The cascabel chili pepper, also known as the rattle chili, is another of the marvelous Mexican Chili member of the Capsicum annuum species. The 'rattle' and 'bell' designations describe the tendency of loose seeds to rattle inside a dried cascabel when shaken. The Cascabel is a plump, round, smooth and small chili that ripens from green to red. When dried, the color darkens to a deep reddish-brown with an almost transparent but thick skin. When mature they are about 1-1/2” in diameter.

Unlike many chillis these are known by the same name whether fresh or dried. Recipes that call for Cascabel chillis typically are referring to the dried chili peppers.

They are perfect to roast on a hot skillet before using and then they can either be made into chili powder or rehydrated in warm water so they can then be made into a paste or a sauce. We also like to pair these with other Mexican chillis for more complex depths of flavor. If you are rehydrating these we recommend not soaking them for more than 20 minutes or they become bitter.

The nutty taste of roasted Cascabel’s pairs equally well with tomatoes or tomatillos in casseroles, enchiladas, fajitas, salsas, sauces, soups, stews, tamales and tacos. 

The flavor profile of the Cascabel is woodsy, acidic and slightly smoky with tobacco and nutty undertones. This chili is considered a mild heat chili (1,000-2,500 on the Scoville Heat Scale).

El chile “cascabel” es de las variedades más usadas de la especie Capsicum annuum en la cocina mexicana. Tiene un tamaño parecido al de una cereza, es redondo, picante y al madurar enrojece. Los chiles de esta variedad se usan secos, ya que es entonces cuando reciben su característico aroma. El nombre “cascabel” se debe al sonido que hacen las semillas dentro del fruto cuando está seco.

Es perfecto para agregar sabor a cualquier platillo, o simplemente hacer una salsa.