Red Salsa With Chile de Árbol—for a Hint of Smoke & Heat
- October 2021
- By Anjie Villalobos
- Recipe from Mexico
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This is the smoky, earthy red salsa to reach for when you want to kick your tacos up a notch. It has heat, yet it’s not burn-your-face-off hot. It is bold flavor, yet it doesn’t overwhelm the rest of your plate. It tastes like smoky-blackened tomatoes, yet it’s light and flavorful. Its defining ingredient is fiery-red, tiny, dried chile de árbol cooked on high heat in olive oil on the stovetop.
And it’s a winner.
This is another star salsa from la cocina de Anjie Villalobos, one of our favorite Mexican-food abuela cocineras. We recently made a large batch of this red salsa and spooned it over her killer carne asada tacos and blackened garlicky shrimp tacos with equally great results. This salsa has range.
”I alternate between making two or three red salsas and always have at least one going in my refrigerator” says Anjie. ”This one is definitely one of my favorites. But,” she cautions, “be careful with the chile de árbol. This is where the caliente comes from, so use less chiles if you like your salsa on the cooler side.”
To try more of Anjie’s Mexican and southwestern U.S. family-famous recipes, check out her green chile chicken pozole, avocado salsa, Mexican frijoles de olla or refried beans, tacos de papa and her family-famous guacamole.
Ready to Make this Smoky Red Salsa with Chile de Árbol?
Photo: Michelle Ezratty Murphy
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