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Home » Salsa Macha

Salsa Macha

by Mike Hultquist · Mar 25, 2020 · 34 Comments

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Salsa Macha Recipe

This Mexican salsa macha recipe is the perfect condiment, made with crispy bits of toasted chili peppers, garlic, peanuts and sesame seeds in oil. Spoon it over everything!

Salsa Macha Recipe

Who is up for salsa macha? I am! If you are a salsa lover, this salsa macha recipe is everything you need for flavorful snacking or drizzling onto just about anything.

I know all of you spicy food lovers out there are going to fall in love with this salsa. While it doesn't offer much heat, it makes up for it with a delicious savoriness that will add some zip and zing to all sorts of meals. You can, of course, up the heat factor to your own desire.

Salsa Macha Recipe

What is Salsa Macha?

Salsa Macha is salsa from Veracruz, Mexico, made with a variety of dried peppers, nuts and oil. It's slightly spicy, nutty salsa, with a touch of tanginess, used more as a topping for dishes like quesadillas or tacos rather than a traditional salsa served with tortilla chips.

You'll find variations of them all over Mexico in terms of ingredients and cooking method, varying from region to region and cook to cook. Crushed peanuts are traditional, though some recipes call for other nuts and even seeds. What's great about it is not just the flavor, but the crunchy element it offers, with it's dark sludge of crispy bits, a bit like a cross between a chili oil and a chili paste.

I offer a number of possible ingredient variations in the Recipe Notes and Tips section below.

I recently made a chili crisp recipe with more traditional Asian ingredients, and salsa is macha is actually quite similar in appearance and preparation, though with quite a different flavor. Both are outstanding.

Let's talk about how to make salsa macha, shall we?

Salsa Macha ingredients

Salsa Macha Ingredients

  • 2 large ancho peppers
  • 2 large guajillo peppers
  • 5-6 chile de arbol peppers
  • 1/4 cup peanuts
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 2 cups olive oil (or use vegetable oil)
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • Salt to taste (I use 1/2 teaspoon)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano

Salsa Macha on a spoon and in a bowl

How to Make Salsa Macha - the Recipe Directions

Remove the stems and seeds from the anchos, guajillos and chiles de arbol. Chop or cut them into very small pieces, about 1/4 inch or smaller. Set them aside for now. See the recipe notes section for other peppers you can use.

Next, add the peanuts, garlic, sesame seeds and oil in a medium pot or large saucepan. Heat the pot to medium-high heat and cook for 5 minutes, or cook until the garlic starts to to crisp up and the seeds turn golden brown.

Cooking the nuts, sesame seeds and garlic cloves in the hot oil

Remove from heat and stir in the chili pepper bits. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Cooking down the chili peppers in the hot oil with the sesame seeds, nuts and garlic

Stir in the vinegar, salt and Mexican oregano.

Pour the mixture into a blender or food processor and pulse several times until the salsa is nicely combined. Don't over-process the salsa macha, as you want to have nice crispy bits, not a puree.

Salsa Macha in a food processor

Serve!

That's it, my friends! I hope you enjoy your salsa macha! It really is crazy delicious. Let me know how you wind up using yours. Send pics!

Boom! Done! Salsa macha is pretty easy to make, isn't it? I love this stuff. It is packed with flavor!

Salsa Macha on a spoon, ready to serve

This recipe makes about 2.5 cups, though you can easily upscale it.

Recipe Notes & Tips

  • The Chili Peppers. I am using ancho chiles, guajillos and chile de arbol peppers for this recipe, though you can use other dried chiles as well. Try it out with morita peppers, chipotle peppers, pasilla peppers, puya peppers, mulato peppers or any other dried Mexican peppers. They're all good!
  • The Nuts. Peanuts are traditionally used to make salsa macha, though the recipe is great with other nuts. Try it with pecans or almonds. Very good!
  • Other Possible Ingredients. You can other ingredients to your salsa macha pretty much to your own taste preference. Some popular options include cocoa nibs, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, shallots or onion, and chili powder, such as chipotle powder.
  • Heat Factor. Mild. Salsa macha is not traditionally a hot and spicy salsa, though you can heat things up with hotter peppers and/or spicy chili flakes. Heat levels vary depending on your choice of peppers.
  • Storing. You can store your salsa macha in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It will last 3-4 weeks.

