Spicy Salsa Macha with chiles de arbol, black sesame seeds, peanuts, and garlic. Completely adaptable, this oil-based Mexican salsa is rich, flavorful, tangy, spicy, perfect for drizzling over everything from avocado toast to eggs to popcorn!
This first time I had an oil-based salsa like this one was when Armando and I visited Mercado la Merced in Mexico City. We stumbled upon a vendor who sold all sorts of preserved goods from hibiscus jam to canned sardines. He had an extensive selection of salsas machas and let us try many of them.
My favorite was a fiery one with a sweet finish. I don’t know exactly what was in it (he wouldn’t share) but I’ve done my best to recreate it and I think I’ve come pretty close.
What is salsa macha?
Salsa Macha has been gaining popularity in recent years here in the US and with good reason. It is a super flavorful salsa that is amazing on everything from tortilla chips to fish tacos.
Many cultures have similar oil-based chile condiments, I’m thinking, XO sauce from Hong Kong, the many crispy chile-garlic sauces from China and Southeast Asia, and others. The Mexican version comes from Veracruz, where many of these ingredients are popular.
Salsa Macha translates to “Brave Salsa” which is appropriate in this case, because this Salsa Macha Recipe is spicy! Many others however, are not. Lots of dried chiles are used to make Salsa Macha including ancho chiles and guajillos, which result in a much milder salsa.
This salsa is extremely balanced. It is not highly acidic or salty or sweet. Every taste profile is there, but nothing should stick out—except the heat—that is front and center.
Ingredients List
Making Salsa Macha gives you an excellent excuse to visit your local Latin market! There you will find the dried chiles and jamaica or dried hibiscus flowers you’ll need. Here’s the full list:
- Dried pasilla chile peppers
- Dried arbol chiles
- Avocado oil, grapeseed oil or vegetable oil
- Garlic
- Roasted, salted peanuts
- Pomegranate arils
- Black sesame seeds
- Flor de jamaica (Dried hibiscus flowers)
- Apple cider vinegar
- Kosher salt
- Dried mint
How to make salsa macha
step one
Clean chiles. Remove all the stems and seeds from the chiles (use gloves if your hands are sensitive to heat). Cut them into 1/4-inch thick pieces and place in a fine mesh sieve. Give them a good rinse.
step two
Fry garlic. Heat oil in a large saucepan and add garlic cloves. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat then lower heat to medium and let cook until garlic turns golden brown.
step three
Mix in chiles. Remove from heat and add chiles, pomegranates, sesame seeds, and jamaica. Let cool for 30 minutes.
step four
Add peanuts. Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor and add 1/2 cup of the peanuts, vinegar, salt, and mint.
step five
Chop. Turn on the food processor and pulse briefly until everything is finely chopped, but not pureed.
step six
Chop remaining nuts by hand. Chop the remaining peanuts just a few times until some of them are chopped but a few remain halved or close to whole.
step seven
Mix in nuts. Transfer salsa to a bowl and stir in remaining peanuts. Taste and add more salt or vinegar as needed.
step eight
Enjoy! Drizzle over steamed rice, popcorn, pizza, eggs, avocado toast, roasted vegetables, tacos, quesadillas, beans, soup, the list goes on and on.
Salsa will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Variations
Once you get a handle on the technique, it’s fun to play around with this recipe. Feel free to swap the ingredients listed here for the ones you have on hand. Just keep the proportions the same, meaning around 2 ounces dried chiles, 3/4 cup nuts, and so on. Here are some suggestions:
Swap olive oil for the avocado oil. Keep in mind however that olive oil has a much stronger flavor, mild olive oil will work best.
Switch up the chiles. Like I mentioned before, if you don’t want it super spicy, use a mild chile like guajillo or ancho for the arbol chiles. Or add some smoke and use dried chipotles or morita chiles.
Change the fruit. The pomegranate in this recipe is a bit unusual. Make a more traditional version with the same amount of dried fruit like dried cherries, cranberries, or currants.
Salsa Macha FAQ’s
What do you eat with salsa macha? Really the sky’s the limit, but some of my favorite ways to enjoy salsa macha are drizzled over soups, on top of pizza, over rice bowls, and of course, tacos.
How do I make it less spicy? It is the chile de árbol that makes this salsa so spicy. If you want a milder salsa you can use a milder chile like guajillo chiles or using all pasillas and omitting the chile de árbol.
Does it go bad quickly? No, this salsa will last a month or more in the fridge. The oil preserves the salsa and keeps it from going bad. Just make sure to store it in an airtight container.
What is salsa macha made of ? It is an oil-based salsa made from dried chiles, nuts, seeds, spices, and dried fruit.
Why is it called Salsa Macha? Salsa Macha means “brave or bold salsa” because it is so spicy and flavorful.
More Salsa Recipes To Try!
- Easy Jalapeño Avocado Salsa
- Roasted Green Hatch Chile Salsa
- Fiery Habanero Tomatillo Salsa
- Salsa Morita {Morita Chile Salsa}
- Tomatillo Red Chili Salsa
- Spicy Arbol Chile Salsa
- Smoky Chipotle Guacamole Recipe
Place that saucepan over medium
And get to cooking! If you’ve never had Salsa Macha before, you are going to be blown away, it is so good. When you make it, snap a pic and 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, make sure to sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!
Spicy Salsa Macha Recipe
Spicy Salsa Macha with chiles de arbol, black sesame seeds, peanuts, and garlic. Completely adaptable, this oil-based Mexican salsa is rich, flavorful, tangy, spicy, perfect for drizzling over everything from avocado toast to eggs to popcorn!
Ingredients
- 1 ounce (about 5) dried Pasilla chiles
- 3/4 cup (about 17 grams) dried arbol chiles
- 1 1/2 cups avocado oil
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
- 1/4 cup dried flor de jamaica {hibiscus flowers}
- 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
- 3/4 cup roasted, salted peanuts, divided
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
Instructions
- Prep chiles. Remove the stem and seeds of the chiles. Wear gloves if your hands are sensitive to the heat. Cut into 1/4-inch thick pieces and place in a fine mesh sieve. Give a good rinse to get rid of any dust or dirt.
- Cook garlic. Heat oil and garlic in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat then lower to medium-low and cook until garlic is golden, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Soften chiles. Add chiles, pomegranate, jamaica, and sesame seeds. Let cool at least 30 minutes.
- Finely chop. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Add 1/2 cup of the peanuts, vinegar, salt, and mint. Pluse for 9-10 one second pulses until finely chopped but not pureed.
- Add peanuts. Roughly chop remaining 1/4 cup of peanuts a few times. You want most of them to remain in large pieces. Transfer salsa to a bowl and stir in remaining peanuts.
- Taste. Taste salsa with a piece of bread and add more salt or vinegar if needed.
Notes
- Make ahead and storage instructions: Salsa will keep for up to 3 months in a tightly-sealed container in the refrigerator. Do not freeze.
- Spice level: Adjust the spice level by using less arbol chiles and more pasilla chiles. The arbol chiles are spicy and the pasilla chiles are mild.
- Texture: I like to leave the salsa on the chunkier side and pulse only enough to break up the chiles and nuts into small bits. Blend longer for a smoother salsa.
- Pomegranate: If pomegranate is not in season, swap dried cranberries.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 186Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 149mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g
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Resources
Pura Macha from Masienda
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