Ancho Chipotle Chile Paste
A delicious chile-based condiment that's a boon to have on hand in the freezer. Add to soups, casseroles, and savory sautés. Makes a generous 1/2 cup.
Course Condiment
Cuisine Mexican
- 4 dried Ancho chilies
- 1 chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce seeds removed
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from chipotle chile peppers above
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- ½ cup water
Over medium-high heat, toast whole ancho chiles in a heavy skillet for about 2 minutes per side, until fragrant. Don’t overdo or chiles will be bitter.
Remove toasted chilies to mixing bowl and add boiling water to cover. Let stand for 30 minutes, stirring a couple of times while hydrating.
Drain chilies and discard water. Tear chilies open and remove stems and seeds.
Place prepared chilies in a blender (or processor) and add chipotle chile, adobo sauce, cumin, paprika, and water.
Blend until a smooth paste forms, scraping the sides of the blender as needed. If too thick, add a tablespoon or two of additional water.
Transfer chile paste to a covered storage container and refrigerate for up to several days or freeze on a foil lined baking sheet, in tablespoon size dollops. (I prefer the latter method, so I almost always have this useful paste on hand.)
Keyword ancho chiles, chilies, chipotle chiles, condiment