Serving Suggestions for Salsa Macha

There are so many wonderful ways you can serve up salsa macha. The garlic and oil and all those flavorful crispy bits can used to add some punch and pizzazz to just about anything. Consider it your new wonder condiment.

Serve it on crusty bread as a dinner side or a snack. Spoon it over all of your favorite Mexican dishes like tacos or burritos, tortas, enchiladas, chorizo con huevos or huevos rancheros and so much more. I love drizzling some over pizza. So good!

Salsa Macha on a spoon

Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes

  • Chile de Arbol Salsa
  • Fresh Pico de Gallo
  • Habanero Salsa
  • Fresh Mango Salsa
  • Roasted Mango-Habanero Salsa
  • Salsa Roja
  • Salsa Verde (tomatillo salsa)
  • Salsa Ranchera
  • Chili Crisp
  • Achiote Paste

Salsa Macha, ready to serve

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.

Salsa Macha Recipe
Print

Salsa Macha Recipe

This Mexican salsa macha recipe is the perfect condiment, made with crispy bits of toasted chili peppers, garlic, peanuts and sesame seeds in oil. Spoon it over everything!
Save Recipe Saved!
Course: Main Course, Salsa, sauce
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Keyword: ancho, condiment, guajillo, salsa, sauce
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Calories: 91kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 10
Tap or hover to scale
4.84 from 18 votes
Leave a Review

Ingredients

  • 2 large ancho peppers
  • 2 large guajillo peppers
  • 5-6 chile de arbol peppers
  • 1/4 cup peanuts
  • 4 garlic cloves chopped
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 2 cups olive oil or use vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • Salt to taste I use 1/2 teaspoon
  • 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano

Instructions

  • Remove the stems and seeds from the anchos, guajillos and chiles de arbol. Chop or cut them into very small pieces, about 1/4 inch or smaller. Set them aside.
  • Add the peanuts, garlic, sesame seeds and oil in a medium pot. Heat to medium-high heat and cook for 5 minutes, or until the garlic starts to to crisp up and the seeds turn golden brown.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the chili pepper bits. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
  • Stir in the vinegar, salt and Mexican oregano.
  • Pour the mixture into a blender or food processor and pulse several times until the salsa is nicely combined. Don't over-process the salsa macha, as you want to have nice crispy bits, not a puree.
  • Serve!

Notes

Makes about 2.5 cups. Serving size estimated at 1/4 cup. Nutritional values are estimated.
Heat Factor: Mild. Salsa macha is not traditionally a hot and spicy salsa, though you can heat things up with hotter peppers and/or spicy chili flakes.
Storage: You can store your salsa macha in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It will last 3-4 weeks.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 91kcal   Carbohydrates: 7g   Protein: 2g   Fat: 7g   Saturated Fat: 1g   Sodium: 8mg   Potassium: 184mg   Fiber: 3g   Sugar: 3g   Vitamin A: 2106IU   Vitamin C: 3mg   Calcium: 19mg   Iron: 1mg
Salsa Macha Recipe
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

Categories: Condiments Tags: Chili Pepper Madness, chili pepper recipe, cinco de mayo, game day and superbowl parties, mexican, mikes favorites, salsa recipe

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Jenelle says

    December 23, 2022 at 4:30 pm

    4 stars
    I made today and it was good just wondering if I over pulsed or is it supposed to be more oily than not

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      December 24, 2022 at 7:26 am

      Jenelle, yes, it is supposed to be quite oily, like a chili crisp. FYI.

      Reply
  2. Jack Kirchhoff says

    December 13, 2022 at 7:07 pm

    5 stars
    I've made "this" recipe several times now, and everyone I give it to raves about it. I use the quotation-marked "this" because I've made this recipe with different ingredients every time. All the versions have arbols, but I've used a couple of different mild peppers (pasilla, mulato), two different hotter ones (morita, espelette) and a variety of nuts (pepitas, kettle-cooked peanuts, deep-fried garlic-flavoured peanuts, pecans). I also prefer toasted garlic flakes to chopped garlic, though I've used both. I've come to realize that almost any combination of mild peppers, arbols and nuts will be just fine.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      December 13, 2022 at 9:58 pm

      Thanks, Jack. I appreciate the comments. Definitely highlights how customizable this particular recipe can be.

