Chile del Arbol Salsa Recipe

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This chile del arbol salsa recipe combines roasted onions and garlic, canned tomatoes and dried chiles de arbol peppers to create the perfect dipping salsa for any chip!

About This Recipe

This salsa recipe is one of my favorites because it’s easy to make ahead and it keeps for weeks in the fridge. It’s also easy to have the ingredients on hand as the chiles are dried and I can keep them in my spice cabinet. Plus the tomatoes I use in this are canned, and I almost always have garlic and onion on hand. 

If you aren’t familiar with chiles del arbol, they are small chiles generally endemic to Mexico. You can buy them almost anywhere in the Latin aisle, but they will be dark red and dried- usually sold in a prepackaged bag.

Chile del árbol is translated to “tree chile” in English but is also known as bird beak chiles or rat’s tail chiles. They are a bright red color on the tree but turn a dark red when dried. They have small woody stems on them when dried, and you can just pull them off before using them. They kind of remind me of a Sichuan chili pepper. 

Mexico on your mind? I loved this Mexican vacation. And this Mexican pilgrimage. Or these if you are stuck at home like me. 

Chile de Arbol Salsa Recipe

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 large white onion, cut into large pieces
• 15-20 dried chile de árbol peppers
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 TB olive oil
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1 large can plum tomatoes
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

In a skillet, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Toast chiles, onion and garlic until the flavors begin to blend. Add your half cup of water and simmer everything for about 15 minutes.  Transfer everything to blender or food processor.

Add the plum tomatoes, tomato sauce, and season with salt to the blender.  Purée until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature and serve with warm corn tortilla chips.

Other Salsas from Pura Vida Moms:

• Creamy Mexican Green Salsa Recipe
• Easy Chimichurri Recipe From Costa Rica
• Costa Rican Salsa Rosada Recipe

Substitutions

You can use really any kind of canned tomatoes- if you don’t have plum tomatoes on hand you can just use diced tomatoes. I have also used the fire-roasted canned tomatoes and they are really delicious.

If you use fresh tomatoes, just up the amount of salt by about half a teaspoon. I would sear the tomatoes first if I were using fresh. 

Related post: Most popular salsa in Costa Rica

Variations

I honestly can’t think of any, but if you do- let me know!

Serving Suggestions

This is the perfect salsa for entertaining. I serve it alongside tortilla chips, or even as part of a salsa bar. Of course, you can make it part of a taco bar. And I love to use this as a salad dressing on my salads- zero fat and super low calorie.

You can also slather it on top of empanadas for a spicy kick. Really, you can use it like any of your other favorite hot sauces.

Here are some of the recipes I think go really well with the chile del arbol salsa.

• Carnitas Tacos
• Creamy Mexican Green Salsa Recipe
• Shredded Beef Empanada Recipe
• Colorado Style Chile Rellenos

FAQ

How do I store chile del arbol salsa? – I put it in an airtight container (like a Pyrex) in the fridge. It keeps a long time. 

What other chiles can I use for this salsa? – If you don’t have the chiles del arbol, I have been known to use red pepper flakes. You probably need 2 tablespoons. Some people sear jalapenos and put them in, but the color of the sauce definitely changes.

More appetizer recipes you might like:

• Easy Baked Vegetarian Queso Fundido
• Damn Good Torchy Tacos Queso Dip Recipe
• Costa Rican Black Bean Dip Recipe
• Mango Habanero Chicken Wings Recipe

Printable Recipe

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