Anaheim Peppers, also known as California, New Mexico or Magdalena peppers. They have a mild flavor and are used for many Mexican dishes. This is a guide to everything you know about them and how to roast to perfection!
The Anaheim Pepper
Anaheim peppers are part of the Capsicum genus, and specifically belong to the New Mexico cultivar group of chiles. This group also includes Hatch chilies, which are similar.
They are in fact, original from Magdalena Sonora. Hence why they’re also called Magdalena peppers.
Origin
The story goes that a farmer started growing this cultivar of peppers in Magdalena and then he moved to Anaheim California. He brought the seeds with him and started growing them there as well. The owners of the farm where he worked at named the chiles “Anaheim Peppers” and the rest is history.
In Sonora these peppers are dried on a rope and hung to dry in the sun, protecting it from humidity. Once they’re dried, they’re called Chile Colorado.
How Spicy are Anaheim Peppers?
Anaheims are a mild pepper and the heat intensity is similar to a green bell pepper. They rank between 0 – 2,000 SHU in Scoville heat units (SHU). They’re one of the mildest peppers you can find for your Mexican dishes!
Growing them
Growing your own Anaheim is very easy. Use a loamy, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter. Full sun and warm temperatures are also important when growing these peppers. They grow best when temperatures are over 80°F.
They’re a perennial plant so you can continue to grow them on the same plant year after year!
Recipes with Anaheim Peppers
Anaheim peppers are an essential ingredient in Mexican cuisine and they add amazing flavor to any dish. Here are some Mexican recipes where you can use these peppers for extra flavor without any heat:
Anaheim Pepper Substitute
FAQs
These are two different peppers. The Poblano is a mild chili pepper but more spicy than Anaheim. Poblano is unique in its elongated, slightly twisted heart shape with a pointed tip and dark green color. Anaheim is longer, skinnier and has a light green color.
Anaheim’s aren’t a sweet pepper (like sweet bell peppers) but neither are they hot. They have just a little bit of heat, enough to provide lots of flavor to the dish.
Jalapeños are smaller in size and range from mild to very hot with a green vegetable flavor. They’re the most popular pepper in north America and used in many recipes. Anaheim peppers are longer, skinnier and have a light green color.
Roast peppers on the gas stove
This is the fastest and easiest method of all. It’s the most popular roasting technique for chiles rellenos , since it allows the skin to burn easily and evenly without the chiles getting too soft.
To grill the peppers directly on the stove flame you will need a gas stove with a burner.
- Light the burner over medium heat and arrange the peppers directly on the flame with the help of tongs.
- Roast for about 5 minutes, turning the peppers with the tongs as your skin blisters, until it is roasted evenly on all sides.
- See below “How To Peel Roasted Peppers”
Roasting peppers on a comal/griddle
The comal/griddle method is perfect if you don’t have a gas stove or don’t feel like turning the oven on. For this you will need a large nonstick comal, griddle or cast iron skillet.
- Heat a comal or nonstick griddle over medium heat and roast the peppers for about 20 minutes, turning as the skin blisters and it burns completely on all sides.
- See below “How To Peel Roasted Peppers”
Roasting in the oven
The advantage of this method is that it allows you to roast the largest number of peppers at the same time with the least amount of effort!
To roast in the oven you will need a conventional oven, a tray lined with foil, baking paper or you could brush the tray with some olive oil instead.
- Preheat oven at 400 degrees. Place the baking tray with the peppers in the oven and roast for about 40 minutes.
- Turn once in the middle of the process, until the pepper’s skin looks charred. Once the peppers are ready, remove the tray from the oven immediately.
- See below “How To Peel Roasted Peppers”
How To Peel Roasted Peppers
When the peppers are roasted, it is important that you let them “sweat” for about 15 minutes, so that you can peel them easily.
1 & 2 – Place the peppers in a bowl and cover with cover with a kitchen towel and a flat object (I use a plate) to seal the bowl. Another option is to place them in a plastic bag and close it tightly to retain the steam.
If you use a plastic bag, allow the peppers to cool for a minute to prevent melting of the bag.
3. After 15 minutes or so, it will be time to peel them by pulling the skin off with your fingers. It’s that easy!
Important!
Avoid rinsing the peppers in water to remove the burnt skin as it will also remove all of the roasting flavor. Leaving some roasted skin for your recipe will result in delicious flavors!
Devein & cut roasted peppers
These instructions are for recipes that do not require whole peppers.
- Using a sharp knife, remove the stem.
- Cut the peppers vertically from top to bottom and open.
3. Remove the veins and seeds with by scraping the sides with the knife.
4. Cut them according to the instructions in the recipe or as shown below.
Storing & Freezing
MORE delicious…
Mexican Recipes
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Anaheim Peppers + Roasting Steps
Equipment
- Tongs
- Bowl with cover or plastic bag
- Gas stove, griddle or oven
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 3 Anaheim peppers
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (for roasting in oven) Optional
Instructions
Roasting on the gas stove
- Light the burner over medium heat and arrange the peppers directly on the flame with the help of tongs.3 Anaheim peppers
- Roast for about 5 minutes, turning the peppers with the tongs as your skin blisters, until it is roasted evenly on all sides.
Roasting on a comal/griddle
- Line a comal or nonstick griddle with aluminium foil and heat over medium heat.
- Roast the peppers for about 20 minutes, turning as the skin blisters and it burns completely on all sides.
Roasting in the oven
- Preheat oven at 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminium foil.
- Brush the peppers with olive oil (optional) and place the peppers on the baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes.
- Turn the peppers once in the middle of the process, and bake until the pepper's skin looks charred. Remove from oven and set to cool for 1 minute.
How to peel
- Place the peppers in a bowl and cover with cover with a kitchen towel and a flat object (I use a plate) to seal the bowl. Another option is to place them in a plastic bag and close it tightly to retain the steam.
- After 15 minutes or so, it will be time to peel them by pulling the skin off with your fingers.
To devein
- Using a sharp knife, remove the stem. Cut the peppers vertically from top to bottom and open.
- Remove the veins and seeds with by scraping the sides with the knife.
- Cut them according to the instructions in the recipe you'll be using them for.
Muy Delish Notes:
- Refrigerate – Refrigerate a batch of chiles in an airtight storage container for up to a week.
- Freeze – After they have been peeled & deseeded, you can place in a silicone freezer bag freezer or an airtight container for up to 6 months.
- To Thaw – Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Add Your Own Private Notes
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Nutrition
The nutritional information and US conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or unit conversion tool.
thankyou.
The instructions on how to roast anaheim peppers were perfect! I followed the skillet ones. Can’t wait to roast more!
Greetings! Very helpful advice within this post! It’s the little changes which will make the greatest changes. Thanks for sharing!
I like roasted poblanos the best but I wish I had a gas stove!