Chile Guajillo

The guajillo pepper is named after its town of origin – Guadalajara. The guajillo has a mild, fruity, red pepper flavor.

3 chiles guajillo

The Chile Guajillo – One of the Most Popular Chiles in Mexico

These beautiful chile peppers are some of the most striking offerings among all Mexican chiles – they’re a pretty ruby red color, and their aroma leaves nothing to be desired. They aren’t particularly spicy in any way but, rather, they’re added to dishes thanks to their unique flavor profile in the world of chile peppers. Without further ado, let’s talk chiles!

What are chiles guajillos?

Chiles guajillos start out life as mirasol chiles. The mirasol chiles are picked from the plant once ripe and then dried. After the drying process is complete, they are officially chiles guajillos.

It’s worth pointing out that not all mirasol chiles will become guajillos. Depending upon the specific sub-variety of the plant, mirasol chiles can be dried into chile puya or chile cascabel, instead.

The mirasol chili plant has a unique appearance – the chile actually grows straight up! The name ‘mirasol’ means ‘looking at the sun’ in reference to this, and this growing style has made them quite popular in the world of chiles.

Guajillo peppers are deep red, and very smooth on their outer skin, as opposed to being wrinkly as some others are. They’re typically between three and five inches long while being around an inch in width. 

mexican dried chile guajillo

Are Guajillo Chiles Hot?

While this is a pretty subjective question, the general consensus is no – they aren’t hot. On the Scoville heat measurement scale, guajillo chiles score between 2500 and 5000, depending upon which pepper is used, and a few other factors. This score places them between a poblano and a Jalapaño, so they’re generally considered to be mild to medium.

The key characteristic of guajillo chiles is their unique flavor, meaning that heat rarely comes up in discussions about the chile peppers themselves. This tells you something about the heat: it’s not so hot as to be important, relative to the unique flavor of the pepper.

What’s the History of Guajillo Chiles

Guajillo chiles have a fairly simple history, really, as most chile peppers do. The plant that the pepper grows on is native to Mexico, and so has been cultivated in that region of the world thanks to its great flavor. Before moving on, we want to mention the varieties of mirasol chiles, so that you can be best informed.

Chile cascabel is quite similar to guajillo chiles, but they’re generally considered to be a little fruitier than them, overall. They look quite a lot like little bells and rattle when shaken thanks to loose seeds within them.

Chile guajillo puya are smaller and spicier than basic guajillo chiles. They rock in at between 5000 and 8000 Scoville Heat Units, which puts them on par with a Hungarian chile – medium to hot.

The basic chile guajillo is the largest variety of the three different options, and is the one that is typically cultivated and adored the most widely. It has a wonderful flavor profile, which people have adored for centuries.

Guajillo peppers have a rich, earthy, and fruit flavor profile overall. They have quite a tomato-like flavor, on the first bite, though they evolve a little to have notes of berries and green tea. This might sound a little odd, but the depth and complexity of flavor adds a lot to some of the most wonderful Mexican dishes out there – these chiles are truly something wonderful.

Other Names

This can be a bit of a minefield since at least two of the three names of the different peppers have the same word in them. So, to clear things up, we’re going to talk about the differences very rapidly.

Chile guajillo is the main type of mirasol chile. The peppers themselves are the largest of all three, being up to five inches long. They have very rich flavors and are adored by a number of people worldwide.

The chile cascabel is a type of mirasol chile. It is shaped like a bell and rattles when shaken. It is a little fruitier than base guajillo chiles, though around the same spice level.

Finally, the chile guajillo puya (the one most likely to cause confusion) is quite similar to base guajillo chiles. They are generally a little smaller than guajillo chiles, and a lot spicier – about twice as hot, on average.

To be completely clear – these chiles are not from the same plant. They are different species of plant, all of which fruit differently and are then dried to produce these chiles. It can be confusing, but we’re sure you’ll figure it out!

chile guajillo

How to Choose

When you’re looking for guajillo chiles, look for ones that are in one piece. They should be deep red, and a little flexible, too. If they’re broken at all or have small holes, this is indicative of insect damage to the chiles.

Avoid broken or brittle chiles – this is indicative of a slightly older pepper. A good chile pepper will be shiny, and slightly flexible – this is indicative of maximum flavor.

How to Use Guajillo Chiles

Guajillo chiles are used to flavor all sorts of different Mexican dishes, from tacos to pambazos. The flavor is so unique that there are a number of recipes online for guajillo sauce, designed to capture that taste and bottle it.

How to Rehydrate Guajillo Chiles

Rehydrating guajillo chiles is simple. Begin by removing the stem, seeds, and veins, and discarding those parts. Then, toast the chiles for up to a minute per side until they’re pleasantly fragrant, and bring a pan of water to a boil. Boil the chiles for fifteen minutes, at which point they should be pleasantly soft and pliable – ideal for cooking with!

Best Guajillo Chile Substitutes

While there aren’t really any chiles that perfectly match up with the notes of a good guajillo, there are some that offer similar flavors for your meals. The best option is to combine two peppers – a sweeter one and a hotter one. For example, combining New Mexico chiles (sweet, dried cherry flavors and a mild heat) with Chile de Arboles (heat and smoke) will lead to a bouquet of flavors that’s quite similar to guajillo chiles.

We hope that, after learning about the wonderful world of guajillo chiles, you’re inspired to cook with them! If so, get started soon, and find your way down to your local Mexican grocery store to find some great chiles.

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