Salsa De Chile De Arbol is flavorful, spicy, and very easy to make. It’s the ideal salsa to accompany many Mexican meals, especially when it comes to tacos, sopes, tostadas, quesadillas, tlacoyos or any Mexican appetizer. This sauce consists of a mixture of tomatoes with chiles de árbol, a hot sauce that is very famous for its intensity.
Hello friends! I want to share with you one of my favorites salsas to make. It’s easy, delicious and everyone I serve it to, loves it too. It’s the perfect Salsa Roja to serve with Tortilla Chips or any Mexican dishes such as Huevos Divorciados, Tinga, and Huevos Con Chorizo.
When eating Mexican food, it’s all about balance – flavor, color and texture, carefully chosen to compliment the filling. And this condiment always adds the final touch to a meal!
What is Chile De Arbol?
Arbol means tree in Spanish. The name “chile de árbol”, originating in Mexico and Central America, due to the shape of the plant where it grows, because it is taller than other varieties, but it’s officially classified as a tree.
When this chile is fresh, it’s green in color and when it matures it acquires its characteristic bright, dark red color. Some people consume it fresh, however, it is more common to do it when it is dry.
Did you know that Mexico has 29 different types of chiles!? Chile de arbol is the classic chile that characterizes the state of Jalisco. They are a rich source of vitamin E, vitamin B, vitamin c, potassium, copper and iron, in addition to other antioxidants.
This chile is an icon of Mexican culture, it’s one of the most popular chiles used in classic Mexican dishes.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Crowd pleaser: Everyone will love it!
- So flavorful! It’s so good and a little bit goes a long way.
- Easy to make: It’s so easy to master and it’s perfect to have in your fridge handy at all times.
Ingredients
For this salsa de chile de árbol, we need green tomatillos (if you can’t find tomatillos, it’s okay to substitute with roma tomatoes or even canned ones)
- Chile de arbol peppers .
- Guajillo chiles – I add 2 for extra texture and color.
- Tomatillos – They can also use red tomatoes as a substitute.
- Onion – It can be white or yellow.
- Fresh garlic cloves.
- A bouillon cube – vegetable, chicken or beef. Use your favorite kind.
- Salt & pepper.
- If you like very spicy salsas, add a serrano pepper.
Notes on dried chiles
- Dried chiles keep indefinitely frozen inside a freezer bag. This will preserve their freshness too!
- Prior to cooking the chiles, remove the stem and seeds. Or you can leave the seeds to increase the heat.
- Dried chiles must always be cooked, either by toasting them or sautéed, then soaked in hot water. This will hydrate them making them easy to puree.
Equipment
To cook it you will need a small pot, a skillet and a food processor or blender.
How to make Salsa De Chile De Arbol:
This is a visual overview of the steps to make this recipe. See the detailed list of ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below.
- Start by placing the onion, garlic and tomatillo in a small pot with enough water to cover the vegetables. If using a serrano pepper and beef bullion, add it on this step.
- Boil the tomatillos until they start to turn yellow and before they crack.
- While the tomatillos cook, heat a small pan 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil and sauté the guajillo chiles for about 45 seconds on each side. This is a very fast step as it if it cooks too long, the chile will become bitter.
- Remove from skillet and add to the pot with the tomatillos.
- Repeat this process for the Chiles de Arbol.
Important note! Cook the tomatillos until they start to turn yellow and before they crack. Cooking them too long they will become bitter and too tangy.
- Remove the tomatillos from the saucepan and place in a bowl. Set aside to cool.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and set to cool off. Leave the dried chiles, onion & garlic in the hot water to continue hydrating the chiles.
- Once the tomatillos have cooled off, add all ingredients to a food processor or a blender.
- Blend until you reach your desired consistency. NOTE: Do not add the cooked water yet. Only add a little bit at the time if your salsa turns out too dense.
- Season with salt & pepper if needed.
Tips & Notes
- It’s important to use fresh ingredients when making your salsa. The tomatillos should be firm and unwrinkled. Dried chile de arbol should be leathery and flexible, never brittle.
- This particular salsa made with chiles de arbol, has an enjoyable sharp heat that quickly dissipates. Usually when the salsa is still hot from cooking it, it will taste hotter than it’ll be an hour or later. So don’t be alarmed right away!
Storing
- Fridge – Before, storing, make sure the salsa is at room temperature and not hot. Store in the refrigerator in a glass jar or container for up to 1 week.
- Freezer – Freeze in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container or freezer bags for up to 3 months.
- To Thaw – Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Serving Suggestions
Speaking of balance, I made this to pair with my Cochinita Pibil as I think they go perfectly together. Add some of these Mexican Pickled Onions and you’ll have the perfect trifecta!
Try this salsa at your next party! It goes perfect with chips & guacamole on the side. I always keep some in my refrigerator to eat with eggs, enchiladas, quesadillas and more!
