What Are Dried red chiles and How Can I Use Them?
Wondering what to do with dried red chiles? This guide covers how to pick them, cook them, store them, and swap them, plus 74 recipes to put them to work.
Key Points
- Ripe red chiles dried whole, with deeper, fruitier, smokier flavor than fresh and heat that varies by variety.
- Toast 30 to 60 seconds a side, then soak in hot water 15 to 20 minutes for sauces.
- Build salsa, adobo, mole, vindaloo, peri-peri, and berbere; or fry whole to flavor oil.
- Not chili powder, which is a ground blend with cumin, garlic, oregano, and salt added.
- Buy flexible, glossy pods; store airtight away from light, best within about a year.
What are dried red chiles?
Dried red chiles are ripe red chile peppers that have been dried whole, concentrating their heat and turning their fresh, grassy flavor into something deeper and fruitier, often with a smoky edge. They are a backbone of Mexican, Indian, Sichuan, Ethiopian, and Southeast Asian cooking.
"Dried red chiles" covers a huge range, from mild guajillo and ancho to fiery arbol and tiny bird's eye chiles. Heat and flavor depend entirely on the variety, so the name is a category, not a single pepper.
Drying changes the fruit completely. A dried chile is leathery and intensely flavored, built to be toasted and soaked back to life rather than eaten as is.
How to Use Dried Red Chiles
The two core techniques are toasting and rehydrating. Toast whole chiles in a dry pan over medium heat for 30 to 60 seconds a side, just until fragrant, then either grind them or cover them in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes until soft and pliable.
Once softened, they blend into smooth sauces and pastes. This is how you build a salsa, a Mexican adobo or mole, and the spice base of an Indian Chicken & Shrimp Vindaloo or the Portuguese-African heat in Chicken in Peri-Peri Sauce.
Whole or broken chiles also go straight into a hot pan to flavor oil. Stir-fries like Eggplant & Bell Pepper Stir-Fry fry them briefly so the oil carries the heat, and they simmer slowly into stews and Spicy Yellow Lentil Stew.
Ground, they become chile powder and the heart of spice blends like Ethiopian Berbere.
Toasting and Pairing
Dried chiles pair naturally with garlic, cumin, oregano, tomato, chocolate, and warm acidity from lime or vinegar. Most of the searing heat lives in the seeds and pale inner ribs, so remove them for a milder, fruitier result and leave them in when you want fire.
The classic mistake is scorching them. Burnt chile turns bitter and acrid in seconds, and a sauce made from it cannot be saved.
Toast over moderate heat and pull the chiles the instant they smell toasty and puff slightly. If you smell anything sharp or acrid, the pan was too hot.
Dried Chiles vs Chili Powder
These are not the same thing, and the difference trips people up. A dried red chile is the whole, single pepper. Chili powder is usually a ground blend of dried chiles plus cumin, garlic, oregano, and salt, built for a pot of chili.
Whole dried chiles give you control over the variety and the heat, and over whether to toast them at all. They taste fresher and cleaner because nothing else is in the jar.
If you only have chili powder, you can use it in place of whole dried chiles, but expect a muddier, more seasoned flavor. Chili powder already carries salt and other spices, so cut the salt and seasonings elsewhere in the dish.
Buying and Storing
Choose chiles that are still flexible, not so brittle they snap into dust. A little bend means they have kept some oils and will taste fuller. Glossy, deep-colored skins are a good sign, while dull or faded ones are old.
Store them airtight in a cool, dark cupboard away from light and heat, which fade both color and flavor. Whole dried chiles hold their best flavor for about a year, though they stay safe to use well beyond that.
For long keeping, the freezer locks in freshness and is worth it if you buy in bulk. If chiles have gone past their prime and lost aroma, just use a few more than the recipe calls for.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup (37g)Quick facts
Food group: Dried red chiles are a member of the Vegetables and Vegetable Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
- In Chinese
- 干红辣椒
- British (UK) term
- Dried red chiles
- en français
- piments rouges séchés
- en español
- chiles rojos secos
How much do dried red chiles weigh?
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | 37 grams |
| 1 pepper | 0 grams |
Related
Vegetables and Vegetable Products
Recipes using dried red chiles
There are 74 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Aam Chutney (Pineapple-Chile Chutney)
Sweet, sour and spicy, this delicious pineapple-chile chutney is packed with flavors. Serve it as a side dish with any Indian main course.
Aam Chutney (Mango-Chile Chutney)
This spicy and sweet mango chuntney goes very well with the corn flatbread, you can also use pineapple too.
Spicy Yellow Lentil Stew
In traditional Indian cooking, dal refers to any dried peas or beans and to the many dishes made from them. In Malaysia and Singapore, dal refers to a spicy stew made of uellow lentils that typically accompanies Indian bread. The cooking time will vary with the age of the lentil.
Aloo Ko Achar (Potato Salad)
A quick, easy and flavorful salad. I added a bit chopped red onion, and used lemon juice instead of lime juice, and it was very tasty. Next time I will use pickled jalapeno, which I think will make the salad taste even better.
