How to make homemade Salsa de Cacahuate a creamy Mexican salsa made with roasted peanuts and dried chile de árbol. If you’ve never had this unique blend of roasted peanuts, oregano, charred tomatoes and chiles, you will definitely want to give it a try. It’s truly one of my favorites with chips or over grilled chicken or pork chops.
The flavor of this salsa is so splendid. It is spicy and creamy and salty-sweet all at once. If you’ve only had tomato or tomatillo-based salsas this one is going to throw you for a loop.
Peanuts are used in all kinds of sauces in Mexico the most popular being many variations of mole sauce and more recently salsa macha has had its beauty finally recognized. But peanut salsa is something all together different and extraordinary. It is a spicy salsa but the peanuts tone down the sharpness.
The creamy texture make it excellent with crunchy things like tacos dorados or tortilla chips.
what is salsa de cacahuate?
It is a spicy little sauce, full of dried chile de arbol but creamy with ground peanuts to calm the heat. Cacahuates (pronounced: “ka-ka-wa-tes”) is Spanish for peanuts and this divine salsa is full of them!
Peanuts are a popular ingredient in Mexican cuisine and have been enjoyed there since pre-colonial times. It was the Spanish who brought peanuts to Africa from Southern Mexico and South America but according to the LA Times, it was African slaves who brought them to Veracruz where they added them to stews and made peanut sauces.
There are versions of this salsa all over Mexico. In Colima the sauce is made of simply toasted arbol chilies, garlic, and onions. My version (with the addition of charred tomatoes) is inspired by salsa de cacahuate y chile de árbol you will find in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero.
Ingredients
- Peanuts
- Tomatoes
- White onion
- Garlic
- Vegetable oil or olive oil
- Dried oregano
- Dried arbol chiles
- Black pepper
- Whole cloves
- Limes
- Kosher salt
How To Make This Recipe
step one
Char the chiles. Place a comal or large skillet over medium heat. Place chiles in the pan and toast until darkened and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Turn your vent hood on to prevent from choking on the spicy aroma. Remove to a bowl.
step two
Blacken the vegetables. Add the tomatoes and char until they are blackened and soft on all sides.
step three
Fry the peanuts, oregano, arbol chiles, peppercorns, and cloves in a little oil in a separate frying pan.
step four
Combine everything in a blender with lime juice and salt and blend on high until creamy and smooth.
step five
If it is too thick add a 1/4 cup of water or more until it coats a tortilla chip but not so gloppy.
step six
Enjoy! Pour the salsa into a bowl and taste with a chip. Add more salt or lime juice as needed then dig in!
use this salsa on:
- Shredded Beef {Carne Deshebrada}
- Roasted Squash Tostadas
- Sweet Potato Nachos with Smoked Cheddar and Black Beans
- Grilled Veggie Skewers
- Apple and Braised Beef Tamales
- Chicken Street Tacos
- Mexican Short Rib Tacos
life’s too short to have one favorite salsa!
Psssst. This creamy salsa de cacahuate makes a great app for any party. It also makes any meal wonderful! Dollop over a rice bowl for lunch or pork chops for dinner. If you try it, I’d love to hear how you like it! Tag me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating)! Also, sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!
Salsa de Cacahuate {Creamy Peanut and Chile Salsa}
Salsa de Cacahuate is a creamy, spicy salsa made from ground peanuts, arbol chiles, charred tomatoes, garlic, & onions. Goes amazing with margaritas!
Ingredients
- 1 large tomato, cored
- 1/2 medium white onion, peeled
- 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 1/4 cup grapeseed oil, olive oil, or vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup roasted, salted peanuts, plus 2 tablespoons chopped, for garnish
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)
- 8 dried arbol chiles, stems removed
- 8 whole black peppercorns
- 2 whole cloves
- 1-2 limes, juiced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4-1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Char chiles. Heat a comal or dry skillet over medium heat. Place chiles on the comal and toast, turning frequently until they have darkened in color and are fragrant, but aren't burnt. Remove to a bowl.
- Char vegetables. Place tomatoes, onion, and garlic cloves on the comal and cook, turning occasionally, until charred on all sides. The garlic will cook sooner than the other vegetables, remove them as they are done cooking.
- Blend vegetables. When cool enough to handle, peel the skin off the garlic and place in the blender with the other vegetables. Blend on high until smooth and keep in blender.
- Fry peanuts. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the 1/2 cup peanuts, oregano, chiles, peppercorns, and cloves. Fry, stirring occasionally, until peanuts are toasted and chiles are fragrant. Let cool slightly.
- Blend. Add peanut mixture to blender with the tomato mixture along with the lime juice, salt and 1/4 cup of water blend on high until smooth. If the mixture is still too thick, add the remaining 1/4 cup of water. Taste and add more salt as needed.
- Serve. Pour into a serving bowl. Top with remaining chopped peanuts and serve with tortilla chips or spoon over roasted pork or chicken.
Notes
- Make-ahead: The salsa can be made, covered and refrigerated for up to a week. I don't recommend freezing it.
- Add water: Add as much water as you need to to make a runny salsa. You don't want it to be too thick. It should be able to coat a chip but not be gloppy. I usually add the full 1/2 cup.
- Spice-level: This salsa is fairly spicy. To lower the heat, add fewer arbol chiles.
- Peanuts: Regular roasted, salted peanuts work fine in this recipe. If using raw peanuts, you may need to add more salt.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 53Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 4mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g
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