Ancho Chile Substitute: Five Swaps and When Each One Works

Ancho is the backbone of a lot of Mexican cooking: the sweet, dark, raisin-like chile behind mole, red enchilada sauce, chili con carne and slow braises. It is also the chile most likely to be missing when you need it, because many supermarkets carry ground spices but not whole dried pods. The good news is that ancho is a mild chile with a recognizable flavor, and several other chiles and powders get you most of the way there.

This guide explains what you are replacing, which substitute suits which dish, where each one falls short, and how to adjust a recipe when you swap. Every product below is a single chile or a spice whose Amazon listing states what it is made of, so you know exactly what goes into the pot.

Julia’s earns a commission on purchases made through links on this page, at no cost to you. Recommendations are based on what a Mexican restaurant kitchen looks for in dried chiles, the makers’ Amazon listings, and PepperScale’s chile guides, which we cite as we go.

Why people look for an ancho chile substitute

• No whole pods nearby. PepperScale’s ancho substitute guide makes the point plainly: few major grocers carry dried chiles, while many now carry a wide range of chili powders. That is the most common reason by far.
• The recipe wants powder, you have pods, or the other way round. A dry rub needs a ground chile; a mole needs whole pods you can toast and blend.
• Heat. Ancho is mild. Some cooks want a little more warmth; others are cooking for someone who wants none at all.
• Ingredients. Supermarket chili powder is usually a blend with garlic, salt and other spices. A single-chile product lets you decide what else goes in.

Before choosing, know what the ancho does. It is a dried poblano; PepperScale’s ancho guide describes it as dried red poblano with a rich, earthy-sweet flavor and subtle notes of raisin and coffee, and puts its heat at 1,000 to 1,500 Scoville heat units. Our guide to the poblano pepper covers the fresh form. So a good substitute brings sweetness and depth first, dark color second, and only gentle heat.

Quick answer: the swap to reach for first

Five ancho substitutes, side by side

Product images from Amazon. Ingredients and heat are as each listing states them. None of these listings gives an allergen statement, so check the package if that matters to you.

Five ancho chile substitute picks, from closest to furthest

The picks fall into three groups: ancho itself in ground form, other mild dried chiles that do the same job in a sauce, and pantry powders for when nothing else is in the house. A plain chili powder blend can stand in as a last resort; it is covered after the picks. The mulato, a darker cousin of the ancho, is a fine swap too, but the listings we checked did not state what was in the bag, so it is described further down rather than recommended.

Chili powder: the last resort

Most kitchens already have a jar of chili powder, and in a pot of chili or beans it will do. Know what it is first: supermarket chili powder is usually a blend, not a single chile. McCormick’s listing for its dark chili powder, for example, describes “a robust blend of ripe peppers, garlic, salt and spices.” So it brings salt and seasonings along with the pepper.

Two adjustments make it work, offered here as general kitchen sense. Cut back the salt in the recipe until you have tasted, and cut back any cumin, garlic or oregano the recipe adds separately, since the blend may already carry them. In a mole, a clean red sauce or anything delicate, skip it; the extra seasonings show. Blends rarely itemize their “spices,” so check the jar if allergens matter to you.

The mulato: the closest swap we could not recommend a bag of

PepperScale’s ancho guide describes the mulato as a close relative of the ancho, a dried poblano of a slightly different variety that is left to ripen on the plant past red to a near brown, which gives it a richer, sweeter taste. Its substitute guide puts mulato heat at 2,500 to 3,000 Scoville units and describes the flavor as sweeter and earthier, close to licorice. In a mole, it is the most natural stand-in of all.

The catch is availability, which PepperScale also notes: ancho is usually the easiest of these chiles to find, so the mulato is rarely an “I need it now” option. The mulato listings we checked on Amazon did not state what was in the bag, so under our ingredient rule they are not picks. If you find mulatos at a Mexican grocery, use them one for one.

How much to use in place of one ancho

None of our sources gives exact conversions, so treat these as starting points from general kitchen practice and taste as you go. Heat varies from bag to bag, and an ancho is a large, fleshy pod, so smaller chiles go further by count than by weight.

A useful trick when one substitute falls short is to combine two. Guajillo with a spoonful of ancho powder gives you both the body of a pod and ancho’s sweetness; smoked paprika with a pinch of chipotle powder gives smoke with a little bite. For the wider family of dried chiles, see our guide to Mexican chiles explained.

Which substitute for which dish

• Mole. Mulato if you can find it, then pasilla. The Woodland Gourmet listing calls ancho, pasilla and guajillo the classic trio behind many mole sauces, so more of the other two covers a missing ancho well.
• Red enchilada sauce. Guajillo, with a spoonful of ancho powder if you have it. Strain the sauce.
• Chili con carne. Ancho powder first; otherwise chili powder with less salt, or chipotle powder for a smoky pot.
• Rubs and marinades. Ancho powder, smoked paprika or chipotle powder. Whole pods need blending first.
• Soups and beans. Any of them; smoked paprika for mild pots.

Swaps to skip

PepperScale advises against fresh chiles such as poblano, Anaheim or New Mexico varieties as ancho substitutes, because, as it puts it, there are big flavor differences between dried chiles and fresh ones. Plain sweet paprika works but adds only color and sweetness. And very hot dried chiles such as árbol change a dish completely; ancho is about depth, not heat.

Ancho substitute questions, answered

What is the best substitute for ancho chiles?

For a sauce or rub, pure ancho powder, since it is the same chile. For whole pods, PepperScale names guajillo as the best ancho substitute; it is a little hotter and tangier.

Can I use chili powder instead of ancho chile powder?

In chili and beans, yes. Most chili powders are blends that include garlic, salt and other spices alongside the chile, so reduce the salt and other seasonings in the recipe to allow for them.

Is pasilla a good substitute for ancho?

Yes, especially in mole. PepperScale describes pasilla as slightly hotter and earthier than ancho, with ancho the sweeter of the two. Expect a darker sauce.

Is ancho the same as poblano?

An ancho is a dried poblano. Fresh poblanos are not a good substitute for anchos, because drying changes the flavor; see our poblano guide.

What if I need it to be milder than ancho?

Use smoked or sweet paprika. As general kitchen practice, removing the seeds and pale veins from a dried chile before soaking also tames it.

Picking your ancho stand-in

For most kitchens, the simplest fix is to keep a jar of pure ancho powder for sauces and rubs and a bag of guajillos for recipes that need whole pods. Add pasilla if you cook mole, and keep smoked paprika for the mild pots. When you are ready to stock the real thing, our guide to where to buy dried chiles online compares bags of ancho and its neighbors, what is guajillo explains the most useful substitute, and our pick of the best Mexican spices covers the rest of the shelf.

If you would rather someone else made the sauce, have a look at the menu or call to order.