Cascabel chiles are one of the most flavorful peppers with mild spiciness. These are Mexican peppers that look like a bell and make the rattling sound as it has seeds. It’s used for preparing salsa and sauces for tamales and tacos.
In addition, it has an earthy, nutty, and smoky flavor that adds complexity to the food. However, it’s a Mexican pepper and cannot be found in other parts of the world easily. For this reason, we are listing down a few substitutes with you!
Cascabel Chile Substitutes
- Chile Guajillo
These are the dried form of mirasol chiles and are commonly available in Mexico as well as other parts of the world. These peppers have a deep red color and smooth appearance. In most cases, they are three to five inches long and only one inch wide.
These peppers have an earthy, fruity, and rich flavor. In particular, there are green tea, berry, and tomato notes in the pepper, which help elevate the flavor of the dish. Since these are dried peppers, they can be grounded to make powder or you can rehydrate them.
The SHU ranges from 2500 to 5000 and is a promising source of vitamin C. It can be used in preparation of tortas, moles, pambazos, enchiladas, and Guajillo sauce. In addition, you must use opaque jars to store these peppers as sunlight can degrade the flavor.
Also, always purchase shiny and pliable peppers with a deep red color and avoid peppers that are too brittle.
- Chile Puya
This is a medium-heat pepper that’s known for its fruity flavor. It is usually used in the preparation of casseroles, burritos, pizza, sauces, stews, and enchiladas. It has a light and fruity flavor with wild berry undertones.
The SHU ranges from 5000 to 8000, which is enough to uplift your recipes. However, if you don’t want to add spiciness to the recipe, it’s recommended that you deseed the peppers.
It has a shelf life of one to two years but makes sure you use an airtight container to store these peppers. The chile puya should be stored away from sunlight. Also, if you have to ground these peppers, always use them immediately after grounding because the oils can dissipate, resulting in a loss of flavor.
- Chile Pasilla
These are the dried chilaca peppers and are native to Northern South America. These peppers have a dark green color but the mature peppers can be brown as well. These peppers can grow over nine inches long.
The dried peppers are usually grounded to make powder and flavor the dishes but some people rehydrate them as well. The flavor is a mix of fruity, smoky, and earthy tones and many people compare it to raisins.
These peppers are extremely fragrant and taste amazing in soups, moles, and salsas. They have a SHU range of 1000 to 2500. It’s recommended that you use airtight containers to store these peppers because moisture can lead to mold development.
Also, they must be kept in a dry and dark environment to retain their flavor. Lastly, if you purchase the peppers, make sure they are firm yet pliable.
- Chile Morita
These are dark red peppers and look like blackberries. These peppers are native to Chihuahua but are available in the US easily. They have subtle smokiness and sweet chocolate undertones.
In addition, it has a fruitier and mild flavor, which adds a pleasant taste to marinades, salsas, soups, and stews. The SHU range is 5000 to 10,000, which means it can add spiciness to the recipe. The peppers should be stored in opaque glass containers to preserve the flavor.
The peppers have a reddish and purple color but make sure their skin is smooth whenever you’ve to purchase them. Also, the texture should be pliable because overly-dried peppers don’t have much flavor.
- Chile Piquin
These are small peppers native to Tabasco but are easily available in Mexico and the United States. These peppers have a bright red color and can be consumed in smoked, fresh, and dried forms. It has citrus hints as well as a fruity and nutty flavor.
On the other hand, the smoked peppers have a nutty and smoky flavor. As compared to other substitutes, chile piquin has a SHU range of 40,000 to 60,000, which makes them extremely spicy and hot. For this reason, it’s used to prepare chile piquin oil, salsa, and pozole rojo.
You should always purchase peppers that have a pliable, smooth, and soft texture because the broken and cracked peppers have a mellowed flavor.
- Chile Ancho
Commonly known as ancho pepper, it’s one of the most delicious peppers and is used in Mexican cuisine. These are the dried form of poblano peppers and tend to be flat and large. In addition, they have a leathery texture. The poblano peppers are dried out in the sun.
In some cases, the dried chiles are rehydrated but can be ground into powdered form as well. It has a sweet, fruity, earthy, and smoky flavor with mild spiciness. Its SHU ranges from 1000 to 2000 and the peppers are a great source of vitamin C and vitamin A.
In addition, the peppers are loaded with fiber. It can be used in the preparation of soups, sauces, enchiladas, chorizo, and chamoy.
Also, it’s recommended that you use them within six months of purchase as their flavor mellows down with time. While purchasing, look for leathery and firm chiles and make sure there are no cracks or blemishes.
- Chile Chipotle Meco
These peppers look like tobacco as they are tan and long. In addition, the peppers are smoked for hours to add a smoky flavor. It has a very complex flavor with an earthy tone and adds smokiness to the dishes when it’s cooked for a minute or two.
In addition, there are slightly fruity and grassy undertones as well. The peppers have a SHU range of 5000 to 10,000, making them suitable for spicy recipes, such as salsa and smoky mole poblano.
- Cascabel Powder
Cascabel powder is another substitute that you can try as it’s made from dried cascabel chiles. It has moderate heat and adds a fruity flavor to the stews, sauces, and soups.
It has herb, berry, and earthy flavor tones and can be used as a dry rub for chicken, chops, salmon, and steak. However, it can be added to cooking recipes as well.
- Arbol Chilies
Arbol chilies are perfect if you want to increase the spiciness in the salsa, adobos, and soups because its SHU range is 15,000 to 30,000. These are slender peppers and look like stems. These are two to three inches long and have a bright red color.
These chilies have a smoky, nutty, and grassy flavor. While purchasing the arbol chilies, make sure that they aren’t soft and moist; instead, you should look for pliable and dry chilies.
Cayenne pepper is one of the most readily available alternatives. These peppers have a SHU rating of 50,0000, which adds intense heat and spiciness to the dishes.
These peppers have a cherry red color with a glossy texture. You can easily find fresh cayenne pepper but the dried and powdered forms are also available in spice aisles.
The serrano peppers are bright green in color, but with time, they become bright red. These peppers have a thin skin and can be easily dried with the help of a dehydrator.
They are extremely delicious with grassy and earthy tones. In addition, it has a natural smokiness, which is very pleasant. Lastly, they have a SHU rating of 5000 to 15,000.
The Bottom Line
It’s quite easy to replace cascabel chile but it’s recommended that you use peppers or chilies in dried form as it helps replicate the flavor. That’s because the flavors of dried and fresh chilies are extremely different.