What Are Ancho chilies and How Can I Use Them?
Wondering what to do with ancho chilies? This guide covers how to pick them, cook them, store them, and swap them, plus 59 recipes to put them to work.
What are ancho chilies?
Dried Ancho chili peppers are normally mild and sweet but can sometimes be slightly spicy, typically used in making chili powder or added to numerous authentic Mexican recipes.
Ancho chillies are heart-shaped and a dark red-brown color. When fresh, Ancho chillies are know as poblanos or poblano peppers. It is a large Mexican chili pepper.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 pepper (17g)Quick facts
Where to find ancho chilies: Ancho chilies are usually found in the mexican section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
Food group: Ancho chilies are a member of the Vegetables and Vegetable Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
- In Chinese
- 安乔辣椒
- British (UK) term
- Ancho chilies
- en français
- piments ancho
- en español
- chiles ancho
How much do ancho chilies weigh?
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 pepper | 17 grams |
Related
Vegetables and Vegetable Products
Recipes using ancho chilies
There are 59 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Best Black Bean Chili
Black bean chili built on home-ground spices and dried ancho chile. Vegetarian, vegan-adaptable, with toasted cumin and homemade chili powder. Serve over melted cheese with creme fraiche and roasted poblanos.
Spicy Steamed Mussels
The recipe blends equal amounts of gueuze and Chardonnay to make these mussels fragrant, and adds Cajun spices for heat. We suggest a farmhouse ale in the Flemish tradition to pair with the mussels.
Savory Tortilla Soup
This soup came out so tasty and flavorful. The pan-fried tortilla strips added some nice crunch, and I also served the soup with some sour cream, Monterey Jack cheese, cilantro and scallions. It was an easy, light yet tasty soup.
Sopa de Tortilla (Vegetarian Tortilla Soup)
There are many variations of classic Mexican tortilla soup. In this vegetarian version (feel free to substitute chicken for the tofu for a non-veg version) the rich broth is flavored with earthy ancho (New Mexican) chillies and made more filling by adding some kale that retains it's texture well in a hot soup.
Authentic Homemade Chili Powder
Store bought chili powder lacks authentic flavor. We like to make our own homemade chili powder which adds a tremendous boost to Chili, Tex-Mex or Mexican recipes.
Mancha Manteles
Mancha Manteles, the Mexican 'tablecloth stainer,' simmers turkey and chorizo in a rich mole of ancho, pasilla, and serrano chiles, almonds, and sesame, sweetened with pineapple, apple, and banana. Sweet, smoky, and spicy.
Mole De Guajolote (Turkey in Mole Sauce)
Mole de guajolote is a traditional Mexican turkey in mole sauce made from scratch with ancho, mulato, and pasilla chilies, chocolate, sesame seeds, peanuts, and warm spices.
Latigo Chili
Latigo chili is a serious Tex-Mex three-meat chili of brisket, venison, and pork simmered with ancho chiles, beer, tequila, and staged cumin additions. Built for a crowd of 20.
Taco Lentils
Taco lentils simmer green lentils until tender, then bake them in a smoky pureed ancho chile and tomato sauce spiced with cumin and chili. A high-protein, high-fiber vegan stand-in for taco meat.
Fried Chicken Breasts Rubbed in Ancho Peppers
Fried chicken breasts rubbed in ancho peppers: chicken slathered in a rich ancho chile paste, then dredged in a chili-spiked cornmeal coating for a shatteringly crisp, Southwestern-spiced crust. A bold twist on classic fried chicken.
Red Chile Pesto Clams
Red chile pesto clams with ancho and dried red chiles, roasted garlic, pine nuts, and oregano blended into a smoky, spicy pesto spooned over steamed clams. A Mexican-Italian fusion seafood bowl.
Theresa's Short-Skirt Chili
Texas-style skirt steak chili with grilled honey-soy marinated beef, homemade ancho chile sauce, green chiles, and cumin. No beans, all meat, with a charred, smoky depth.
