How To Make Ancho Chile Powder

Achieve a vibrant seasoning at a fraction of the cost of store-bought jars.

I never gave much thought to making seasonings and dried spices at home. However, now that I’ve learned how to make ancho chile powder, I may never buy the jarred version again. Discovering the ease of this recipe has also changed how I treat the herbs I grow—I’ve started drying and grinding my own basil, parsley, and oregano.

Ancho chiles are ripened, dried poblano peppers. When you buy fresh poblano peppers at the store, they are typically green because they were harvested before they fully ripened. Once ripe, they have a nice red color, and those are the peppers that are typically dried to make ancho chile powder.

Along with their rich, smoky flavor, dried ancho chiles deliver a mild heat between 1,000 and 2,000 Scoville units. You can grind them in a spice grinder, mini food processor, small blender, or a mortar and pestle—but be prepared to use a lot of muscle with this last option.

The recipe below calls for removing the stem and seeds. However, if you want your spice to have a bit more heat, leave a few of the seeds. The more seeds you toast and grind, the hotter the spice.

Is Ancho Chile Powder Healthy?

Homemade chile powder is healthy because it contains vitamins A and C, and there is no added salt, sugar, or fat. Ancho chile powder is a great way to add bold flavor without altering the nutritional content of a dish.

Make A Custom Chile Powder Blend

I noticed a few years back that not all chile powders are created equal. Some contained 100% of their stated chile, such as the ancho and chipotle powders in my spice rack. The regular “chile powder” I had was a blend of many seasonings, including chile pepper, spices, salt, garlic, and silicon dioxide (a common anti-caking agent considered generally safe for consumption). Wait! What was that? Silicon dioxide? I never signed up for that. And what were the “spices” that were in the container? Based on information on the website, I discovered it contained cumin and oregano. Why would I need that when I already had containers of those spices on my shelf?

You can make your own custom chile powder blend by simply combining your ancho chile powder with cumin, onion powder, oregano, and garlic powder. That way, it is always ready when you want a tailored mixture of spices—with zero uninvited ingredients.

FAQs & Tips

Serving Suggestions

Ancho chile powder can be used in any recipe that calls for chile powder. If a recipe calls for chipotle powder, you can sub in ancho, although it will give the dish a different but equally delicious flavor. Some appetizers that benefit from your homemade powder include Chili Cheese Fries, Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Bites, and Black Bean Dip. This powder works great in main course meals such as Gluten-Free Chili, Carne Picada, and Chicken Enchilada Casserole. Use your ancho powder to amp up the flavor in side dishes like Ranch-Style Beans, Mexican Potatoes, and Instant-Pot Mexican Rice.

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