Inside: If you are looking for a spicy salsa, then this salsa macha recipe is for you! Keep reading to find out how to make it at home.
Salsa macha, which is also known as “sesame seed salsa” or “chili oil” is perfect for accompanying your favorite Mexican recipes. It is easy to make and has so much flavor that you will fall in love the first time that you make it. It is very spicy though, so make sure you like spicy food if you are going to make this recipe!
Salsa macha, which is also known as “sesame seed salsa” or “chili oil” is perfect for accompanying your favorite Mexican recipes. It is easy to make and has so much flavor that you will fall in love the first time that you make it. It is very spicy though, so make sure you like spicy food if you are going to make this recipe!
What is Salsa Macha?
Salsa macha originated in the Mexican state of Veracruz and consists of chile de arbol (arbol chiles), dried chipotle chiles, olive oil, sesame seeds, peanuts, and salt. It is similar to Chinese chili oil, but of course with a Mexican spin.
The name salsa macha comes from the Spanish word “machacar” because it the original salsa macha was ground up in a molcajete (mortar and pestle), although today it is more common to use a blender.
This nutty salsa is very versatile that can go well with most of your favorite foods, including birria, pozole, tostadas, ceviche, carne asada, etc. It is very spicy, so it adds an intense heat to just about anything.
The depth of flavors is incredible and it is easy to make also. So next time you are looking for a spicy salsa to go with just about anything, you should remember this recipe!
How do you make Salsa Macha?
Like I mentioned, this recipe is easy to make and all you need are basic kitchen utensils and a blender or food processor. If you want an extra challenge, you can make it the original way, but you will need a molcajete, which is common in Mexican kitchens, but not so much if you are outside of Mexico. You can usually find them (along with many of the ingredients) in Mexican grocery stores in the US. You can also get one at this link.
To make salsa macha, you will need the following ingredients:
- dried chiles de árbol (without the stems)
- dried chipotle peppers (without the stems)
- Olive oil
- Canola oil, vegetable oil, or some other neutral oil for frying the different types of chiles
- Garlic cloves, sliced into small pieces
- Sesame Seeds
- Peanuts (raw peanuts or unsalted peanuts are best).
- Salt
The first step to making this Mexican salsa is to heat 1/2 cup of canola oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and saute the garlic for a few minutes, being careful not to burn it. Then you will set the garlic aside.
In the same frying pan, you will fry the chile peppers for 30 – 60 seconds moving them constantly so that they do not burn. The color of the peppers will turn a darker red. Be sure not to let them burn, since that will give a bitter taste to the final product. Remove the chiles from the pan and add to a bowl with the garlic so they can cool down to room temperature as you move on to the next step.
Next, add the peanuts to the same pan where you fried the garlic and peppers and toast them for about a minute, being careful not to burn them either. Once they are lightly toasted, set them aside. At this point, remove the oil from the frying pan and set aside in a separate bowl or plate (not with the other ingredients).
Using the same pan (without the oil), toast the sesame seeds for a few seconds (moving them around so they do not burn). Once the color has changed to a slightly darker color, turn off the stove and put them with the peanuts.
At this point, you can either make the salsa with a molcajete. If you are using this method, you will add the garlic, chiles, and salta to the molcajete and slowly grind it, adding the oil you used to fry everything and the olive oil a little bit at a time until you reach the desired consistency. You can then put it in a bowl and mix in the peanuts and sesame seeds before serving.
That is the traditional method for making salsa macha, but you can also add all of the ingredients except the peanuts and sesame seeds to a blender or food processor, and blend until it reaches the consistency you prefer before adding the peanuts and sesame seeds as the final step.
There you have it! Now you know two different ways to make this flavorful salsa. Let me know in the comments below how it turned out for you!
Check out these other Salsa recipes!
- Authentic Mexican Salsa Ranchera Recipe
- Authentic Mexican Salsa Verde
- Authentic Mexican Salsa Roja
- Fresh and Easy Mango Salsa For Tacos and More
Authentic Salsa Macha Recipe
Ingredients
- 50 grams dry chile de arbol without stems
- 50 grams dry chipotle peppers without stems
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 6 cloves of garlic sliced
- 50 grams sesame seeds
- 50 grams peanuts raw and unsalted
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the canola oil over medium heat in a frying pan and saute the garlic for a couple of minutes, moving it around constantly so it doesn't burn. Set aside in a bowl.
- In the same frying pan, fry the chiles de arbol and chipotle peppers for 30-60 seconds until they start to turn a darker red color. Make sure they don't burn to avoid a bitter taste to the salsa. Set aside in the same bowl with the garlic.
- In the same pan, toast the peanuts until they are lightly toasted and set aside in a different bowl. Remove the remaining oil from the bowl and set aside for later.
- Using the same frying pan, without oil, toast the sesame seeds until they just start to change colors, and then remove and set aside in the same bowl with the peanuts.
- If using a molcajete, begin to grind the garlic, chiles and salt, slowly adding the remaining oil you used to fry the ingredients and the olive oil until it reaches your desired consistency. Put in a bowl and stir in the peanuts and sesame seeds.
- If using a blender or food processor, add all of the ingredients except the peanuts and sesame seeds and blend until it reaches your desired consistency. Add to a bowl and stir in the peanuts and sesame seeds.
Nutrition
Friday 23rd of December 2022
*** RECIPE WARNING ***
This recipe is spot on but doesn't note any of the safety warnings. You are using raw garlic in oil which is a breeding ground for clostridium botulinum growth (C. Bot is what creates the deadly toxin that causes botulism).
If you're making this recipe step for step, use immediately or store in fridge for no more than 4 days. If not you are opening yourself up to a world of hurt and potentially death. (https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/Can-you-get-botulism-from-garlic-in-oil#:~:text=Research%20performed%20by%20the%20University,be%20frozen%20for%20several%20months.)
Instead, swap raw garlic out with granulated or dehydrated garlic, which has already been treated to prevent C. Bot growth.
C. Bot needs to be in 35% range of moisture to grow (https://www.google.com/search?q=botulinum+moisture+35%), so using dehydrated or granulated garlic basically removes the risk of storing the garlic in the oil for long timeframes.
Other then that, enjoy the recipe. Salsa Macha is the best damn thing to ever of been created.