Guajillo
Also known as: guajillo chile, chile guajillo, dried mirasol
The guajillo is the second pillar of Mexican dried chile cooking — the workhorse alongside ancho. Slender, deep red, with a thin papery skin and a flavor that lands between fruit and tartness. One of the most important dried chiles in Mexican cuisine.
Scoville
3K–5K SHU
Heat
Medium
Origin
mexico
Species
C. annuum
Type
Drying chile
Plant height
24–36 in
Heat profile
Medium heat — 3K–5K SHU
See the full scoville scale →Flavor profile
Berry-like, tangy, slightly fruity heat with a hint of green tea and pine.
Guajillo is the dried Mexican chile that you'll see in nearly every traditional recipe alongside ancho. Where ancho contributes raisin sweetness and depth, guajillo brings brightness, tartness, and a hint of fruit — like cranberry or red currant compared to ancho's dried-fig profile. The combination is the foundation of mole, adobo, chile colorado, and pozole rojo. Guajillo also has more heat than ancho (still mild-to-medium, but noticeable), which gives the trinity its baseline warmth without crossing into uncomfortable territory.
Color
Deep red (dried)
Did you know
'Guajillo' translates roughly to 'little gourd' or 'little rattle' — the dried pods rattle when shaken because the seeds come loose inside the papery skin.
How to use it
- —Pozole rojo — the foundational dried chile for red pozole
- —Birria — slow-braised meat in guajillo-based chile broth
- —Mole sauces alongside ancho and pasilla
- —Chile colorado red sauce for tamales and enchiladas
- —Salsa roja for tacos and table salsa
Pairs well with
Substitutes
Can't find guajillo? Try one of these.
Ancho
1:11K–2K SHU
Most common kitchen swap — they often appear together in recipes. Ancho is sweeter and milder; guajillo brings more tartness and slight heat.
Pasilla
1:11K–3K SHU
Together with ancho, completes the 'holy trinity' of Mexican dried chiles. Pasilla is earthier and slightly more bitter than guajillo.
How to grow it
Growing guajillo at home
USDA zones
Perennial in 9–11, annual in 4–8
Germinate
10–21 days
To harvest
~80 days from transplant
Plant height
24–36 in
Sun
full sun
Water
moderate
Container
Container-friendly
Guajillo is the dried form of mirasol, so to grow your own you'll need mirasol seeds (sometimes labeled 'mirasol/guajillo'). Plants are productive and forgiving, similar to other annuum cultivars. Let pods ripen fully red on the plant, then sun-dry on racks for several days until leathery.
Where to find it
Buying guajillo
Fresh
Fresh mirasol is uncommon outside Mexican farms and the largest Latin grocers in the US.
Dried
Dried guajillo is universally available at Latin grocers, online, and increasingly at mainstream supermarkets in the international foods section.
Seasonality
Year-round; the dried form has a long shelf life.
Seed sources
- Native Seeds/SEARCH
- Baker Creek
- Sandia Seed Company
- Pepper Joe's
Look for guajillos with intact, glossy skins — the papery outer layer should still be smooth and flexible. Crackled, brittle pods have lost moisture and won't rehydrate as well. The best guajillos come from Mexican importers and are typically vacuum-sealed.
History & origin
Where guajillo comes from
Guajillo is the dried form of the mirasol pepper, native to central Mexico. The name 'mirasol' means 'looks at the sun' — the fresh pods point upward toward the sky on the plant, unlike most chiles that hang downward. Today commercial production centers on Mexico's central highlands and the surrounding states, with significant additional production in California, New Mexico, and Texas. Guajillo is essential to many of Mexico's most iconic dishes; without it, pozole rojo and birria as we know them wouldn't exist.
Cook with it
Recipes that use guajillo.
mexican · medium
May 11, 2026Chorizo and Black Bean Burger with Los Calientes Rojo Crema
Mexican-inspired burgers where spiced chorizo meets earthy black beans, topped with a tangy Los Calientes Rojo crema that brings just the right amount of heat and bright tomato flavor to every bite. 37 min · 0 saves.
mexican · hot
May 7, 2026Habanero Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas
Roasted sweet potatoes and black beans wrapped in corn tortillas, covered in a bright habanero-tomato sauce that brings genuine heat while letting the earthy, sweet filling shine through. 85 min · 0 saves.
mexican · medium
May 4, 2026Chipotle Cream Spaghetti with Chorizo and Poblanos
Silky pasta tossed in a smoky chipotle-spiked cream sauce with crispy chorizo and charred poblano strips 35 min · 0 saves.
Similar peppers
Other medium peppers
Frequently asked
Common questions about guajillo
What's the difference between guajillo and ancho?
Different peppers, different flavors. Guajillo is the dried mirasol — a long, slender, deep red chile with a tangy, berry-like flavor and mild-to-medium heat. Ancho is the dried poblano — wider, darker, with a sweet raisin-and-chocolate flavor and milder heat. They're complementary and often used together in mole and adobo.
How spicy is a guajillo chile?
Mild to medium — 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville Heat Units, similar to a mild jalapeño. The heat is more noticeable than ancho but well below cayenne or chile de árbol. In sauces, the heat dissipates further, making guajillo the dried chile that adds warmth without dominating.
How do you use dried guajillo chiles?
Toast on a dry pan briefly (about 30 seconds per side, until fragrant), then rehydrate in warm water for 15–20 minutes. Remove stems and seeds, then blend the softened chile with the soaking liquid and other aromatics into a sauce. Guajillo paste is the base for birria, pozole, and chile colorado.
What can I substitute for guajillo?
Ancho is the closest swap — milder and sweeter, but functionally similar in moles and sauces. New Mexico dried red chile works well too. Cascabel chiles approximate the slightly nutty character. In a pinch, a mix of paprika and a small amount of cayenne approximates the heat and color but loses the chile-specific flavor.
Pantry examples
If you want to taste guajillo in a bottle or pantry product
These are optional examples of how this pepper shows up in real products. The profile above stands on its own even if you never shop from this section.
Smoky shortcut
Chipotle Peppers in Adobo
The pantry move for smoky mayo, burger sauce, taco braises, and chili that tastes like you actually thought ahead.
View example ↗Most-poured bottle
Cholula Original Hot Sauce
The best-selling Mexican hot sauce in the US — mild enough for any table, bright enough for eggs, tacos, pizza, and cocktails. The bottle most people already trust.
View example ↗