Pepper-And-Tomato Soup
Ancho chile, red pepper, and tomato soup: a silky Mexican-inspired pureed soup with rehydrated anchos, cabbage, and tomato, finished with creme fraiche and cilantro. Vegetarian and naturally gluten-free.
Ancho & Cocoa Carne Asada
Rub the steak with a mixture of ancho powder, cocoa, and cinnamon, cook it in a hot skillet, and serve the succulent steak with a refreshing coleslaw and some warm tortillas.
Panfried Chicken with Ancho Chiles & Mushrooms
Panfried Chicken with Ancho Chiles & Mushrooms recipe
Fish in Adobo Sauce
Mexican fish in adobo sauce made with rehydrated ancho chiles, tomatoes, orange juice, cumin, and cinnamon. Pan-seared fillets baked in a smoky, citrus-laced chile sauce.
Menudo
Menudo, the traditional Mexican tripe and hominy soup simmered with toasted ancho chiles, garlic, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for a smoky, soul-warming bowl.
Tangy Braised Lamb Shanks
Mexican braised lamb shanks with ancho chiles, raisins, and vinegar in rich tomato sauce. Fall-apart tender meat ready in 3 hours for special dinners.
Roast Loin of Pork with Southwestern Sauce
Roast pork loin rubbed with ground ancho chilies, cumin, and a bold Southwestern spice blend, served sliced on a pepper-tomato-bacon sauce reduced with red wine and veal stock.
Roast Loin of Pork with Southwestern Sauce
Roast pork loin rubbed with ground ancho chilies, cumin, and a bold Southwestern spice blend, served sliced on a pepper-tomato-bacon sauce reduced with red wine and veal stock.
Mole Castellano
Mole Castellano: a Spanish-style Mexican mole with four nuts, ancho chiles, and sesame seeds, simmered with turkey. A classic colonial-era mole without chocolate.
Original San Antone Chili
Original San Antone chili is authentic 19th-century Texas chili con carne: cubed beef and pork seared in suet, simmered in beef stock with ancho chile puree, garlic, and cumin. No beans, no tomato, all meat and chile.
Ancho-And Chipotle-Rubbed Pork Loin
Smoky ancho and fiery chipotle chilies form a bold spice crust on tender pork loin, slow-roasted in a clay pot with sweet onions until fall-apart tender.
Oyster & Plantation Soup
Oyster and plantation soup builds a Caribbean-Creole bisque from ripe plantains, onions, coconut milk, and cream spiked with cayenne, basil, and tarragon, then poaches fresh oysters in their own liquor. A briny-sweet seafood soup with island roots.
Texas Chili Con Carne
Authentic Texas chili con carne with cubed beef (no beans), simmered in a paste of rehydrated ancho and pequin chiles. Slow-simmered for 90 minutes of deep, smoky heat.
Sauteed Shrimp with Ancho Chiles & Garlic
Sauteed shrimp with ancho chiles and 25 cloves of garlic in olive oil, finished with lime juice and fish stock. A bold, smoky 20-minute shrimp dinner served over rice.
Corn Chili
Corn chili: a vegetarian Mexican-style chili built on rehydrated ancho chiles, fresh corn, and beer. Deep smoky heat balanced by sweet corn puree and finished with lime. Meatless chili that tastes serious.
Chorizos (Mexican Sausage)
Authentic Mexican chorizo made with pork, toasted ancho and pasilla chilies, whole spices, and vinegar. Cure it for 3 days and the flavor deepens into something store-bought can never touch.
Drunken Fish
Pescado borracho: whole red snapper baked in a smoky ancho chile and red wine sauce with olives, capers, and fresh tomatoes. This Veracruz-style Mexican fish dish is bold, briny, and unforgettable.
Ancho Sauce
Mexican ancho chile sauce with tomatoes, cumin and oregano. Smoky dried chile sauce simmered until thick, ready in 75 minutes.
