Costeño Pepper

A balance of smoky earthiness with bright citrus acidity and subtle fruity sweetness.

Costeño peppers are thin-walled, elongated chiles that ripen from green to a deep brick red. When dried, they become leathery and papery, typically measuring 3 to 4 inches in length. Their flavor is a harmonious blend of earthy sweetness, subtle smokiness, and bright citrus notes, setting them apart from sweeter varieties like guajillo. In Mexican cuisine, particularly in Oaxaca, they are toasted to enhance their aroma and then rehydrated or ground for use in complex mole sauces, salsas, pozole, and marinades. The variety adds a fruity acidity that balances rich, fatty dishes. There is also a rarer yellow-orange variant known as Costeño Amarillo, prized for yellow mole preparations. These peppers are versatile and approachable for home cooks due to their moderate heat level.

Cultivated for centuries in the coastal regions of Oaxaca and Guerrero, Mexico, as a staple of indigenous cooking. Remained largely regional until promoted by chefs like Diana Kennedy and Rick Bayless in the 1990s. Name derives from 'costeño' meaning coastal.