That’s it my friends! As you can see, this Chile De Arbol Salsa is very easy to make and soon will be your favorite one too. Buen provecho!
FAQs
You can actually make this as hot as you want! Here are a few ways to control the spicy level:
* Medium hot = 20 chiles de arbol
* Hot = 30 chiles de árbol.
* Hot + = Leave the seeds in the peppers
* Super hot = Add a serrano pepper or two.
Add a tablespoon of sugar or 1/4 cup or more of tomato sauce to balance the flavor a little bit.
Leaving the seeds makes the salsa more spicy so remove them if your tolerance for heat is not too high.
Not a problem! Just add a tablespoon of sugar to remove some of the tanginess.
More Mexican Salsas:
Try any of my delicious salsas…. Always authentic, easy & delicious!
I hope you like this recipe! Share it, or leave a rating and comment below. For questions that need an answer right away, please contact me and I’ll get back to you asap. Gracias!!!! xx, Ana
Print Recipe:
Salsa De Chile De Arbol Recipe
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh tomatillos see notes
- ¼ of a medium onion (yellow or white)
- 2 large garlic cloves peeled
- 1 fresh serrano pepper optional for a very spicy salsa
- 1 bouillon cube (vegetable, chicken or beef)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 20 to 30 dried Chile de Arbol no stems and seeds
- 2 guajillo chiles no stems and seeds
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a small to medium pot, place the tomatillo, onion, garlic, serrano pepper and bouillon cube with enough water to cover everything.1 pound fresh tomatillos, ¼ of a medium onion (yellow or white), 2 large garlic cloves, 1 fresh serrano pepper, 1 bouillon cube (vegetable, chicken or beef)
- Cook uncovered on medium heat.
- Saute the dried chiles while the tomatillo mixture cook: on a hot skillet, sauté the guajillo chiles on ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil for about 45 seconds on each side. Note: This is a very fast step as it if it cooks too long, the chile will become bitter.2 guajillo chiles, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Remove from skillet and add to the tomatillo mixture. Repeat this process for the chiles de arbol.20 to 30 dried Chile de Arbol
- Cook the tomatillos until they start to turn yellow and before they crack. Remove pot from heat and set to cool off.
- Remove the tomatillos from the pot and transfer to a bowl to cool off. Leave the rest of the ingredients in the hot water to continue hydrating the dried chiles.
- Once the tomatillos have cooled off, add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and pure well. NOTE: Do not add the cooked water yet. Only add a little bit at the time if your salsa turns out too dense.
- Taste for salt & pepper and add some according to taste.¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- Store in refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week.
Video
Muy Delish Notes:
- Do you add the cooking water in with the rest of the ingredients when blending? You don’t add the water as the tomatoes will make it liquid enough. If can add some from the cooking water if you think it’s too dry
* Medium hot = 20 chiles de arbol
* Hot = 30 chiles de arbol.
* Hot + = Leave the seeds in the peppers
* Super hot = Add a serrano pepper or two.
Add Your Own Private Notes
Whenever you come back to this recipe, you’ll be able to see your notes.
Nutrition
The nutritional information and US conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or unit conversion tool.
Que rica Ana!!!! Gracias❤️
Is there something I could substitute instead of using a bouillon cube? I have all of the other ingredients, but we use “better than buillion”
Hi Jane! You can definitely use better than bouillon! Enjoy!
Really good salsa! I have been experimenting with salsa to create my own recipe and I used this one as my base recipe. I’ve since modified a few things to make it suit my taste a little better. A few notes, definitely use tomatillos (tomatoes CAN be substituted, but it tastes completely different). Tomatillos can make it slightly sweet, so I suggest balancing it out with an acid (like lime). My wife can take some heat, but not the full 20 chile de arboles. 15 was bareable for her.
This was so easy to make and very delicious with the perfect amount of spice! This will be a go-to of mine when I make salsa!
Thank you, Gina, so happy you liked it!
Seriously amazing flavor! Topped our enchiladas with this!
OH good idea Dina and Bruce! yes, this salsa is so versatile. Thank you.
Oh my word, this was SO flavorful! Best salsa I’ve ever made. The flavors were so incredibly fresh!
Thank you, Dana, so happy you liked it!
Wow! This kicked up salsa is calling my name. I will definitely be trying this on game day. Yum!
Thank you, Kathleen! yes hope you like it.
This is a great all-around sauce! I love the blend of chiles – just the right amount of heat! (Just wanted to echo a previous commenter: I always add a little sugar to my sauce. It tempers and evens any acidity in the sauce.)
This blog is so helpful for understanding ingredients and processes, thanks very much. Making this salsa will be much easier now that I know why we have to cook things the way we do!
Thanks for the best blog. It was very useful for me. keep sharing such ideas in the future as well. They are really nice article.
Oh MY, it looks great! Can’t wait to cook em this Sunday!
Very good recipe all around. My guests loved it!
Fantastic recipe. It’s the real deal. It’s quite hot but I love hot food. East to make but you have to be careful toasting the dried chiles.
