Ancho chile powder is a mild-medium heat, sweet, smoky dried chili pepper that is the foundation for many Mexican dishes like Mole and Carne Asada. It’s also called Poblano Pepper Powder, but ancho chile powder should not be confused with regular chili powder.
What Is Ancho Chile Powder?
Ancho chile powder is simply dried poblano peppers (ancho means “wide” in Spanish) that have been de-seeded, ground and pulverized into a deep red powder. They are so easy to work with because they are already prepared for you – no chopping or seeding necessary!
You can buy them at any grocery store or online here.
Once you start working with ancho peppers, you will find yourself reaching for them in the kitchen again and again because they add a depth of flavor to recipes that is truly unique and hard to achieve otherwise.
Ancho chile powder is a staple ingredient in Mexican cooking, but it can be used for so much more than that.
In fact, ancho chile powder is the backbone of some of the most popular Mexican dishes, including enchiladas and tamales. That’s because ancho chile powder has a naturally sweet flavor that isn’t too hot. This makes it a perfect base for sauces, stews and marinades. You can even use ancho chile powder with brown sugar as a dry rub on meats before grilling.
What is Ancho Chile Powder?
Ancho chile powder is made from dried poblano peppers that have been ground into a fine powder. It has a deep red color and a mildly sweet flavor with hints of raisin and tobacco.
Because dried poblanos are milder than other types of dried chiles, ancho chile powder isn’t very spicy. That’s why it’s so versatile—you can add it to just about any dish without overwhelming the other flavors in the recipe. In fact, the only problem with using ancho chiles is that if you use too much at once, it tends to mask your other ingredients instead
This sweet, mild chili pepper is an essential ingredient in many Mexican dishes. Ancho chile contains a variety of flavors and aromas, including dried fruit and tobacco. It’s considered the backbone of many Mexican dishes.
Ancho chile is a dried poblano chili pepper. Poblano peppers are grown in Mexico and other parts of Latin America. As a result, ancho chile is most common in Mexican cuisine, but it can be found in other Latin American cooking as well.
You might also see it referred to as pasilla or mulato chile peppers. These are the same type of pepper just at different stages of ripeness. Pasilla chiles are older and more mature while mulato chiles are younger and sweeter.
Ancho chile is a dried poblano pepper. For the sake of this post, we’ll refer to both as ancho chile.
Ancho chile is a dried poblano pepper. For the sake of this post, we’ll refer to both as ancho chile.
Ancho chile is a dried poblano pepper. For the sake of this post, we’ll refer to both as ancho chile.
It is not to be confused with chili powder or cayenne pepper; these are two different spices altogether. Ancho chiles are plump and wrinkly looking and they have a sweet flavor with hints of tobacco and raisin when you eat them whole. The best way to use them is to grind them into a powder in either a spice grinder or coffee grinder.
When you purchase the whole dried peppers make sure that you choose ones that are plump, dark brown or red in color with no signs of mold or soft spots on their skin. You can buy them at Whole Foods, many local grocery stores, or online from Amazon or Kalyx (link below under “Where to Buy”).
Ancho chiles will keep for months if stored
Anchos, like their relatives the chipotle and guajillo, are dried poblano peppers. They are sold whole or ground into a deep red-brown powder that has a hint of chocolate, raisin and tobacco. Ancho chile powder is not only versatile and easy to keep on hand, but also an essential ingredient in many Mexican dishes.
Anchos are typically found in mole sauces, where they add color and sweetness, as well as chili powders and spice rubs for meats. They’re also used in pickling brines and lentil soups. Anchos can be rehydrated and ground into a paste to make adobo sauce for enchiladas or simply ground into a powder (along with other spices) to make homemade chili powder for seasoning meat or veggies.
They can be very mild to extremely hot depending on the variety. But whatever variety you buy, anchos should have a dark red color with no sign of molding or discoloration
The ancho chile is a dried poblano pepper. It’s the most common and popular dried chile in Mexican cooking, and is used to make a variety of dishes, from moles and adobo sauces to chiles rellenos.
It’s also one of the ingredients in our Classic Taco Seasoning Mix, which can be found in your local store under our Signature SELECT™ brand.
As you can see from the photo above, anchos are wrinkled and flat, with a squarish shape. They have a sweet flavor with raisin and plum notes. Their heat level varies from mild to medium hot.
The heat of any dried chile can be diminished by removing the seeds and veins before cooking. And if you don’t have time to make your own seasoning blend, try our ancho chili powder to add an authentic Mexican flavor to your dish.
