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!
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.
What is Salsa Macha?
Salsa Macha is salsa from Veracruz, Mexico, made with a variety of dried peppers, nuts and oil. It is different from classic salsa. 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
- Large Ancho Peppers.
- Large Guajillo Peppers.
- Chile de Arbol Peppers.
- Peanuts.
- Garlic Cloves. Chopped.
- Sesame Seeds.
- Vegetable Oil.
- Apple Cider Vinegar.
- Salt.
- Mexican Oregano.
How to Make Salsa Macha - the Recipe Method
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.
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!
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!
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 street tacos or burritos, tortas, enchiladas, chorizo con huevos or huevos rancheros and so much more. I love drizzling some over pizza. So good!
Storage & Leftovers
Storing your Salsa Macha in an airtight container in the fridge may allow you to store the leftovers for up 3-4 weeks or longer. To maximize the storage life, make sure to refrigerate it promptly.
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
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
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 vegetable oil (use 1 cup for less oily - see notes below)
- 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
Nutrition Information
Kate says
Hi! I just recently had my jar of salsa matcha confiscated at the Dallas airport while returning from Oaxaca. I was quite irritated, but then realized I’ll just make some. As usual, after looking at many recipes, yours looks the very best! My afternoon project!
I am happy I brought home lots of dried chiles.
Thanks for all your fabulous fun recipes!
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome, Kate! I hope you love it! Enjoy.
tm says
If I’m only using one kind of pepper - let’s say the Moritas - how much would I use? Are you looking for a cup, or less??? Or is it a taste preference thing?
Mike Hultquist says
You can use the same amount overall, but it really is to taste, TM.
Brian says
Since "macha" comes from the Spanish "machacar" which means "to crush", I crushed the nuts and salt with a mortar and pestle, then crushed the garlic with the nut/salt mixture. I cooked that mixture in the hot oil, removed the pan from the heat, added the cut-up chilies and finished by adding the vinegar and herbs after the mixture had cooled slightly. Best salsa macha I've ever had - the cider vinegar brings out the fruitiness of the anchos. I split the 1/4 cup of nuts between raw peanuts and raw pumpkin seeds, which I think adds character to the salsa
Mike Hultquist says
I love to hear it, Brian! Thanks for sharing!
Brian says
In the "cross cultural" category, this seems very like a Mexican version of Chinese. chili crisp. Then, I recently learned of Argentine "chimichurri rojo", one version of which is very similar to salsa macha, absent the nuts and seeds. Also delicious, though very different. It would be interesting to know if they all developed independently.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Brian. Exactly, this is very much a Mexican version of chili crisp, so similarly made.
Beth Klein says
It seems like I can't heat the oil long enough or it just burns everything. Any tips? Also-- how different is regular oregano vs. Mexican oregano?
Mike Hultquist says
Beth, you'll need to lower the direct heat and let it simmer for longer so the additions can crisp up as needed. I have a page on Mexican Oregano, where you can learn the differences from regular oregano, which is mostly in flavor. See: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/ingredients/mexican-oregano/
Padraic says
Unless you don't like it spicy I wouldn't bother removing the seeds. Also, I like the caramelized garlic in pieces and and the nut and seeds chunky so I prep them separately and mix them in at the end. I've used different combos depending on what's at hand, including sesame, pumpkin seeds (faves), and cashews once. The guy I get my ingredients from said almonds are really good too, so I'll be trying that next time.
Mike Hultquist says
5-star comments Padraic. Thanks for your personal tips. Note that the seeds do NOT contain the heat of chili peppers, but the whitish innards. Cheers.
Patty says
Where can I get dried chili peppers? I’m dying to make this!
Mike Hultquist says
Patty, you can often find them at a local grocer (look in the International Aisle), a Mexican grocer, or you can order them online.
Jorge says
I followed the recipe to the T and it came out really good. Thank you!
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent! Thanks, Jorge!
Trisha says
Unbelievably delicious!! I used chiles moritas with a few arbors -- my new favorite salsa! Thank you for the recipe!
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome!! Thanks, Trisha! Glad you like it! This is so good!
Jack Kirchhoff says
This has become my go-to recipe for salsa macha, and I've tried many different ones. (As I'm sure you know, there are thousands of them.) I'm not fussy with the milder chilis – I'm making a batch today with mulato and Anaheim peppers – though I always put arbols in there. And I find that I don't need a full two cups of oil. But otherwise, this works beautifully for me.
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you're enjoying it, Jack! Thanks for sharing. =)
Daniella Dinardo says
Totally agree, next time will add a lot less oil!! But will definitely make this again. When I was in Mexico this became my favourite and couldn’t wait to make it again when I came home to the UK.
Mike Hultquist says
This recipe was meant to have a lot of oil, a characteristic of salsa macha, but yep, you can make it with less oil, as desired. Thanks, Daniella.
Rob L. says
I can’t wait to try this! The owner of the Mexican restauraunt across the street made some for me and its amazing!
His version is super spicy as he knows I like a bit of heat.
Not sure if it’s a good thing or bad to have an authentic Mexican restaurant across the street from me 😀
Mike Hultquist says
Haha, I hope you enjoy it! You can easily dial back on the oil if you'd like, as some people prefer a bit less oil.
Dave says
I had some at Gaby’s restaurant in Puerto Vallarta about 3 weeks ago and was determined to make my own when I got back to Oklahoma City. I found your recipe and made it last night. It was delicious!! I did find it had way too oil in the recipe and I ended pouring a lot out of the mixture. My personal preference. I’ll definitely make it again and I’ll tweak the oil (use 1 3/4 cups)and the peanuts (I bought them in the shell and had to shell them. Planter’s dry roasted next time!)
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Dave. It's traditionally an oily salsa, but yes, very easy to adjust. I hope you saved the oil. BIG flavor in that oil. You can use it to drizzle over foods for a spicy pop of flavor.
Jessica says
Can you use olive oil instead?
Mike H. says
Yes, you can certainly do that, Jessica!
Lori H says
Finally got around to making this salsa macha. So good! I will say I was slightly confused as to when to add the chopped peppers "to fry and get crispy bits". Taking the pan off the heat and then adding the peppers did not compute in my mind as the "frying" part since I took it off the heat source. But now I get it... the oil was still hot enough to fry it. I didn't do any of that though lol. I added everything while on the heat and just prayed I wouldn't burn any of it. First timer luck I guess. Overall, the flavor is delicious and I can't wait to add it to many dishes. Thanks!
Mike H. says
I am glad to hear that, Lori - well done!
Jim says
I like it really hot. What pepper could I use or combination of peppers to increase the heat? Anxious to try this. Thanks.
Mike H. says
Hey, Jim. You may want to consider chili flakes and/or Arbol, Piquin, Habanero, Scotch Bonnets - it's totally up to your preference!
Randy says
Any thoughts on using Planters cocktail peanuts in the Salsa Macha? I always have a bunch of them in the pantry.
Thanks,
Randy
Mike Hultquist says
You can use those, Randy. No problem. They will work great for you. Enjoy.
Angel says
I just made this salsa for the first time today and I would say this will be a keeper. Thanks for the great recipe!!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Angel! Glad you enjoyed it!
Skip says
Great traditional recipe-and easy to make. I used Morita peppers that have a smoky flavor with guajillos, arbol and puya dried peppers.
My only recommendation is to not use olive oil, mine was Spanish and a little bitter, next time I’ll use vegetable oil as it’s more neutral.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Skip!
Sharon says
where in your recipe does it say to fry up the chilies to get crispy bits?
Mike Hultquist says
Sharon, the technique is mentioned several times in the post. See Step 5.