      Reply
  3. Katherine says

    October 13, 2022 at 6:43 pm

    5 stars
    I have made this multiple times and WOW, I'm obsessed. I usually switch up the dried peppers, based on what we happen to have on hand. and I use almonds instead of peanuts. Every time it turns out just a bit different with the pepper variations, but the measurements and cooking time is perfect. THANK YOU for introducing this into my life, I'll never look back! And YES, it's good on literally everything.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      October 13, 2022 at 8:25 pm

      Awesome, Katherine! Very happy you love it! Happy to be helpful!

      Reply
  4. Kozmo says

    July 25, 2022 at 4:05 pm

    5 stars
    This is great. The mole of hot sauces. I love the smoky, crunchy, earthiness. I make a lot of hot sauces; nice to have one with all roasted peppers instead of waiting/searching for fresh.

    Making my second batch today. Made two mistakes on first batch. I didn't get the oil to a boil but threw in the chilis regardless and they immediately over cooked. I will keep the temp a little lower this time; something like 150F.

    I roasted the nuts before they went in and since the oil was so hot, they over cooked as well in less than a minute. Gave the sauce a little burnt taste. That's good, but a little strong.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      July 25, 2022 at 4:56 pm

      Glad you are enjoyed it, Kozmo. Thanks!

      Reply
  5. Clayton Ross says

    July 17, 2022 at 1:15 am

    5 stars
    Salsa macha WAS hot, salsa macha, literally translated, means brave or manly salsa. This refers to the fact that the original salsa macha was in, a hot little number. Hot enough to grow hair on your chest!

    The “original” salsa macha was made with comapeño, a tiny chili that is native to the highlands in Veracruz, amongst the coffee plantations and cloud forests. This highly elusive chili is a hot little thing, averaging 100 000 Scoville Units.

    Language lesson: it can’t be salsa macho because salsa is a feminine noun, so it needs a feminine adjective.

    Reply
    • Jack Kirchhoff says

      December 13, 2022 at 7:15 pm

      I figured it was hot to begin with, and I wondered what the original pepper was. Comapeño. Good to know.

      Reply
  6. Taylor says

    June 22, 2022 at 5:23 am

    5 stars
    Absolutely amazing! It's smoky and spicy and adds a kind of body to foods that may sometimes feel a little thin. The only method change I made was I put all the ingredients into a mason jar and used a hand blender to pulse them. I tried it in a regular blender and the oil sprayed out everywhere.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      June 22, 2022 at 5:31 am

      Glad you enjoyed it, Taylor!

      Reply
  7. Rachel B says

    April 03, 2022 at 4:25 pm

    5 stars
    I love love love this recipe! A dumb question: since it separates/solidifies when kept in the fridge, do you recommend simply letting it sit out for a while before using…? Or have any other storage tips? I’d like to have a jar on hand at all times 😉

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      April 04, 2022 at 6:01 am

      Thanks, Rachel. Yep, just let it sit and come to room temperature before serving. All good! I keep mine in a sealed jar/container.

      Reply
  8. Cristina says

    March 11, 2022 at 1:30 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe! Unfortunately forgot to get the Ancho chilies and only added 3 Arbol because I was afraid it would be too hot... now I’m thinking of adding more arbol chili to get it more spicy, and getting the anchos to add them. How would you recommend going about the addition? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      March 11, 2022 at 2:26 pm

      Thanks, Cristina. You could make another batch and combine them, or just do a very small batch with the anchos and extra chiles de arbol, then combine. Let me know how it goes. Enjoy!

      Reply
    • Jack Kirchhoff says

      December 13, 2022 at 7:22 pm

      I deseed the arbols, though not the milder peppers. It makes a significant difference.