Lentejas En Adobo
Lentejas en adobo is a rustic Mexican lentil and pork stew simmered in a smoky ancho-chili adobo with plantain, pineapple, and warm spices. Thick, savory, and deeply layered.
Sour Orange BBQ'd Salmon Taco with Red Cabbage Slaw & Smoked Chile Sauce
We love this recipe, very delicious, and all the ingredients are healthy.Worthy to try it.
Eight Pepper Chili
Eight pepper beef chili loaded with chipotles, habaneros, poblanos, jalapeños, anchos, and more. A slow-simmered, layered-heat chili that brings serious fire.
Green or Red Enchiladas
Chicken enchiladas with two from-scratch sauces: a tangy green tomatillo-spinach sauce with sour cream or a smoky red ancho chile sauce. Topped with melted Monterey Jack.
Dark Chicken Chili
Smoky chicken chili built on toasted ancho and chipotle peppers, dark beer, and a whisper of cinnamon. No beans, no tomatoes, just bold, complex heat over rice. Ready in under an hour.
Ancho Chili Scented Crown Roast of Pork
Majestic crown roast of pork glazed with ancho chili, honey, and bourbon marinade, roasted until the bones stand proud and the meat carves like butter.
Beef Chili
No-bean beef chili built on a puree of pasilla and ancho chiles, simmered low with beer, cumin, and a cinnamon stick. Thick, smoky, and unapologetically Texas-style.
Chanterelle & Shiitake Black Bean Chili with Sour Cherrie
A gourmet vegan black bean chili loaded with chanterelle and shiitake mushrooms, five types of chiles, spelt berries, fresh corn, and dried sour cherries. Simmered in tomato and orange juice for layers of earthy, smoky, sweet heat.
Citrus Barbecue Sauce
A bold barbecue sauce built on orange, lime, and lemon juice with ancho chiles, red pepper, and fresh cilantro. Bright, smoky, and ready in 30 minutes flat. Brush it on chicken, ribs, or grilled shrimp.
Menudo Estilo Norteno
Menudo estilo norteno with honeycomb tripe, calf's foot, hominy, and toasted ancho chiles simmered for hours. An authentic Northern Mexican hangover soup with deep chile heat.
Black Bean Burrito Bake
Vegetarian black bean burrito bake with smoky chipotle sour cream, sweet corn, salsa, and melted Monterey Jack. Rolled in whole wheat tortillas and baked until bubbly.
Santa Fe Spicy Baked Black Beans
Santa Fe spicy baked black beans with chipotle puree, ancho chiles, molasses, and two vinegars in a smoky-sweet sauce. Baked for an hour until thick and saucy. Serve in warm corn tortillas.
Crocodile Cafe's Chicken Tortilla Soup
Inspired by the chicken tortilla soup I had at Crocodile Café this tortilla soup comes together quickly and delivers loads of fresh Mexican recipe flavor.
Chorizos
Homemade Mexican chorizo: coarsely ground pork cured with toasted ancho and pasilla chilies, garlic, vinegar, and warm spices. Bulk sausage that matures in the fridge for three days.
Mole Pablano
Authentic mole poblano sauce made from scratch with mulato, ancho, pasilla, and chipotle chilies, roasted vegetables, toasted nuts, sesame seeds, and Mexican chocolate. A complex, deeply layered sauce worth every minute.
Cowpoke Chili
Slow-simmered cowpoke chili loaded with pinto beans, slab bacon, ancho chilies, and serrano peppers. A hearty, smoky bowl of ranch-style comfort that warms you right down to your boots.
Mole Coloradito Oaxaqueno
Authentic Oaxacan mole coloradito with toasted ancho and guajillo chilies, Mexican chocolate, fried plantain, almonds, and sesame seeds. A rich, layered sauce for chicken.
Dom's Nuclear Chili
A from-scratch chili built on six varieties of dried chiles pureed with beer and garlic, simmered for hours with bacon, bell peppers, and beans. Intensely complex heat with serious depth of flavor.
