The Ancient Tableby Mexican Growers

A regional dried chile of Mexico

Costeño Rojo Dried Chile Peppers from Mexico

Costeño Rojo is a regional Mexican dried chile associated with coastal cooking traditions. It is used in preparations such as salsas and moles, where dried chiles contribute color, aroma, flavor and heat.

$14.95 USD4 oz · 113 g

Retail reference price. Availability and shipping vary by market.

Buy NowWholesale & distributionProduct detailsExplore the coastal origin
Michoacán Growers Costeño Rojo dried chile peppers package

Product facts at a glance

Regional chile character, clearly identified.

OriginCoastal southern Mexico.
IngredientWhole dried Costeño Rojo chile peppers.
FormatShelf-stable whole dried peppers.
Net weight4 oz / 113 g.
Best known forSalsas, moles, adobos and cooked sauces.
HeatNaturally variable by crop, growing conditions and individual pod.

Rooted in Mexico’s coastal chile traditions

The name costeño is used for regional chiles associated with Mexico’s coastal areas. Costeño Rojo appears in southern Mexican culinary traditions where dried chiles are toasted, softened or blended into sauces and moles.

Explore the coastal origin →

Regional identityCosteño chiles are tied to local coastal food traditions rather than a generic dried-chile category.
Dried for the pantryDrying concentrates chile character and creates a shelf-stable ingredient.
Crop variationFlavor, color and heat can shift naturally from crop to crop.

From whole dried chile to sauce

Costeño Rojo is sold whole so cooks can toast, soften, seed or blend the chile according to the preparation.

SalsasToast or soften before blending with tomatoes, tomatillos, aromatics or other ingredients.
MolesUse as one layer in regional chile mixtures where color, aroma and depth matter.
Adobos & brothsAdd dried-chile character to marinades, broths and cooked sauces.

Flavor and heat: variation is part of the ingredient

Chile heat is naturally variable. Variety, growing conditions, maturity, drying and the individual pod all influence perceived heat. We therefore avoid promising a fixed Scoville number without lot-specific testing.

Flavor firstCosteño Rojo contributes chile aroma, color and regional character—not only heat.
No false precisionA fixed heat claim would be misleading without testing the actual lot.
Cook to tasteAdjust quantity and seed content according to the dish and desired heat.

Research & food science

Chile science connects this ingredient to both Mexico and processing. Multidisciplinary evidence places the domestication of Capsicum annuum in Mexico, while food-science studies show that drying conditions influence color, capsaicinoids, carotenoids and phenolic compounds. Recent work on dry Mexican chiles also examines how compounds are released from the food matrix during digestion.

Important context: Costeño Rojo is a regional chile, and the studies below do not analyze this exact Mexican Growers lot. They provide broader scientific context for Capsicum annuum, dried chile processing and Mexico’s long relationship with domesticated chile.

Peer-reviewed research:

Multiple lines of evidence for the origin of domesticated chili pepper, Capsicum annuum, in Mexico — PNAS (2014).

Drying of Red Chili Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.): Process Kinetics, Color Changes, Carotenoid Content and Phenolic Profile — Molecules (2024).

Bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds after in vitro digestion of three dry Capsicum annuum varieties — Journal of Food Science and Technology (2025).

Frequently asked questions

What is Costeño Rojo chile?Costeño Rojo is a dried red chile associated with Mexico’s coastal chile traditions. It is used for flavor, color and heat in preparations such as salsas, moles and adobos.
What other names does chile costeño have?Costeño is a regional descriptor rather than one universally standardized cultivar name. “Costeño Rojo” identifies the red dried chile offered here; local names can vary by community and market.
Where does Costeño Rojo chile come from?The name costeño is tied to coastal Mexican food traditions. Exact crop characteristics can vary by local origin, harvest and growing conditions.
How do you use dried Costeño Rojo chile?It can be lightly toasted, softened in liquid, seeded if desired and blended into salsas, moles, adobos and other chile-based preparations.

Price, sourcing and distribution

The current retail reference price is $14.95 USD per 4 oz / 113 g package. Availability, shipping and certifications may vary by market.

For wholesale quantities, specifications or current availability, contact Mexican Growers directly.

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Looking for Costeño Rojo chile?

Contact Mexican Growers for current availability, wholesale distribution and other distinctive ingredients from Mexico.

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