The seeds from dried chiles can be lightly toasted and used as a condiment to give a dish some extra heat. Traditionally, you place a bowl of seeds on the table and diners can add them to their food as desired.

I have never seen this done at anyone’s home or in a restaurant. I got the idea to use the chile pepper seeds from a Mexican cookbook. The cookbook doesn’t call for the seeds to be toasted but I liked the added nutty flavor toasting gives them.

Using Serrano Chiles in Your Mexican Dishes

Serrano chiles are called for in many Mexican recipes. Serranos have a bright, sharp taste and are substantially hotter than Jalapeno chiles. Serrano chiles are a medium to dark green when picked and as they mature turn orange and then red. Typically they are used when they are still green.

An average Serrano chile ranges in size from 2 to 3 inches long and about 3/4 of an inch across. Serrano chiles do not need to be peeled as do many other chiles. You can incorporate Serranos into your dishes two ways: minced or in rounds. To reduce the heat of Serrano chiles be sure to remove the white veins and seeds.

Working With Chile Peppers

If you have sensitive skin, wear rubber gloves when working with chiles. Serrano chiles are very hot and the capsacin in the chiles which causes the burning sensation stays on your skin all day.

I speak from experience. The last time I chopped up some Serranos I rubbed the side of my face before washing my hands and where I touched my face burned for nearly four hours. Even after you wash your hands much of the capsacin stays on them.

Mexican Recipes that use Serrano Chiles

Chicken Breasts with a Spicy Tomatillo Salsa

Authentic Mexican Table Salsa Recipe

Charred Tomatillo Salsa Recipe

Avocado Salsa

You might be interested in The Great Chile Book.

How to Peel Chili Peppers

One of my least favorite parts about cooking Mexican food is peeling chiles. It’s a prep task that I try to avoid when possible, but sometimes it just has to be done. Peeling chiles really isn’t that hard. I just find it to be tedious.

The method I prefer to roast chiles for peeling is to place the chiles directly on the flame of a gas burner. Stick a fork firmly into the stem end of the chile. Don’t remove the fork. You use it to turn the chile as the skin chars and blisters.

You want to make sure the skin of the chile is completely blistered. Once the chile is completely charred and blistered, set it aside to cool for about a minute. After the chile has cooled slightly, place the it in a plastic bag for a few minutes to sweat it.

Remove the chile from the plastic bag and scrape off the skin with a knife. You’ll find that the skin comes off very easily.

This is what a peeled chile looks like. It’s now ready to use in the dish of your choice. Be sure to remove as much skin as possible.

Alternate Methods for Roasting and Peeling Chiles

If you don’t have a gas stove, you can char the chiles in a pan or under the broiler in your oven.