One teaspoon of ancho chile powder has about 7–8 calories, with fiber, trace protein, and mild sodium depending on blend.
Per 1 tsp
Per 1 tbsp
Per 100 g
Pure Ground Ancho
- No salt added
- Mild heat, deep color
- Best for control
Clean label
Grocery Chili Blend
- Often includes salt
- Herbs and spices mixed
- Check sodium per tsp
Convenient
House Chili Mix
- Blend ancho + paprika
- Add cumin, garlic
- Salt to taste
DIY control
What You Get In A Pinch
Ancho powder is dried poblano, ground fine. It tastes mellow, warm, and slightly sweet, with cocoa and raisin notes. The heat is low, so you can use more for flavor without turning a dish fiery. Most grocery jars list a tiny serving size, which often rounds to zero on labels. Real numbers still add up across teaspoons and tablespoons, so it helps to know the actual counts.
| Measure | Calories | Carbs (g) |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 tsp (0.7 g) | ~2 | 0.3 |
| 1 tsp (3 g) | 8 | 1.3 |
| 1 tbsp (8 g) | 24 | 3.5 |
| 2 tbsp (16 g) | 48 | 7.0 |
| 100 g | 282 | 56 |
Nutrition Facts For Ground Ancho: What Matters
Per teaspoon you get a small hit of energy, a gram or so of carbohydrate, and about a gram of dietary fiber. Fat and protein show up in trace amounts. Sodium varies a lot in store blends that include salt, so pure single-ingredient jars are the safer choice when you want to control seasoning in a recipe.
The numbers in the table mirror the generic chili powder entry used by dietitians and recipe calculators, which places a teaspoon at eight calories with about 1.3 grams of carbs and close to a gram of fiber. That entry traces back to lab-tested data sets maintained by USDA FoodData Central, and it’s presented clearly on the MyFoodData chili powder page for easy reference.
Calories, Carbs, Fiber, And Sodium
Calories scale with spoon size. A tablespoon lands near twenty-four, which is still modest next to oil, nuts, or sugar. Carbohydrate is mostly fiber and starch. That fiber helps thicken sauces and chili without adding much energy. If a label shows 0 for calories or carbs, it is a rounding call on a tiny serving, not a literal zero.
Sodium can be the big swing. Pure ground ancho keeps sodium near none. A blended “chili powder” often contains salt, garlic, cumin, and oregano. That blend can deliver seventy or so milligrams of sodium per teaspoon. If you’re watching salt, use the single-ingredient spice and add salt to taste later.
Vitamins, Minerals, And Plant Compounds
Spices are used in small spoonfuls, so micronutrient totals remain small per serving. Even so, you still pick up a trace of iron, potassium, and vitamin A carotenoids. Those carotenoids contribute to the deep brick-red color and play into the gentle sweetness many cooks love. Heat equals mild warmth here. Most sources place dried poblano near one to two thousand Scoville heat units, which is softer than jalapeño territory.
Serving Sizes That Fit Real Cooking
Labels often list a quarter teaspoon. That makes sense for seasoning at the table, but not for chili, braises, or batch rubs. Home cooks usually measure by level teaspoons and rounded tablespoons. The numbers below map to those real-world scoops so you can scale with confidence and keep taste first.
Everyday Uses
Reach for a teaspoon when you want gentle warmth in eggs, bean skillets, or pan sauces. Use a tablespoon in beef chili, pulled pork, or black beans. For a dry rub, pair ground ancho with kosher salt, cumin, and a touch of brown sugar, then rest the meat so the spice hydrates and sticks.
Stir into mayo for smoky fries, or sprinkle on popcorn for sweet warmth at movie night.
Heat Compared With Other Chiles
Dried poblano sits at the mellow end of the scale. Chipotle brings a smoked jalapeño punch. Cayenne leans hot and sharp. Guajillo lands close to ancho in warmth but smells brighter. The table later in this piece lays out the spread in a clean snapshot so you can swap smartly.
Label Math: Why Some Jars Say 0
Spice makers often use a tiny serving on the panel, such as 1/4 teaspoon. Under rounding rules, that serving can print zeros across energy, fat, carbs, and protein. Brands also vary in moisture content and grind size. A fine grind packs tighter in the spoon than a coarse grind, so spoons from different jars may not weigh the same. When a recipe depends on precision, weigh the spice. For daily cooking, stick with teaspoons and taste.
