Chile de Arbol Salsa 🌶️ is a spicy Mexican salsa made with dried chile de arbol, tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, and garlic. The chiles give this salsa its signature heat, while roasting the vegetables adds a smoky depth of flavor.
Serve it with Tacos Gobernador or Cochinita Pibil Tacos, or keep a bowl on the table for dipping tortilla chips.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe ❤️
- Easy to make: This salsa comes together with simple ingredients and a blender.
- Big chile flavor: Chile de arbol gives the salsa plenty of heat and flavor.
- Adjustable heat: Use fewer chiles for a milder salsa or add more for extra spice.
- Smoky flavor: Roasted tomatoes and tomatillos give the salsa a delicious smoky depth.
- Great with everything: Serve it with tacos, tamales, eggs, or tortilla chips.
-Maggie
This spicy chile may be small, but it has a mighty punch and adds a lot of flavor.
Choose chile de arbol pods that have no tears and are still intact like the one in the picture above.
If this is your first time working with chiles, use gloves or tongs. When you do this, the room can get smoky. Open the windows … and most importantly … don’t touch your eyes!
How Hot Do You Like Your Salsa?
- Medium hot = 20 chiles de arbol
- Hot = 30 chiles de arbol
- Super hot (will make you cry) = Use 30 chiles de arbol and add a serrano pepper.
👩🏼🍳 Instructions
- In a skillet, char tomatoes and tomatillos on all sides.
- Halfway through the charring of the tomatoes and tomatillos, add onion and garlic to the skillet.
- Cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove garlic.
- Let everything cook for 1-2 minutes more, or until onion is translucent.
- With your spatula, move the tomatoes and tomatillos on their sides, making sure they char on all sides.
- Remove everything from the skillet and set aside until ready to use.
- In a clean skillet, add oil and dried chile de arbol. If you like it spicier, add more chile.
- Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Do not let the chiles burn, or the salsa will be bitter.
- Place all the chile de arbol and as much of the oil from the skillet in a blender.
This salsa gets its distinctive flavor and heat from dried Mexican chiles.
You can also boil the tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, and garlic.
Here, I’m using olive oil, but you can also use canola oil, avocado oil, or sunflower oil. The oil adds a smooth, silky texture to the salsa.
How To Roast in the Oven:
- Place the tomatoes and tomatillos on a baking sheet.
- Add oil and salt. Toss to combine.
- Place under the broiler for 5 minutes.
- Add the onion and garlic.
- Broil for 3 more minutes. The skins on tomatoes and tomatillos will have turned black.
- Be sure to line the skillet or sheet pan with foil paper for easy clean up.
- Add ¼ cup water.
- Blend until smooth.
Only add enough water as you need to blend everything. For a chunkier salsa, use a food processor or a molcajete. You can see how to use this traditional Mexican cooking tool in the video for Tomato Molcajete Salsa.
You will see this deliciousness at taco stands next to Mexican Pickled Onions, Chiles Toreados, Mexican Pickled Carrots, and sometimes next to a row of hot sauce containers.
Another name for this salsa taquera is “Salsa de Arbol” or “Arbol Salsa.”
🙋🏻♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
Chile de arbol salsa is a Mexican salsa made with dried chile de arbol and roasted tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, and garlic. It is known for its bright red-orange color and spicy, slightly smoky flavor.
Yes. Chile de arbol is a hot dried chile, so this salsa has a noticeable kick. Start with fewer chiles if you prefer a milder salsa, or add more for extra heat.
Add more tomatoes or tomatillos to dilute the heat. You can also add a little tomato sauce until the salsa reaches your preferred spice level.
Add more dried chile de arbol. For an extra-spicy salsa, you can also add a serrano pepper.
Yes. You can use all tomatoes or all tomatillos. The combination of both gives this salsa its characteristic orange-red color and balances the flavor.
Yes. You can boil the tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, and garlic. Roasting them, however, gives the salsa a deeper, smokier flavor.
Cayenne pepper can be used as a substitute for dried chile de arbol. Since the heat level and flavor are different, start with a small amount and adjust to taste.
More Mexican Salsa Recipes
- Salsa de Aguacate
- Roasted Tomato Salsa
- Taqueria-Style Serrano Salsa
- Creamy Jalapeno Salsa
- Tomatillo Habanero Salsa
This Chile de Arbol Salsa is the perfect addition to tacos, Red Pork Tamales, Mexican Gorditas, or a bowl of tortilla chips. Make it as mild or spicy as you like, and keep it handy whenever you want a little extra heat. ¡Buen provecho!
Chile de Arbol Salsa
Ingredients
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 tomatillos
- ¼ onion
- 1 garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup dried chile de arbol (about 25-30 chiles)
- ½ tablespoon salt
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- In a skillet, char tomatoes and tomatillos on all sides.
- Halfway through the charring of the tomatoes and tomatillos, add onion and garlic to the skillet.
- Cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove garlic.
- Let everything cook for 1-2 minutes more, or until onion is translucent.
- With your spatula, move the tomatoes and tomatillos on their sides, making sure they char on all sides.
- Remove everything from the skillet and set aside until ready to use.
- Cut off the stems from the dried chiles.
- In a clean skillet, add oil and dried chile de arbol. If you like it spicier, add more chile.
- Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Do not let the chiles burn, or the salsa will be bitter.
- Place all the chile de arbol and as much of the oil from the skillet in a blender.
- Add the tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, garlic, salt, and water to the blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Pour into a salsa bowl. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- How do you make a salsa less spicy? Add more tomatoes (or more tomatillos).
- How do you make salsa hotter? Add more chile and less tomatoes (or tomatillos).
Super easy and I added a little extra chiles for that extra kick for the pozole (your recipe as well).
That’s a great way to adjust this recipe.
I am growing chili de arbol peppers. Do I need to dry them for this salsa or what do you recommend?
My Tios, my Uncle Joe & Aunt Mona, used to make this salsa and use a comal. As they got older, they had to take the comal outside . They always made a lot for freezing ,for parties, and my tio just passed away at 102. He was known for his salsa de arbol. thanks for the recipe. I never thought about making it but I will , in his memory.
Little Mexican restaurant by our house has not-so-great food, but these little containers of red and green salsa that I am basically addicted to! I finally asked him what was in the red salsa. He said “Just chile de Arbol and water”. I’ve tried a million times to roast those chiles and blend with water and it is NOT the same. I think you’ve solved the mystery….no more yucky Mexican food just to get their salsa anymore! Huge High Five ♥
This was different, my husband and I both felt that it had a decidedly “Asian” taste at the beginning. I believe I have seen these peppers in General’s Chicken and other dishes. I’m wondering if I toasted them too long since this taste was pretty distinct.
Now that’s interesting! They have a lot of chiles in the Asian cuisine. I have several Asian readers and people from India too.