Top 6 Varieties of Dried Chilies

These are the more popular dried chilies, with a short description of what they look and taste like, as well as what the pepper is called before drying. These dried peppers are listed from the mildest to the hottest.

Ancho Pepper (also named Pasillas):
The ancho is the dried form of the poblano chile. It is a very dark brown and wide chile. Anchos have the most flesh of any chile, and their pulp has a little bitter flavor combined with a sweetness, similar to raisins. They are usually a very mild pepper, but every so often one has a little heat to it.

Guajillo:
These are a tapered pepper with a smooth, shiny, reddish skin. It has a tart, medium-hot flavor. When the guajillo is soaked and pureed, it gives the food it is in an orange color. Dried Anaheim peppers are sometimes referred to as guajillos, but they are generally bigger and milder.

Pasilla:
With a long, skinny, black, and slightly wrinkled skin, the pasilla has a stronger, very satisfying flavor for any number of dishes. These chiles range in heat from medium-hot to hot. On the west coast of Mexico and the United States, the fresh peppers are also called pasillas.

Red Chile (Chile Colorado): This is actually the dried form of the Anaheim pepper. In New Mexico and West Texas, red ripe chiles are hung on strings and dried in the side. The chiles are then sold whole or in a pulverized form. These chiles have varying heat levels, usually from hot to very hot. Sometimes the guajillo is used as a substitution.

Chipotle Pepper:
This is a smoked and dried jalapeno. It is a small, wrinkled, and slightly brown chile. The chipotle has an intense, rich, smoky flavor that is usually very hot. Smoking jalapenos has been very popular in Mexico since long before settlers from Spain arrived.

Canned chipotles are readily found in supermarkets today, and they can be used in most recipes that call for the dried variety. They come soaked in a vinegary sauce called adobo. All you have to do is stem and seed them, then puree them with some of the sauce from the can.

Chile de Arbol:
This is a small, shiny red chile with a thin tapering body of about 3 inches long. This dried chile has a high heat level, and is usually chopped and simmered with tomatoes to make a table hot sauce.

Billy is the writer and editor for Food in Texas, a website devoted to the celebration of traditional homemade Texas Food. With simple recipes and cooking ideas that bring out the best in classic Texas cuisine, Food in Texas is creating its own culinary legacy.