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
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.
Dona says
Incredibly good on grilled avocado, served with grilled naan. My recipe was adjusted, I prefer the recipe with a bit more garlic. I add the sesame seeds in with the peppers, they toast much faster than the garlic and peanuts. I also like to add additional freshly toasted peanuts when serving, just to have a few larger peanuts in the presentation. Just take some of the oil and drizzle it over a few peanuts, then pop in the toaster oven for a few minutes. Really great basic recipe.
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Dona.
Chelsea Taylor says
You use dried chillis ?
Mike Hultquist says
You do, Chelsea. They fry and get crispy, so it's a lot like chili oil with crispy bits.
Aj says
I was wondering this as well! The recipe itself does not say dried or fresh. I will make this soon. Thanks for the recipe!
Mike Hultquist says
Enjoy, Aj. Ancho, guajillo, and chile de arbol are all dried chilies. They are called something else when fresh.
John R says
Similar to Chinese Lao Gan Ma, but wholly Mexican through and through with its earthy craveability. Made it for the first time today and was sold from the first taste.
Made it according to your recipe and it's perfect. Thanks much!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, John. Glad you enjoyed it. Yes, very similar.
Ellen W Hart says
This is the most amazing stuff! My only problem is that I want to eat it by the tablespoon. Thanks for a fabulous recipie! This is not something folks serve in my home state of Virginia very often.
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Ellen! So good!!
Jenelle says
I made today and it was good just wondering if I over pulsed or is it supposed to be more oily than not
Mike Hultquist says
Jenelle, yes, it is supposed to be quite oily, like a chili crisp. FYI.
Jack Kirchhoff says
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.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Jack. I appreciate the comments. Definitely highlights how customizable this particular recipe can be.
Katherine says
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.
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome, Katherine! Very happy you love it! Happy to be helpful!
Jack Kirchhoff says
People I give it to always ask me what to do with it, and I tell them to think of it as a condiment, like ketchup or mustard, and use it anyplace you'd use them. Some people just eat it out of the jar with a spoon, and I get that.