Guajillo Chile Peppers

Guajillo chile peppers are the second most used chiles in Mexican cooking; the first is ancho. Guajillo is often used as an ingredient of mole sauce.

Guajillo chile peppers are around 10 to 12 cm (4 inches to 5 inches) long and 2 to 3 cm (1 inch) wide, with thick flesh walls. The chile dries to a deep, shiny brick red, with the seeds rattling around inside it.

The chile is a bit hotter than ancho, but not overly hot, just 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville units. It has a rich, complex flavour, with a slight fruity sweetness and tang to it.

Cooking Tips

The skin gets tough when dried; it needs a long soaking period to rehydrate.

Alternatively, guajillo chile peppers can be ground into a chile powder.

Equivalents

4 to 5 large guajillo peppers per 30 g / oz.

1 cup whole, dried, with stems, various sizes, as purchased = 10 guajillo chiles = 40 g ( 1 ⅓ oz)

Language Notes

Guajillo means “little gourd.”