Thai Roasted Chile Paste
Cooks in Southeast Asia make use of pastes that combine roasted fresh or dried chillies with a variety of other seasonings. Various commercial chilli pastes are sold, but a good chile paste is also easy to make at home.
Black Bean Chili Con Carne with Cilantro Pesto
Black Bean Chili Con Carne with Cilantro Pesto recipe
Chicken & Shrimp Vindaloo
This spicy Indian dish is best served with basmati or jasmine rice, warm nan, and ready-made mint chutney. A mango sorbet would be a nice finish to this meal.
Mexican Deviled Eggs
Mexican deviled eggs spiced with cumin, jalapeno, capers, and ground red chiles, topped with fresh cilantro. A Southwestern twist on classic deviled eggs ready in 15 minutes.
Chicken in Peri-Peri Sauce
Peri-peri is a spicy marinade usually used with chicken that is very popular in Britain.
Eggplant & Bell Pepper Stir-Fry
This quick and easy stir-fry is a tasty way to cook seasonal eggplant and bell pepper together with classic Chinese seasonings. Serve it over rice.
Berbere
Toast whole spices and grind fresh for this fiery Ethiopian blend that transforms stews, roasted vegetables, and grilled meats with layers of heat and warmth.
Potato & Onion Koora
Potato and onion koora is a South Indian potato dish bloomed in mustard seeds, urad dal, ginger, and green chiles. Chunky, lemony, deeply spiced, and ready in 40 minutes.
Orange Beef
Orange beef stir-fry with crispy battered round steak tossed in a glossy sauce of beef stock, soy sauce, dried red chiles, and caramelized orange zest. Better than takeout in 30 minutes.
Jeanne's Chili Con Carne
Jeanne's chili con carne with cubed beef round, green olives, caraway seeds, and ground chile simmered for two hours. A unique, deeply flavored chili that skips the ground beef.
Satay with Peanut Sauce
Grilled satay skewers marinated in soy, curry, and lime with a creamy coconut peanut dipping sauce. Works with chicken, beef, or pork for appetizers or a full meal.
Hot Spice Mix
Indian hot spice mix dry-roasted with cumin, dried chiles, peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon, mustard seeds, and fenugreek. A homemade garam masala with serious heat.
Blueberry Ketchup
Blueberry ketchup blends ripe berries with tomato, plums, ginger, and warm spice into a savory-sweet condiment. Pair with grilled meats, cheese boards, or burgers for unexpected depth.
Kung Pao Chi (Chicken with Chiles & Nuts)
Kung Pao chicken with dried red chiles, peanuts, ginger, and a soy-wine sauce. Wok-fried with a 30-minute marinade for authentic Sichuan-style heat and crunch.
Baked Artichokes
Italian baked artichokes stuffed with fresh rosemary, sage, and dried red chile, roasted in an olive oil and water bath until tender. Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold.
Stir-Fried Beef with Orange
Stir-fried beef with orange peel, Sichuan peppercorns, and dried chiles. The classic Szechuan restaurant dish with tender velveted beef, citrus perfume, and a numbing tingle on the finish.
Char Flavoured Potatoes & Green Beans
Indian-spiced potatoes and green beans with turmeric, asafetida, dried chiles, and ghee, boiled then charred on the bottom for a crispy, smoky crust.
Cozy Red Lentil Soup
Indian-style red lentil soup (masoor dal) simmered with ghee-bloomed onion, peppercorns, bay leaves, dried red chilies and grated fresh ginger. Vegetarian, high in fiber, ready in 45 minutes.
Mussels Steamed with Lemon Grass & Chile De Arbol
Steamed mussels in a lemongrass, chile de arbol, and white wine broth with napa cabbage, clam juice, and lime. A Thai-meets-French seafood bowl finished with fresh cilantro.
General Chua's Chicken
General Chua's chicken with oil-blanched pieces stir-fried with dried chili pods, ginger, garlic, and a tangy soy-vinegar-sherry sauce. An authentic Chinese-American classic done right.
Som Tam (Green Papaya Salad) (Salads)
The health benefits of green papaya exceed those of the ripe variety. Raw green papaya is packed with vitamins, enzymes and phytonutrients. It contains vital nutrients including potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, E and B. However, perhaps the most important health property of green papaya is its ability to improve digestion and the uptake of nutrients, raising enzyme levels and improving assimilation, and thus also strengthening the immune system. Green papaya contains two of the most powerful plant proteolytic enzymes: papain and chymopapain. These enzymes excel at breaking down proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as aiding healthy digestion. Papain can only be found in the papaya fruit and is more effective than pepsin produced by our own stomachs.
Szechwan Long Green Beans
This is another vegetarian recipe, especially in Spring Festival, these green beans are very healthy!
Vegetable Curry (Jung)
Vegetable curry with potatoes and tomatoes cooked in ghee with whole cumin, coriander, garam masala, and fresh ginger. A warming vegetarian one-pot dinner served over rice.
