VegetablePepper
Ancho Grande Pepper
Ancho Grande Pepper is a large, deep green hot pepper that brings authentic Mexican flavor to home gardens and kitchens. This open-pollinated, organic heirloom variety matures in 70 to 79 days from transplant and grows upright to 18 to 30 inches tall, making it well-suited to garden plots, raised beds, and containers. With a bold smoky heat and mild Scoville range of 1,000 to 5,000 SHU depending on growing conditions, it delivers the character of traditional ancho peppers without overwhelming heat, and its large size makes it ideal for roasting, stuffing, and preparing authentic Mexican dishes.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
4-13
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam With Organic Matter
Growth Stats
30 in
Height
TypeUpright
Spacing
18
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
4-13
Size
30in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
Ancho Grande produces impressively large, deep green peppers with a smoky, complex flavor that works beautifully in Mexican cooking. The relatively mild heat level (1,000 to 5,000 SHU) means you control the burn by removing seeds, giving gardeners real flexibility in the kitchen. It's equally at home in a sprawling garden bed or a large container, and the upright growth habit keeps plants compact and productive without demanding a lot of space.
Common Uses
This pepper excels at roasting whole over open flame or in a hot oven, a technique that deepens its smoky notes and softens the flesh for easy peeling. Stuff the charred peppers with cheese, quinoa, or seasoned vegetables for a hearty appetizer or main course. The large, thick walls make it forgiving for any preparation, whether you're incorporating it into sauces, salsas, or slow-cooked braises. Removing the seeds before cooking gives you precise control over heat level.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before your last spring frost. Maintain a soil temperature of 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit for reliable germination. Keep seedlings under bright light and transplant into larger pots once they develop their first true leaves. Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days before transplanting.
Transplant Outdoors
Transplant outdoors after all danger of frost has passed and soil temperature reaches at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Space plants 18 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart. Bury transplants slightly deeper than their nursery containers to encourage a stronger root system. Water gently after transplanting and mulch around the base to retain moisture.
Harvesting
Ancho Grande peppers are ready to harvest 70 to 79 days after transplanting. Pick them at the deep green stage for roasting and stuffing, when the skin has thickened and the pepper feels firm but slightly flexible. Cut peppers from the plant using a sharp knife or pruners rather than pulling, which can damage branches. For maximum yield, harvest peppers regularly throughout the season; removing mature peppers encourages the plant to produce more flowers.
Growing Calendar
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Capsicum annuum
Family
Solanaceae
Genus
Capsicum
Growth Habit
Upright
Native Status
L48 (NI)HI (I)PR (I)VI (I)
History & Origin
“Ancho Grande represents the living tradition of open-pollinated heirloom peppers that have been grown and refined across Mexican and American gardens for generations. This organic, non-GMO cultivar preserves the genetic diversity and seed-saving potential that gardeners have valued for decades, allowing home growers to harvest seeds year after year and maintain a direct connection to the plant lineage they're cultivating.”