Pasilla
Also known as: chile pasilla, chile negro, dried chilaca
The pasilla — also called chile negro — is the third pillar of Mexican dried chile cooking, alongside ancho and guajillo. Long, slender, and so dark it appears nearly black, the pasilla brings deep, earthy complexity to traditional moles and adobos.
Scoville
1K–3K SHU
Heat
Mild
Origin
mexico
Species
C. annuum
Type
Drying chile
Plant height
24–36 in
Heat profile
Mild heat — 1K–3K SHU
See the full scoville scale →Flavor profile
Earthy, slightly bitter, with hints of dried herbs and dark berries — the deepest-tasting of the dried Mexican chile trinity.
Pasilla is the savory counterpoint in the dried Mexican trinity. Where ancho is sweet and guajillo is tangy, pasilla is herbal, slightly bitter, and almost mushroom-like in its depth. The name comes from 'pasa,' the Spanish word for raisin — though pasilla tastes less like raisin than ancho does. Confusingly, in California and parts of the US southwest, the dried poblano (ancho) is sometimes mislabeled 'pasilla,' which causes recipe confusion. The real pasilla is the dried chilaca pepper, an entirely different plant.
Color
Very dark brown, nearly black (dried)
Did you know
Mole negro from Oaxaca uses pasilla as its primary chile and can include over 30 ingredients including chocolate, sesame seeds, cinnamon, and dried herbs — it's one of the most labor-intensive sauces in Mexican cooking.
How to use it
- —Mole negro — the dark, complex Oaxacan mole
- —Adobo for slow-cooked meats and seafood
- —Pasilla cream sauce for fish dishes
- —Chile sauces for tamales and enchiladas
- —Toasted and ground for sophisticated chile rubs
Pairs well with
Substitutes
Can't find pasilla? Try one of these.
Ancho
1:11K–2K SHU
Closest substitute in mole and adobo. Ancho is sweeter and brighter; pasilla is earthier and more complex. The blend of both is standard in traditional mole.
Guajillo
1:13K–5K SHU
Different flavor character (tangy/fruity vs earthy/bitter) but similar heat level and functional role in chile sauces.
How to grow it
Growing pasilla at home
USDA zones
Perennial in 9–11, annual in 4–8
Germinate
10–21 days
To harvest
~85 days from transplant
Plant height
24–36 in
Sun
full sun
Water
moderate
Container
Container-friendly
Chilaca peppers (fresh form of pasilla) grow long and slender on tall plants. Let pods ripen to dark green-black, then sun-dry until leathery and nearly black. Like other dried Mexican chiles, the drying process intensifies and transforms the flavor.
Where to find it
Buying pasilla
Fresh
Fresh chilaca peppers are very rare outside Mexico. Most cooks encounter pasilla only in dried form.
Dried
Dried pasilla is available at Latin grocers and online. Less common than ancho or guajillo but increasingly stocked at well-supplied Mexican markets.
Seasonality
Year-round; long shelf life.
Seed sources
- Native Seeds/SEARCH
- Sandia Seed Company
- Baker Creek
Be careful with labels: in California and parts of the US, dried poblano (true ancho) is sometimes sold as 'pasilla.' The real pasilla is longer, narrower, and significantly darker. Check the shape: pasilla is slender and elongated; ancho is wider and heart-shaped.
History & origin
Where pasilla comes from
Pasilla is the dried form of the chilaca pepper, native to central Mexico. Long associated with Oaxacan cooking — particularly the iconic mole negro — pasilla has been part of Mexican cuisine since well before Spanish contact. The Mexican states of Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, and Guanajuato also produce significant amounts. The Pasilla de Oaxaca is a smoked variant that adds another flavor dimension and is harder to find outside specialty Oaxacan markets.
Cook with it
Recipes that use pasilla.
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 mild peppers
Frequently asked
Common questions about pasilla
Is pasilla the same as ancho?
No — they're completely different peppers, often confused in US grocery labeling. Pasilla is the dried chilaca; ancho is the dried poblano. The confusion comes from California, where dried poblano is sometimes mislabeled 'pasilla.' The real pasilla is longer, narrower, and much darker than ancho.
What does pasilla taste like?
Earthy, slightly bitter, with notes of dried herbs, mushroom, dark berries, and a hint of bittersweet chocolate. The flavor is more complex and savory than ancho or guajillo, which is why pasilla is favored in mole negro — the dark Oaxacan mole that needs deep, brooding flavor notes.
How spicy is pasilla?
Mild — 1,000 to 2,500 Scoville Heat Units, similar to a poblano. The flavor is what matters, not the heat. In traditional Mexican cooking, pasilla is chosen for its earthy depth, not its burn.
Can I use pasilla in place of ancho?
Yes, with a flavor shift. The result will be earthier and less sweet — appropriate for some sauces (mole negro, adobo for seafood) but less ideal for sweeter applications. For mole poblano or chile rellenos sauce where the sweetness of ancho matters, the swap won't taste quite right.
Pantry examples
If you want to taste pasilla 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 ↗