.
600 mindificil20 servings
Chicken Barbacoa
Chicken marinated in chillies and spices, slow-cooked in the barbacoa style.
115 minmedia6 servings
Chicken Barbacoa in Maguey Leaves
Chicken marinated in achiote and chilli, wrapped in maguey leaves and slow-cooked.
180 minmedia6 servings
Beef Barbacoa
Beef cooked in maguey leaves with dried chilli adobo until it falls apart.
285 mindificil10 servings
Mushroom Barbacoa
Oyster mushrooms and portobello in a chilli marinade for vegan barbacoa-style tacos.
70 minmedia4 servings
Birria Curry
Birria Curry: receta de Fusión India-Mexicana (fusion) con chile, chiles, arroz. Auténtico sabor casero paso a paso.
115 minmedia4 servings
Birria de Barbacoa (Aguascalientes-Style Beef Birria)
Slow-cooked beef ribs in red chile adobo from Aguascalientes.
220 minmedia6 servings
Lamb Birria
Traditional lamb birria in a chilli adobo, slow-cooked until tender and shreddable.
300 mindificil8 servings
Jackfruit Birria
Birria de Jackfruit: receta de Moderno MX (vegano) con chile, chiles, guajillo. Auténtico sabor casero paso a paso.
60 minmedia4 servings
Beef Birria
Beef slow-cooked in a richly spiced chilli broth.
250 mindificil8 servings
Mushroom Birria
Vegan mushroom birria in a three-chilli adobo, a plant-based take on the classic Jaliscan stew.
70 minmedia4 servings
Birria Grilled Cheese with Consommé
Grilled cheese sandwich filled with birria and served with consommé dipping sauce.
270 minmedia4 servings
Birria Pizza (Mexican Birria-Topped Pizza)
Pizza with Oaxaca cheese, beef birria and consommé for dipping.
55 minmedia4 servings
Birria Ramen (Mexican-Japanese Fusion)
Japanese ramen noodles in Mexican birria broth, the most viral fusion dish of modern cuisine.
210 minmedia6 servings
Borrego al Pastor
Leg of lamb marinated in a northern Mexican adobo of chilli and achiote, slow-roasted.
900 mindificil8 servings
Barbacoa Bowl with Coriander-Lime Rice
Slow-braised beef barbacoa bowl with rice and beans.
210 minmedia6 servings
Chihuahua Pork in Red Chilli Burrito
Pork in red chilli sauce wrapped in a flour tortilla. The authentic Chihuahua burrito.
110 minmedia4 servings
Birria Burrito
Tex-Mex beef birria burrito with dipping consommé.
225 mindificil6 servings
Shredded Beef in Chilli Burrito
Shredded beef in red chilli sauce in a flour tortilla. A northern Mexico classic.
140 minmedia4 servings
Cabrito en Sangre (Kid Goat in Blood Sauce)
Suckling kid goat in its own blood sauce.
150 mindificil8 servings
Dried Prawn Broth
Lenten dried prawn broth with mulato chilli, ancho chilli and tomato, traditional at Easter.
65 minmedia8 servings
Goat Broth
Northern Mexican goat broth with dried chillies and spices
140 minmedia6 servings
Cucaracha Prawns (Sinaloa)
Prawns in dark dried chilli sauce from Sinaloa.
35 minmedia4 servings
Zarandeados Prawns (Nayarit Grilled Prawns)
Nayarit prawns marinated in chilli adobo and grilled over charcoal.
50 minmedia4 servings
Northern Mexican Carne Adovada (Red Chilli Marinated Pork)
Northern-style pork marinated in red chilli adobo and baked until fall-apart tender.
120 minmedia6 servings
Carne con Chile (Northern Beef Stew)
Northern Mexican beef stew with dried chilli sauce.
110 minmedia6 servings
Carne con Chile Sonorense (Sonoran Beef in Red Chilli Sauce)
Sonoran stew of beef in mild red chilli sauce.
80 minmedia6 servings
Carne Enchilada (Chilli-Rubbed Pork)
Pork marinated in chilli and annatto paste, grilled over coals. Chiapas and Oaxaca speciality.
50 minfacil4 servings
Enchilada Casserole
Baked enchilada casserole with chicken, red sauce and cheese.
65 minfacil8 servings
Cazuela de Mariscos (Mexican Seafood Casserole)
Coastal Mexican stew of mixed seafood in tomato sauce with ancho chilli and epazote.
45 minmedia4 servings
Cecina Enchilada (Chilli-Rubbed Dried Pork)
Paper-thin pork loin slices rubbed with a chilli paste and sun-dried, from Yecapixtla, Morelos.
