The mirasol pepper is a Mexican chile pepper popular in making traditional mole sauces. The name means "looking at the sun". In dried form, they are known as guajillo peppers. Learn more about these peppers below.
Scoville Heat Units: 2,500-5,000 SHU
Capsicum Annuum
The mirasol pepper is a popular chili pepper in the Mexican culture widely known for making traditional Mexican mole sauces. The name translates to "looking at the sun" in Spanish, taken from how the peppers grow upright on the plant, literally "looking" at the sun as they grow on the plant. You may know mirasol peppers by their dried variety, the guajillo pepper, which is much more common and hugely popular in Mexican cuisine.
The peppers are sometimes referred to as the travieso chile ("naughty pepper" or chile Trompa ("elephant's trunk").
What Do Mirasol Peppers Look Like?
The Mirasol varies in size and appearance, but it is conical in shape, and commonly 2-3 inches long (can be 4-5 inches long), and about .5 to .75 inches wide (can be up to 2 inches). It is red to dark red, or copper in color. It is a fairly thin skinned pepper, ideal for drying into popular guajillo peppers.
On the plant, mirasol chiles grow in clusters and grow upright, producing peppers that mature from green to red or a vibrant orange-red. The plants grow to 18-24 inches in height, and typically produce in 70-80 days (mid season). The pods themselves are sometimes smooth but can be wrinkled, with variations in size and texture.
What Do Mirasol Peppers Taste Like?
The flavor of the Mirasol offers up a unique spicy flavor, though not too spicy. It is fruity and berry-like, and is described as full-bodied, distinct, and "delicate", with hints of strawberry or other berries, and an incomparable rich chili pepper flavor with milder heat.
How Hot are Mirasol Peppers?
Mirasol peppers range in heat from 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville Heat Units on the Scoville Scale, which is considered a milder to mild-medium heat range. Compare that to the common jalapeno pepper, which averages about 5,000 SHU, and you'll find the hottest mirasol chile is about as hot as an average jalapeno pepper.
Growing Mirasol Peppers
Start your mirasol chili seeds indoors about a quarter inch deep in warm soil. Allow the seedlings to sprout, and transfer the pepper plants outdoors when the weather is warmer. These peppers, and peppers in general, grow best in fertile soil that is well drained. The pods grow upright, hence the name "Mirasol", which means "facing the sun" or "looking at the sun".
Like many Mexican peppers, this pepper has different names in fresh and dried form. The red peppers are called "mirasol" when fresh, and called "guajillo peppers" when dried.
Learn more about growing chili peppers.
Cooking with Mirasol Peppers
These peppers are perfect for chicken, fish, potato, or pork dishes and add a delicious spiciness to salsas, stews, chilis and particularly mole sauces, for which they are known for. They are very common in Peruvian cooking, and also Mexican cooking. You can incorporate them into just about any dish in Mexican cuisine.
Buy Mirasol Pepper Seeds
You can buy mirasol chile pepper seeds online at Amazon (affiliate link, my friends). Enjoy growing them!
Got any questions? Ask away! I'm glad to help.
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 6/23/20 to include new photos and information. It was originally published on 9/22/13.
RJC says
Hi! I know this post is old but I was wondering about the flavor of these Mirasol peppers. Ignoring the differences in heat, what's the flavor like? I love Serranos and Poblanos, but I don't really like Jalapenos or Habaneros. I also dislike green bell peppers. How does the Mirasol compare? Thanks.
Mike Hultquist says
It's hard to say if you'd like them, as serranos and jalapenos taste very similar to me, despite the heat difference. You'll get a slight fruity note with ripe red mirasol peppers, similar in heat to a jalapeno. I'd compare flavor to a red jalapeno, or Fresno. They are more popularly used dried, as a "guajillo pepper".
David Lee says
Thank You, Michael Hultquist
My sweetheart's madre is Mexican. Consequently, I have become the Guajillo Gringo and have been making my own recipes with Guajillos.
Can you direct me to detailed information about growing and drying Mirasol?
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, David. I have some general info you can review:
Growing Chili Peppers: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/growing-chili-peppers/
Drying Chili Peppers: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/preserving-chili-peppers/drying-chili-peppers/
I hope this helps as a good place to start! Enjoy!
Lorie McMillin says
I have fresh from my garden from “guajillo” seeds, but I suspect Mirasol. Half still green, half red. Think of slow oven dehydration for storing or perhaps a sauce to freeze. I cook a Lot of Mexican, including homemade tamales.
Valerie says
I am trying to get to the bottom of the mirasol/guajillo truth. Mirasol’s are called guajillo when dried, yet, there is another plant, completely different growth, different pepper, called Guajillo. Does not grow “looking at the sun”. It is the plant you find at nursery’s. Do you have any more insight to this? Thank you!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Valerie, I've seen these at nurseries and I'm not sure why they were named "guajillo" pepper plants. But yep, I have seen them. A conundrum. Wondering if it is similar to the mirasol, but grows slightly differently? I'd love to learn more about this.
Ret says
This has had me stumped since my guajillo peppers started growing downward-facing pods. I had assumed they were mirasol pods.
David W Chard says
Thanks for this. Now, I want to know, what process is used in Mexico to dry out mirasol peppers into guajillos? Are they sun-dried or oven dried? I got a shipment of guajillos from a friend in Mexico..and all the seeds were non-viable.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
David, peppers in Mexico are traditionally sun dried, and the method is still in practice today by locals, while some are smoked and then dried in the sun. Dehydrators are the best way for you to do it at home, or in a cracked oven over very low heat. Seeds for growing are best from fresh peppers, not dried, as you've seen.
Mark Doane says
They are right. Guajillo is made from Mirasol peppers.
You can grow all the Mirasol (or any other) chiles from their Mexican grocery store dried variety. Jalapenos from Chipotle chiles, Mirasoles from Guajillos, Poblanos from Anchos, and so forth. The seeds will be for a commercial quality variety and their freshness, viability and final product can be judged from the dry chile they came out of. The price will be less than packaged seeds too, since you will be discarding the seeds other wise.
Eugene says
So a guajillo pepper is a dried mirasol pepper? Plenty of shops are selling pepper seeds for both mirasol and guajillo. They are wrong? Just curious.
Great website by the way!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Eugene. Yes, the guajillo is the dried version of the mirasol pepper.