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Salsa taquera de chile de árbol
Chile de árbol taco salsa
Salsa taquera: Mexico City's thin, fiery taco-stand salsa of chile de árbol and tomatillo
Late at night outside Mexico City's taquerías, the squeeze bottle of rust-red salsa is what regulars reach for to wake up tacos de suadero and al pastor. It is thin, very hot and a little sour from vinegar, with the toasty, nutty heat of chile de árbol balanced by cooked tomatillo. Small amounts go a long way, and it keeps two weeks in the fridge. Chef's tip: toast the chiles only until they darken and smell nutty, about 30 seconds; a minute too long and the whole batch turns bitter.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- ⅞ oz dried chiles de árbolabout 30, stems removed
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 9 oz tomatilloshusked and rinsed
- 3 cloves garlicpeeled
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp dried Mexican oregano
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (1)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Heat the 1 tsp vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the ⅞ oz dried chiles de árbol and stir constantly for 30–40 seconds until they turn a shade darker and smell toasty. Tip them out immediately; burnt, black chiles are the one mistake this salsa can't recover from.
1 minStep 2: Put the 9 oz tomatillos, 3 cloves garlic and ¾ cup water in a small pan, bring to a simmer and cook over a medium heat for 8 minutes until the tomatillos turn olive green and soft.
9 minStep 3: Blend the tomatillos, garlic and their cooking water with the toasted chiles, 2 tbsp white vinegar, 1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp dried Mexican oregano for a full 2 minutes until very smooth.
2 minStep 4: Push through a sieve to remove the seeds and skins, pressing with a spoon. The salsa should be pourable. Cool and keep in a bottle or jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 15 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does salsa taquera de chile de árbol take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of white vinegar?
- Cider vinegar or rice vinegar, same amount.
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