Pasilla, or chile negro, is the dried chilaca chilli: long, black-brown and wrinkled, with mild heat and a rich, bittersweet flavour of raisins, cocoa and liquorice used in moles and salsas.
What it is¶
Pasilla is the dried form of the chilaca, a long, thin, dark-green Capsicum annuum chilli that ripens to dark brown. Dried, the pods are 15–25 cm long, narrow, deeply wrinkled and almost black, which is why they are also called chile negro. The name means "little raisin" (from pasa), after the wrinkled skin and dried-fruit flavour.
It is mild, about 1,000–2,500 SHU, and valued for depth and a gentle, appealing bitterness rather than heat. With ancho and mulato it makes up the chilli trio of Puebla's mole poblano.
📌 Not to be confused with
- In parts of the United States, fresh poblanos and dried anchos are often mislabelled "pasilla". True pasilla is long and thin, not broad and heart-shaped.
- Pasilla de Oaxaca (or pasilla mixe) is a different, smoked chilli from the Sierra Mixe of Oaxaca, hotter and intensely smoky, closer in use to chipotle.
Origins and history¶
Chilacas have been grown in central Mexico since pre-Hispanic times, particularly in the Bajío region (Guanajuato, Querétaro, Michoacán) and neighbouring states. Pasillas are woven into the traditional cooking of central Mexico: the great festive moles of Puebla and the Valley of Mexico, table salsas, and the fried strips that garnish sopa de tortilla. Fresh chilacas, less commonly seen outside Mexico, are roasted and cut into rajas like poblanos.
Flavour and aroma¶
Pasillas taste rich and complex: raisin and prune, dark cocoa, a hint of liquorice or anise, dried herbs and a gentle bitterness like very dark chocolate or coffee. Heat is mild and warm. Burned, they turn harshly bitter, so toasting must be brief.
In the kitchen¶
- Moles: pasilla gives mole its dark colour and bittersweet depth alongside ancho, mulato and chipotle. See mexican cuisine.
- Salsa de pasilla: toasted pasillas blended with roasted tomato, garlic and a little vinegar; excellent with grilled meat and eggs.
- Sopa de tortilla (sopa azteca): tomato and chilli broth topped with fried tortilla strips, avocado, cheese, cream and crisp-fried pasilla rings.
- Sauces for fish and seafood: pasilla's herbal note works well with prawns.
- Ground: as a dark, mild powder for rubs, or in chocolate desserts.
Method: wipe, stem and deseed. Toast in a dry pan for a few seconds per side, pressing flat, until fragrant; the colour barely changes, so go by smell. Soak in hot water 15–20 minutes and blend. See rehydrating dried chillies.
💡 Crisp pasilla garnish
Cut a pasilla into thin rings with scissors and fry in 1 cm of hot oil for 3–5 seconds, just until they puff and darken slightly. Drain on paper. Scatter over soups, beans and eggs.
Buying and storing¶
Good pasillas are supple, oily-looking and smell of raisins. Avoid brittle pods or any with pale patches, mould or holes. Keep airtight in a cool, dark place for up to a year; freeze for longer storage.
Substitutes¶
- Mulato: similar dark sweetness, less bitter.
- Ancho: sweeter; add a pinch of cocoa for the bitterness.
- Guajillo: different (brighter), but works in a table salsa.
- For pasilla de Oaxaca, use chipotle meco or morita.
Pairs well with¶
Tomato, garlic, onion, chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, aniseed, sesame, raisins, ancho, chipotle, eggs, avocado, prawns, pork and duck.
Growing your own¶
Chilaca plants are grown like other C. annuum chillies. Sow indoors in February–March at 20–25°C and grow on under cover in the UK, where the long pods need a warm, long season to ripen fully brown. Harvest green to use as fresh chilaca, or allow to ripen dark brown and then dry in a warm, airy place or a low oven. Seed is sold by specialist suppliers under the name chilaca or pasilla. See growing chillies.