This Mexican salsa macha recipe is a delicious, spicy, crispy and savory condiment that can be spooned over fried eggs, tacos, avocado toast, grilled meats and vegetables. If you’re a fan of spicy food and condiments, this recipe is a must-try!
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What is Salsa Macha?
Salsa macha is a fiery condiment from Veracruz, Mexico made with a variety of ingredients but primarily chile peppers, peanuts, garlic and oil. Remember that salsa is just the Spanish word for sauce, so don’t expect this recipe to be similar to other Mexican salsas like Pico de gallo or salsa verde.
This is an oil-based condiment that is not really used for dipping, but rather for drizzling onto dishes. Salsa macha is versatile and can enhance a variety of dishes with its rich, spicy, and nutty flavors. It can be drizzled over tacos, burritos, grilled meats, seafood, huevos rancheros, roasted vegetables, sandwiches, and burgers.
It's also great for mixing into rice and beans, adding to soups and stews, dressing salads, topping pizzas, and pairing with snacks like cheese, crusty bread, tortilla chips, and crackers. This flavorful condiment brings depth and complexity to both everyday meals and special dishes.
There are variations to this recipe of course, from region or region and family to family. I like to think of it as a crunchy Mexican chili crisp, similar in consistency to Asian chili crisps.
Like it hot? Do try some of my other spicy Mexican sauces like my chipotle hot sauce, creamy chipotle sauce, salsa verde, salsa de aguacate (avocado salsa) and salsa roja (red salsa).
Ingredients
This recipe comes together pretty quickly and with standard ingredients. The most important ingredient is the selection of dried chiles.
- Chiles: I like to use a combination of dry chiles (guajillo chiles, pasilla chiles, chile ancho, chiles de árbol, chile morita and even dried Chipotles). Dry chiles are key! You can find dry Mexican chiles at all Latin grocery stores and international markets. You may even find them in the international aisle of your local grocery store. I use dry chiles in other recipes like my Salsa Roja.
- Nuts and Seeds: This recipe uses a combination of peanuts and sesame seeds. Use unroasted/untoasted nuts and seeds. If you use toasted nuts and seeds, they may get too toasted when heated in the oil and could turn the salsa bitter. If you are allergic to sesame, you can use pumpkin seeds instead.
- Oil: A light neutral oil works best. I use avocado oil or even a light (blended) olive oil. Don’t use anything too expensive. Canola oil or vegetable oil also work.
- Vinegar: I use red wine vinegar to help balance out the flavor but also aid with preservation. You can use apple cider vinegar, white vinegar or white wine vinegar.
- Sugar: I use a little white sugar to help add sweetness to this fiery sauce. Brown sugar works too!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make this Salsa Macha Recipe
This recipe does have a few steps, so I recommend reading through everything before starting.
Step 1. Cut and deseed the chiles. Using sharp scissors or a knife, cut the dried peppers into small pieces about ½ an inch in size. Remove and discard the seeds.
Step 2. Prepare the pan. To a frying pan, add the oil, peanuts, sesame seeds and garlic.
Step 3. Fry the garlic and nuts. Turn the heat on medium and let the oil begin to sizzle. Carefully stir the oil to make sure the ingredients get toasted evenly, for about 2-4 minutes, or until you see that the sesame seeds have turned golden brown.
Step 4. Add the chiles. Carefully add the torn chile pieces to the hot oil and continue to toast on medium heat for another 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Don’t let the oil get too hot. Reduce the heat as needed.
Step 5. Cool. Turn the heat off and let the mixture cool for about 20 minutes.
Step 6. Add to a food processor. Carefully transfer the content of the pan to a food processor. Add the salt, pepper, sugar, oregano and vinegar.
Step 7. Pulse. Pulse the food processor until you have a coarse mixture. Don’t over-process, salsa macha should be slightly chunky.
Step 8. Adjust seasoning and serve. Serve the salsa right away or store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Use within 4 weeks.
Expert Tips
- Grow your own peppers! To learn more about chiles, check out my post on my best pepper varieties to grow.