45 minmedia4 servings
Pork in Ancho Chilli Adobo
Pork marinated and braised in a dense adobo of ancho chilli, vinegar, garlic and spices.
90 minmedia6 servings
Chacales de Chihuahua
Dried cracked corn stewed with red chilli, beans and dried beef from the Chihuahua highlands.
570 minmedia6 servings
Chanfaina (Mexican Offal Stew)
Pork offal braised in ancho chilli sauce with spices, a traditional stew of Arab-Spanish heritage.
135 mindificil6 servings
Red Chilaquiles
Crispy tortilla chips smothered in a rich red chilli sauce, topped with soured cream and fresh cheese.
35 minfacil4 servings
Chilatole Poblano (Puebla Chilli Corn Soup)
Thick Puebla broth of mulato chilli and cacahuazintle corn thickened with masa.
60 minmedia6 servings
Red Chilli Stew
Pork stewed in a rich dried red chilli sauce, northern Mexican style.
115 minmedia6 servings
Oaxacan Chileajo (Chilli and Garlic Pork Stew)
Oaxacan pork stew in a concentrated dried chilli and garlic sauce.
70 minmedia6 servings
Chiles Anchos Rellenos de Picadillo (Stuffed Dried Poblano Chillies)
Rehydrated ancho chilli stuffed with sweet fruit picadillo, Puebla style.
70 minmedia6 servings
Chiles Capones
Dried ancho chillies stuffed with fresh cheese in tomato sauce.
45 minmedia4 servings
Chilli con Carne
Authentic Texan chilli with cubed beef, dried chillies and cumin. No beans.
150 minmedia6 servings
Yucatecan Chilmole (Black Chilli Stew)
Yucatecan chicken stew in smoky burnt chilli black recado sauce.
90 minmedia6 servings
Chilorio (Sinaloan Shredded Pork)
Shredded pork in ancho chile adobo, Sinaloa's pride.
140 minmedia8 servings
Chicken Chilorio (Sinaloa)
Shredded chicken in dried chilli sauce, chilorio style.
60 minmedia6 servings
Mexican Chimichurri with Árbol Chilli and Mexican Oregano
Fusion chimichurri with coriander, árbol chilli and Mexican oregano, ideal for grilled meats.
15 minfacil8 servings
Slow-Cooked Adobo Goat (Chivo Tapeado)
Goat marinated in chilli and annatto adobo, slow-cooked in a sealed pot until tender.
210 minmedia6 servings
Homemade Mexican Chorizo
Ground pork seasoned with dried chillies, vinegar, and spices.
30 minmedia8 servings
Churipo (Purepecha Beef and Chilli Broth)
Purepecha beef broth with red chilli, served with corundas, heritage of Michoacan.
150 minmedia8 servings
Clemole (Pueblan Thickened Chilli Broth)
Thick Pueblan chicken broth with dried chillies, corn masa and seasonal vegetables.
90 minmedia6 servings
Puebla-Style Bean Clemole
Thick black bean broth with mulato and ancho chillies, a Puebla speciality.
60 minmedia6 servings
Cochito al Horno Chiapaneco (Chiapas Slow-Roasted Spiced Pork)
Whole young pig slow-roasted with achiote and spices in the Chiapas style.
300 mindificil12 servings
Showing the first 60 of 159. Filter more in the directory
Frequently asked questions
How many recipes with ancho chillies are there on Recetas Mexas?
We have 159 published Mexican recipes using ancho chillies, all with verified ingredients, steps and timings. A few examples: Adobo de Cerdo (Pork in Dried Chilli Sauce), Michoacán-Style Pork Adobo, Veracruz-Style Chicken Adobo.
What's the quickest recipe with ancho chillies?
Salsa de Chile Serrano, ready in 10 minutes in total. The rest of the recipes on this page range from 10 to 900 minutes.
How much does ancho chillies cost in the UK?
The indicative price we use in our cost estimates is £4.99 per 100g, researched across UK supermarkets and Mexican grocers. Each recipe page shows its calculated cost.
I've got ancho chillies and not much else — what can I cook?
Use our "What can I cook?" tool: tick ancho chillies plus whatever else you have at home and it tells you which recipes you can make in full and which are only one ingredient away.
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Recipes curated by Edmond Bojalil. Last updated: 2026-06-16.

Founder, Recetas Mexas
Mexican from Puebla, IT professional and foodie. Author of 1000+ authentic Mexican recipes adapted for home kitchens worldwide. Based in Madrid since 2018.
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