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

Dried chiles: the heart of Mexican flavor

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

Working with dried chiles 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 chiles

Ancho chile

It is the dried poblano chile. Color: dark red, almost black. Flavor: 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 chile that works in almost everything.

Guajillo chile

Color: bright red, smooth skin. Flavor: 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 chile that brings the most color to dishes.

Pasilla chile

It is the dried chilaca chile. Color: black, wrinkled skin. Flavor: 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 chile

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

Morita chile

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

Chile de árbol

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

Mulato chile

A variety of dried poblano chile (different from the ancho). Color: chocolate-black. Flavor: chocolatey, sweet, slightly bitter. Heat: low. Uses: mole poblano (it is one of the three chiles of the mole), dark salsas.

Technique 1: how to toast dried chiles

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

The comal method (dry pan):

1. Open the chiles 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 chiles, skin-side down
4. Press with a spatula for 10-15 seconds
5. Turn and repeat: 10-15 seconds more
6. The chiles should change color slightly, release their aroma and become flexible

Signs it is well toasted:

• An intense aroma that fills the kitchen
• The chile becomes flexible
• It changes color 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 chile
• A uniform black color (burnt, not toasted)

IMPORTANT: a burnt chile 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 chiles

After toasting, the chiles 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 chiles 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 chile: 20-25 minutes
• Ancho chile: 20-30 minutes
• Pasilla chile: 25-30 minutes
• Dried chipotle chile: 30-40 minutes

Quick method (microwave): place the chiles 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 chile combinations

Dried chiles are rarely used alone. The combinations are what create the complexity of Mexican flavor:

• Mole poblano: ancho + mulato + pasilla (the trinity of mole)
• Basic red salsa: guajillo + ancho (color 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 chiles

1. Not deveining: the veins and seeds bring a lot of heat but little flavor. 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 chiles turn bitter and lose flavor.
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 flavor.

Where to buy dried chiles in the US

Mexican dried chiles are increasingly accessible in the US:

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

Substitutions with European chiles

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

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

Mastering dried chiles 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.