Guide to Chipotle Peppers: How to Cook With Chipotle Chiles

Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked red jalapeno peppers. The word “chipotle” is a compound of two Nahuatl (Aztec) words: chilli (hot pepper) and poctli (smoke). Dried chipotles, canned chipotles in adobo sauce, and chipotle powder all come from ripe jalapenos, which reach peak spiciness when they turn red.

Chipotles range in heat from 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville units, making them much hotter than ancho chiles (1,000–1,500 SHU) but milder than tiny red chiles de árbol (15,000–30,000 SHU). The distinctive flavor of a chipotle is smokiness, but underneath the smoke and heat, chipotles are also sweet. Allowing the chiles to ripen on the vine to a deep red makes them much sweeter than green jalapenos.

Chipotles aren't the only type of dried chile made from ripened jalapeno peppers. The morita is a type of chipotle chile that is smoked for a shorter length of time, so it retains a soft texture and fruity flavor. Morita chile peppers measure anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 SHU, making them potentially hotter than regular chipotle chile peppers. You can use moritas and chipotles interchangeably, but keep in mind that moritas have less of a smoky flavor.

Chipotle peppers are essential to Tex-Mex and Mexican cuisine. Whether you puree a can of chipotles into a dipping sauce or sprinkle a fine powder of dried chipotles onto popcorn, chipotle peppers add a rich, smoky flavor to everything they touch. Try chipotles in:

1. 1. Tinga de pollo tacos: Fill with shredded chicken tinga cooked in a chipotle tomato sauce.
2. 2. Camarones a la diabla: This shrimp in spicy sauce, gets both its heat and a pleasing smokiness from chipotle chiles.
3. 3. Mole poblano: Mole is a deeply flavorful Mexican sauce that features a variety of dried peppers, including chipotles, anchos, and more.

If you have a smoker and some ripe, red jalapeno peppers, you can make your own dried, smoked peppers at home. Start by smoking the peppers. Smoke the peppers at a low temperature (about 200 degrees Fahrenheit) for three to four hours. If you don’t have a smoker, use a charcoal grill with hot coals on one side and wood chips on the other; place the jalapenos on the wood chip side.

Once the peppers are smoked, you'll need to dry them for storage. This is easier if you have a dehydrator, but if you don't, you can place the chipotle peppers in the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit until they’re completely dry, about 12 hours.

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