Chile de árbol is a slender, hot Capsicum annuum chilli from Mexico that keeps its bright red colour when dried, used for fiery table salsas, chilli oils and salsa macha.
What it is¶
Chile de árbol ("tree chilli") is a thin, curved Capsicum annuum chilli about 5–8 cm long. Unlike most Mexican chillies, it has the same name fresh and dried, and it is almost always sold dried. It keeps a vivid, glossy red colour when dried, which makes it popular for decorative wreaths and ristras as well as for cooking.
At 15,000–30,000 SHU it is the hotter end of the common Mexican dried chillies, far hotter than guajillo or ancho, and close to cayenne, to which it is closely related. The pods are thin-walled and hold relatively little flesh, which is why they dry so readily and why their contribution to a sauce is heat and colour rather than body. Green, fresh árbols are occasionally sold in Mexico and used like serranos.
Origins and history¶
The name refers to the plant's woody, tree-like stems, not to its size; the plants are bushy and 1–1.5 m tall at most. The chilli has long been grown in Mexico and is especially associated with western states such as Jalisco and Nayarit. Its use in fiery table salsas is widespread across the country; the Veracruz speciality salsa macha, a chilli oil with nuts and seeds, is often made with it. In recent decades, as demand in the United States has grown, much of the árbol-type chilli sold abroad comes from China as well as Mexico.
Flavour and aroma¶
Árbol's flavour is mostly heat: sharp, fast and clean, with a toasty, nutty, slightly grassy background that comes out when it is toasted. It lacks the fruit and depth of anchos or pasillas, so in sauces it is often paired with milder, richer chillies that supply body while árbol supplies bite.
In the kitchen¶
- Salsa de árbol: a thin, fierce, brick-red table salsa of toasted árbols blended with tomato or tomatillo, garlic, vinegar and salt, served with tacos and tortas.
- Salsa macha: árbol chillies fried in oil with garlic, peanuts or sesame, then crushed; a crunchy chilli oil from Veracruz, related in spirit to chilli crisp.
- Mixed with milder chillies: two or three árbols with six guajillos give a pozole or birria sauce its heat.
- Chilli oil: whole árbols infused into oil; see making chilli oil.
- Whole in pickles and stews: add one or two to the pot and remove before serving.
Toast árbols very briefly, 5–10 seconds, in a dry pan or in oil, because their thin walls scorch quickly. They are small enough that for many salsas they do not need soaking; simmer with the tomatoes, then blend.
⚠️ Fumes
Toasting or frying dried hot chillies releases capsaicin into the air. Ventilate well, and avoid leaning over the pan.
Buying and storing¶
Choose chillies that are glossy and bright red, not faded or dusty. Store airtight away from light, which fades the colour, for up to a year. They keep their heat better than their aroma. Ground árbol should be used within about six months.
Substitutes¶
- Cayenne (whole or ground): very close.
- Japanese santaka or Chinese dried red chillies of similar size.
- Dried bird's eye chillies: hotter; use fewer.
- Chilli flakes in cooked dishes.
Pairs well with¶
Tomato, tomatillo, garlic, vinegar, lime, guajillo, ancho, peanuts, sesame, pork, beef and corn.
Growing your own¶
Grow árbol like cayenne: sow indoors in February–March at 20–25°C, grow on in pots and plant out after frost or keep under cover. The plants are tall and branching and crop generously. Pick when fully red; the thin pods dry easily if strung up in a warm, airy place. See growing chillies.