Single-Ingredient Vs. Blended Products
A jar labeled “ancho chile pepper” holds only dried poblano. A jar labeled “chili powder” is a blend, often with salt. The pure jar gives you more control and a cleaner label. The blend adds convenience and a rounder flavor. Pick based on your dish. For sauces and stews, pure ground ancho lets you balance salt and aromatics on your terms.
Buying, Storing, And Using It Well
Buy from a shop with steady turnover. Spices fade with light, heat, and air. Whole dried chiles keep aroma longer than ground, so grab whole pods when you can and grind small batches in a spice mill. If you buy ground, choose a tight-sealing jar, keep it in a cool cabinet, and plan to refresh every few months for best aroma.
Flavor Pairings That Shine
Cocoa, coffee, and a hint of raisin pair naturally with this mellow chile. In savory dishes, it loves garlic, onion, cumin, oregano, and citrus. In baking, it leans into chocolate, cinnamon, and vanilla. A pinch tames sweetness and adds depth to brownies and hot chocolate, while a tablespoon brings body to red enchilada sauce.
Smart Swaps And Substitutions
No ancho on hand? Guajillo is the nearest swap for warmth and color. Pasilla leans fuller and darker. Chipotle adds smoke. Cayenne lifts heat with less fruitiness. For a house mix that mimics a blend, stir ground ancho with paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder, then salt to taste.
How Much Heat To Expect
Most references place dried poblano near 1,000–1,500 Scoville heat units. That sits many steps below jalapeño. In practice, the sensation is a slow warmth rather than a sharp burn. This makes larger spoonfuls welcome in family cooking. If you do want more kick, add a pinch of cayenne or chipotle while keeping the bulk of the flavor anchored in mellow ancho.
| Chile Powder | Heat (SHU) | Flavor & Use |
|---|---|---|
| Ancho (dried poblano) | ~1,000–1,500 | Sweet, cocoa, gentle warmth; sauces, stews |
| Chipotle (smoked jalapeño) | ~2,500–8,000 | Smoky, medium heat; chili, marinades |
| Cayenne | ~30,000–50,000 | Sharp heat; small pinches in blends |
Cooking Tips That Keep The Flavor
Bloom the spice in a little oil in the pan for thirty seconds to wake up aroma. Add tomato paste or garlic next so pigments and oils mingle. For stews, add early for body and again near the end for aroma. If a sauce tastes flat, add a squeeze of lime and a dash of salt before adding more spice. That tiny acid and salt lift the sweet notes already present.
Measure By Weight When You Need Consistency
For competitions or repeatable results, weigh spices. A typical teaspoon of ground ancho weighs around three grams, but that can slide with grind and humidity. Recording gram weights in your recipe log makes your next batch easy. For everyday meals, teaspoons and tablespoons work well, and tasting along the way still wins.
Taste shifts with brand, grind, and harvest; adjust by dish preferences.
Sourcing And Quality Checks
Look for a brick-red color with a fresh, dried-fruit smell. A stale or dusty note signals age. If you buy whole pods, pick ones that feel pliable, not brittle, with intact stems and little to no tearing. Remove seeds for a smoother texture in sauces. Toast pods briefly in a warm skillet, then soak in hot water and blend for a silky base.
Nutrition Trade-Offs In Blends
Blended “chili powder” adds flavor from cumin and garlic and often includes salt. That salt brings sodium without much volume, which can tip a dish before you notice. When tracking sodium, season with pure ground ancho first, then add a separate pinch of salt so the ratio suits your taste and needs.
Make A Simple Pantry Rub
Stir two tablespoons ground ancho with one tablespoon kosher salt, one tablespoon brown sugar, two teaspoons cumin, and one teaspoon garlic powder. Use two teaspoons of this spice rub per pound of chicken thighs or pork shoulder. Rest the meat fifteen minutes so the surface hydrates before cooking.
Bottom Line For Meal Planning
Mild heat, rich color, and a touch of fiber make this spice a handy way to build depth without loading on calories. Per spoon it lands light, yet the flavor reads bold once bloomed in warm oil. Keep a jar of the pure, single-ingredient version for control, and blend your own when you want a rounder profile.