Ancho
Chile Ancho
About This Chile
The ancho chile is simply a dried poblano pepper, and it's the single most widely used dried chile in all of Mexican cooking. Its name means 'wide,' referring to its broad, flat, heart-like shape. The wrinkled, dark reddish-brown skin has a leathery texture. With very mild heat and a complex sweetness reminiscent of dried fruit, the ancho forms the base of most moles, adobos, and red enchilada sauces. It's one of the 'holy trinity' of Mexican dried chiles alongside guajillo and pasilla.
Flavor Profile
Sweet and fruity with prominent notes of raisin, dried plum, and a hint of chocolate. The mildest and sweetest of the common dried chiles.
How to Use
Remove stem and seeds. Toast briefly in a dry skillet until pliable and fragrant (about 15–20 seconds per side — anchos burn easily). Soak in hot water for 20 minutes. Blend into sauces, or tear into pieces and grind into powder for a convenient seasoning.
Common Uses
Ancho Chile vs Other Dried Chiles
Ancho is the mildest and sweetest of the common dried chiles. Here's how it compares to the other dried chiles you'll encounter in Mexican recipes:
Sweet, tangy, berry-like with green tea notes
Best for: Red sauces, pozole, enchilada sauce, birria
vs. Ancho: Brighter and more tangy where ancho is sweet and fruity. Produces a vibrant red sauce vs. ancho's deeper brown-red. Both are mild.
Herbaceous, slightly bitter, earthy with berry undertones
Best for: Mole negro, salsas, enchilada sauce
vs. Ancho: More herbaceous and bitter where ancho is sweet and fruity. Darker color. Together with ancho and guajillo, they form the 'holy trinity' of Mexican dried chiles.
Chocolatey, smoky-sweet, licorice undertones
Best for: Mole poblano, complex sauces
vs. Ancho: The closest relative — also a dried poblano, just a different variety. More chocolatey and slightly smoky where ancho is fruity. Harder to find outside Latin markets.
Deeply smoky, moderate heat, meaty depth
Best for: Adobo marinades, salsas, soups, stews
vs. Ancho: Completely different character — smoke-dried jalapeño vs. air-dried poblano. Chipotle is hotter, smokier, and more intense. Not a substitute for ancho.
How to Make Ancho Chile Powder at Home
Homemade ancho chile powder is fresher and more flavorful than store-bought. It takes about 10 minutes:
Toast
Remove the stems and seeds from 4–5 dried ancho chiles. Tear them into flat pieces. Toast in a dry skillet over medium heat for 15–20 seconds per side until puffed, fragrant, and slightly darkened. Don't burn them — anchos go from toasted to bitter quickly.
Cool & Break
Let the toasted chiles cool completely (about 5 minutes). They should be dry and brittle. Break them into small pieces with your hands — the smaller the pieces, the easier they'll grind.
Grind
Pulse in a spice grinder or blender until you have a fine powder. Sift through a mesh strainer to remove any large pieces, then grind those again. Store in an airtight jar — it keeps for 3–4 months but is best used within a few weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an ancho chile?
An ancho chile is a dried poblano pepper. When fresh poblano peppers are left to ripen fully on the plant (turning from green to deep red), then picked and dried, they become ancho chiles. The drying process concentrates the sugars and develops the complex, sweet, fruity flavor with notes of raisin and chocolate. "Ancho" means "wide" in Spanish, referring to the chile's broad, flat shape.
Are ancho chiles spicy?
Ancho chiles are one of the mildest dried chiles, rated 1,000–2,000 on the Scoville scale (about 2/10 on our heat scale). For comparison, a jalapeño is 2,500–8,000 SHU. Most people find anchos pleasantly warm rather than hot. The dominant sensation is sweetness and fruitiness, not heat. They're a great starting point for cooks who are nervous about using dried chiles.
What's another name for ancho chiles?
Ancho chiles are also called "dried poblano peppers" or sometimes "chile ancho." In some regions they're labeled "pasilla" (which is technically a different chile — this mislabeling is common in California). The fresh version is a poblano pepper. When the same poblano is smoked instead of air-dried, it becomes a chipotle chile.
What's the difference between ancho and guajillo?
Both are mild dried chiles, but they have distinctly different flavors. Guajillo chiles are tangy, slightly fruity, and produce a bright red sauce. Ancho chiles are sweeter, more complex, with raisin and chocolate notes, producing a darker, richer sauce. Guajillos have a smooth, shiny skin while anchos are wrinkled. Many Mexican recipes use both together — the guajillo provides color and tang while the ancho adds depth and sweetness.
Best Substitutes
Mulato chile
Very similar — also a dried poblano variety but darker, with more chocolate notes and less fruitiness.
Pasilla chile
More herbaceous and slightly bitter, but works in most recipes. Will darken the sauce color.
Guajillo chile
Different flavor profile (tangy vs. sweet) but similar mild heat level. Sauce will be brighter red.