- This is a spicy salsa! If you’re not a fan of spicy condiments, this recipe may not be for you! But if you still want to attempt it at a lower spice level, reduce the amount of chiles or use milder chiles for a milder salsa.
- Half batch! This recipe yields about 1 ½ cups of salsa. You may want to think about halving the recipe if you’re making it for the first time.
- Use more oil if you want to. If you find the final salsa is too chunky and stiff, you can add more oil to loosen it up.
- Use a food processor: I don’t recommend using an immersion blender or standard blender to make the salsa. A food processor gives you more control.
- Use the chili oil: You can use the rich chile oil from the salsa macha to fry eggs, vegetables even tofu.
- Try some of my other spicy Mexican-inspired condiments: Pickled Jalapenos, Cherry Tomato Salsa, Mexican pickled onions and Escabeche (pickled Mexican vegetables)
Recipe FAQs
Salsa macha has its roots in the coastal State of Veracruz, Mexico, though its exact origins are somewhat obscure. It is believed to have evolved from the traditional methods of preserving and flavoring food using locally available ingredients. The use of dried chilies, nuts, and seeds reflects indigenous culinary practices, while the incorporation of oil showcases influences from Spanish cuisine introduced during the colonial period.
Yes, in fact, the flavor will improve over time.
Because this recipe doesn’t have any preservatives, it is best to store the salsa macha in an airtight glass container in the fridge. Simply take it out 30 minutes before you need it so that it can soften and come to room temperature (in case the oil solidifies).
It should last you 3-4 weeks if stored properly in the fridge.
Other Mexican-Inspired Salsa and Sauce Recipes
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Recipe Card
Salsa Macha Recipe (Mexican Chili Crisp)
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1 ½ ounces Dried Chiles - Mixture of Ancho chiles, guajillo chiles, pasilla chiles, chile de arbol and/or chipotle chiles
- 1 cup Neutral oil - Avocado oil or vegetable oil
- ¼ cup Untoasted raw peanuts
- 1 tablespoon Untoasted raw sesame seeds
- 2-4 Garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoon Red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano - Use Mexican oregano if you have it
- 1 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
Instructions
- Cut and deseed the chiles. Using sharp scissors or a knife, cut the chile peppers into small pieces about ½ an inch in size. Remove and discard the seeds. You should end up with ½-¾ cup of torn chiles.
- Prepare the pan. To a frying pan or medium saucepan, add the oil, peanuts, sesame seeds and garlic.
- Fry the garlic and nuts. Turn the heat on medium and let the oil begin to sizzle. Carefully stir the oil to make sure the ingredients get toasted evenly, for about 2-4 minutes, or until you see that the sesame seeds have browned.
- Add the chiles. Carefully add the torn chile pieces to the hot oil and continue to toast on medium heat for another 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Don’t let the oil get too hot. Reduce the heat as needed.
- Cool. Turn the heat off and let the mixture cool for about 20 minutes or longer.
- Add to a food processor. Carefully transfer the content of the pan to a food processor. Add the vinegar, sugar, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Pulse. Pulse the food processor until you have a coarse mixture. Don’t over-process, salsa macha should be slightly chunky.
- Adjust seasoning and serve. Serve the salsa right away or store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Use within 4 weeks.
Notes
- Chiles: I like to use a combination of dry chiles (guajillo chiles, pasilla chiles, chile ancho, Chile de arbol and even dried chipotle peppers). Dry chiles are key! You can find dry Mexican chiles at all Latin grocery stores and international markets. You may even find them in the international aisle of your local grocery store.
- Nuts and Seeds: This recipe uses a combination of peanuts and sesame seeds. Use unroasted/untoasted nuts and seeds. If you use toasted nuts and seeds, they may get too toasted when heated in the oil and could turn the salsa bitter.
- Oil: A light neutral oil works best. I use avocado oil or even a light (blended) olive oil. Don’t use anything too expensive. Canola oil or vegetable oil also work.
- Vinegar: I use red wine vinegar to help balance out the flavor but also aid with preservation. You can use apple cider vinegar, white vinegar or white wine vinegar.
- Sugar: I use a little white sugar to help add sweetness to this fiery sauce. Brown sugar works too!
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