      Reply
  9. James says

    March 10, 2022 at 1:58 pm

    5 stars
    Making this for the second time today, almost exactly as written (a few more arbol).

    This shot is amazeballs!

    Used the last batch on:
    - birria tacos
    - eggs
    - burgers
    - on fries
    - hummus

    I'll find more uses, im sure - we're making barbacoa this weekend. And of course, nothing like a beautiful spring weekend morning with french press coffee, hash browns, eggs with cheese & salsa macha. (Cant wait for Saturday now)

    Amazing recipe and worth the annoying popups on your site!

    Note: this is the first time I've ever felt passionate enough about something to post a comment on a recipe website. We're chile whores, btw - regularly grow superhots. So...there's that.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      March 10, 2022 at 2:29 pm

      Hey, James. Thanks much for your comments. I greatly appreciate them and definitely share your passion for spices and chilies in general. Can't get enough of them. Very happy you like the Salsa Macha. A great one for sure. I hope you find many more recipes you enjoy. Have a good one. =)

      Reply
  10. Gail says

    September 27, 2021 at 4:33 pm

    I want to try this sounds amazing can i use guajllo powder if i cant find dried

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      September 27, 2021 at 4:56 pm

      Gail, it would be better to replace them with other dried pods. However, if you are using at least some of the dried pods, you can add in some guajillo powder.

      Reply
  11. Andy says

    February 16, 2021 at 10:33 pm

    3 stars
    Tried making this and I found the ratio of oil to other ingredients to be really high. 1 1/4 cups oil to the listed Chiles should do it. Alternatively, I doubled the Chiles and peanuts in this recipe for a thick and chunky salsa good for dipping or spreading.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      February 17, 2021 at 6:46 am

      5 stars
      It's more traditionally made with more oil, but glad you were able to customize it to your personal preference and consistency. All the best.

      Reply
    • Jack Kirchhoff says

      December 14, 2022 at 1:25 pm

      I also found this recipe called for too much oil. I've taken to using somewhat less oil and straining it through a sieve after blending, then pouring back enough to cover the salsa in its bottles. The oil that's left over is delicious, by the way, infused with chilis and nuts and garlic. You can use it for marinades, frying, dressing meats and even on salads.

      Reply
  12. Mia says

    December 20, 2020 at 10:56 am

    This site is great! Am looking forward to trying this out like TODAY!...Does the olive oil impart a distinct flavor? I have seen recipes for this that use grapeseed or canola oil...

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      December 20, 2020 at 12:10 pm

      Mia, yes, you'll taste the olive oil, depending on the brand, though you can easily use other milder, more neutral oils if you prefer. Enjoy!

      Reply
  13. Lori Scott says

    September 01, 2020 at 9:57 am

    5 stars
    I would like to make this with Chipotle Morita. Which Pepper should I substitute?

    This sounds amazing!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      September 01, 2020 at 11:00 am

      Thanks, Lori. You can use them in place of any/all of the dried pods in the ingredients. Let me know how it turns out for you.

      Reply
  14. Daniel Falen says

    July 01, 2020 at 3:52 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Mike,
    In the pictures your peanuts appear to be dry roasted? Is this better than regular peanuts?

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      July 02, 2020 at 6:31 am

      Daniel, not really. Any peanuts will do. Let me know how it turns out for you. Enjoy.

      Reply
  15. Stefan Brunner says

    June 13, 2020 at 8:46 pm

    5 stars
    I was putting the pepper skins in a blender and pulsed a few times, before adding them to the oil. That got them nicely chopped.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      June 14, 2020 at 12:00 pm

      Great method, Stefan!

      Reply
  16. Dave Kirk says

    April 27, 2020 at 1:42 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe is great! The savoriness of the peppers is wonderful. Biggest challenge is chopping the dried peppers without them flying all over. Perhaps others have suggestions on better ways to do this. This is not hot, but great on tacos, pork, carne asada, etc. Also great for dipping with some warm crusty bread.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      April 27, 2020 at 2:45 pm

      Thanks so much, Dave! Super happy you enjoyed it! Yes, SO GOOD with warm bread. Love it. For the peppers, you can try pulsing them in a food processor to give them a rough chop.

      Reply

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