Butter Sauces #3
Spicy cilantro-lime compound butter with garlic, jalapenos, and crushed red chiles. A bold finishing butter for grilled meats, corn, seafood, and bread.
Red Chile Oil
Homemade red chile oil with dried piquin or cayenne peppers steeped in hot vegetable oil for 12 to 24 hours. Just 2 ingredients. The longer it sits, the spicier it gets.
Lasagna
A rich beef and pork lasagna with a slow-braised ragu, a roasted butternut squash layer, and a quick creme fraiche white sauce instead of bechamel. A layered, deeply savory take on the classic.
Jim's Cajun Spice
Cajun spice blend with paprika, three peppers, onion and garlic powder, plus thyme and oregano. The all-purpose Louisiana seasoning that lifts blackened fish, popcorn, burgers, and roast chicken in a five-minute mix.
Darley Street Thai Chuu-Chii (Red Curry) of Coffin Bay Scall
Thai red curry scallops (Chuu-Chii) with homemade curry paste, coconut cream, kaffir lime leaves, and fish sauce. Includes a from-scratch paste recipe using galangal, lemongrass, and shrimp paste.
Pork Chops Abazia
Pork chops Abazia braised in white wine with fresh tomatoes, roasted red peppers, shallots, and rosemary. An Italian-style skillet dinner with a rich pepper sauce.
Angelo's Milanese
Angelo's Milanese: thin breaded steak pan-fried golden, then simmered in a garlicky tomato sauce with dried chili, lemon peel, and rosemary. Italian-American comfort dinner.
Pasta Arrabbiata
Pasta arrabbiata with dried red chilies, six cloves of garlic, and tomato passata in olive oil. A spicy, stripped-down Italian classic with just seven ingredients.
Curry Paste (Thailand)
Thai red or green curry paste: a homemade aromatic blend of chilies, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, shrimp paste, ginger, and coriander. The from-scratch base for authentic Thai curries.
Jalapenos En Escabeche
Jalapenos en escabeche pickled with cauliflower, carrots, pearl onions, and garlic in white wine vinegar brine. The Mexican taqueria classic for tacos, tortas, and beyond.
Tom Kha Gai
Tom Kha Gai - Thai coconut chicken soup with lemongrass, galangal, and dried red chiles. A creamy, aromatic broth simmered from scratch and served with white rice.
Spicy Tamale Pie
Spicy tamale pie with simmered beef chuck and pork shoulder, dried chile gravy, raisins, and olives under a cornmeal masa-style crust. Tex-Mex history on a plate.
Basic Salsa with Any Kind of Dry Chiles
An authentic basic salsa using dried chiles for use as a sauce for egg, Chilaquiles or Enchiladas. It also makes a nice spicy dip for tortilla chips.
Pressure Cooker Rogan Josh with Coconut & Almonds
Pressure cooker rogan josh simmers tender mutton in a rich, nutty gravy of freshly roasted and ground coconut, almonds, and whole spices, with yogurt stirred in gradually. An aromatic Indian curry made fast in the pressure cooker.
Prawns in Spice Laden Coconut Sauce
Prawns in spice-laden coconut sauce: a South Indian-style prawn curry in a rich coconut sauce built from a freshly ground chile-and-spice paste, cooked until the oil separates. Fragrant, creamy, and warming.
Vangi Bath
Vangi bath: South Indian rice dish with eggplant, toasted coconut, and a fresh-ground spice blend of coriander, urad dal, dried chiles, cinnamon, and hing. Vegetarian one-pot from Karnataka.
Bbq Chile-Marinated Pork Spareribs
BBQ spareribs marinated overnight in a New Mexican dried chile and tequila sauce with cumin, allspice, and brown sugar. Boiled first, then grilled for smoky, spicy bark.
Almond Red Sauce
Mexican almond red sauce with ground toasted almonds, tomato, onion, garlic, paprika, and dried chiles. A quick 15-minute sauce that uses almonds as a thickener for rich, nutty heat.
General Tso's Chicken with Orange
General Tso's chicken with orange zest, Sichuan peppercorns, and dried red chiles in a dark soy and rice wine stir-fry. A lighter, more authentic take without deep-frying or heavy batter.
Hot Rough Tomato Soup
Hot rough tomato soup simmered with fresh tomatoes, ghee, dried red chiles, whole cloves, peppercorns, and bay leaves. An Indian-spiced, chunky vegetarian soup with real heat.
Sonny Bono's Frutta Di Mare a la Palm Springs
A spectacular Italian seafood stew with swordfish, snapper, salmon, scallops, shrimp, mussels, clams, and crayfish in a tomato broth laced with anchovies and fennel. Serve over linguine.
Pickled Spiced Eggs
Spiced pickled eggs in white vinegar brine with dried red chilies, peppercorns, mustard seeds, and pickling spice. Refrigerator-method bar snacks ready in two days.