Hi! How much bouillon do you use? It’s not listed in the ingredients. Thank you!
Hi Jackie, thanks so much for the question! I added it to the ingredients list on the post and the recipe card. You add one cube 🙂 I hope you enjoy!
xo, Ana
My brother-in-law is Mexican and recently taught me to make salsa with bullion which I had no idea was a thing! I look forward to making this recipe and impressing him during the next family gathering!
I had the opportunity to meet Ana through my wife Emily (of Resplendent Kitchen), so I thought to subscribe to MuyDelish.
This is the first recipe that caught my eye, as I recently discovered how delish (!) dried arbol chilies are. I usually make a fresh salsa, but I thought I’d give this a try.
I love this recipe so much I may not go back to making fresh salsa. Ana gives good advice in her description, so follow it and you’ll have great success.
Thank you so much Brian for your kind review! It was awesome to meet you as well! i’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this salsa. It’s a personal favorite and good to hear it goes well with your vegan lifestyle! (which I admire so much and wish I could do). Stay well!
Xo, Ana
I am beyond elated to try this beautiful salsa. I love my salsa to be a bit spicy, but not too much to the point where you can’t enjoy it. I believe this salsa is the best! I made some for myself and my family encouraged me to make more, but for the whole family. As a 17 year old, I would say this is amazing salsa. I always aspire to make new delicious salsa. Thank you for you’re advice! ❤️
Very good! What are your suggestions to temper the spice level if we went a little heavy handed with the Serrano?
Good to hear Kat! You can add a cooked blended tomato. I hear people have added sugar (like one tablespoon) but I have not tried it yet. Let me know which route you ended up with and how it turned out! xo, ana
Thanks for getting back! I used some like juice and a small amount of sugar, it tempered it perfectly. You were right though, the spice mellowed after an hour or two on its own.
I made this bomb ass dank ass chile de arbol tonight and I was so addicted I could not stop eating it.
So awesome to hear this Andrew! I’m delighted to hear you liked this Salsa de Chile De Arbol! Is one of my favorites too. Happy New Year!
Do you add the cooking water in with the rest of the ingredients when blending?
Hi Amara! Sorry for the late reply! You don’t add the water as the tomatos will make it liquid enough. If can add some from the cooking water if you think it’s too dry. Thanks for the question! I added this information to the notes.
Hola Ana,
Me encantan tus recetas y tu fotografía! Está era la receta favorita de mi papá, aunque él la hacía diferente.
Es muy bonito ver todas tus recetas x
Muchas gracias Karla!!! Esta salsa de Chile de árbol esta deliciosa!
Can’t wait to give this a try.
So easy to make right! Please let me know what you think!
This salsa is the best! So flavorful
Thanks for the feedback Monica!
Spicy Salsa? YUM!!! I like if the salsa has a spicy tinge to it. I love the combination of whole red chili and tomatoes in any dish. Salsa occupies my first preference over any appetizer. So definitely this chile salsa is on my menu.
Thank you Gunjan! Everything comes together so perfectly!
I’ve never cooked with tomatillos before, and have been dying for a reason to do it…I think you helped me solve that! This salsa looks fabulous, and I’m always looking for new dips and sauces to make. I am absolutely adding this one to my list
Right now is the perfect season for them! I hope you enjoyed it and thanks for the feedback!
There’s nothing as satisfying as a homemade salsa! Adding this to my cinco de mayo menu, Thanks!
Thank you Charity! I hope you enjoyed it!
What gorgeous photos!! My family is always looking for new salsas and toppings to try. This one definitely looks worth a try! I love that the spice level can be held back or kicked up — I’m not a huge fan of spice, but my dad and brother LOVE it. I’ll make two different versions of this — perfect! 🙂
Thanks so much for the kind comment Amy! It’s worth doing both versions. I hope all is well!
We eat a lot of salsa in our house. And we love homemade over store bought. I’ve pinned this one to make some time soon. I also pinned it because I just love your photos! I’m now craving chips and salsa!
Salsa is my favorite food group and this recipe is RIGHT up my alley! Love that you can control the spice level and use it on so many different things!
Oh yum! I appreciate a good salsa like this. Made with fresh ingredients and works well with tacos, tamales, and more. Yum!
OMG yes! This is what I use on my tamales! Enjoy!
So many great tips and flavors in this recipe.
Thanks so much Kallee!
This salsa is unique but seems very approachable to make, I definitely want to try this! And I appreciate the tip about cooling the tomatillos before adding them in, I never would have guessed that would make the salsa bitter. I love your photos, the composition is so beautiful!
The tomatillos are a little delicate and that tip is good to know! Thank you so much!
I didn’t realize that Chile de Arnold’s heat dissipates. That’s good to know. My hubby likes things really hot, but I prefer things a bit less spicy. I love the tartness of tomatillo, so this recipe is a keeper.
It does! The salsa is always hotter right after you cook it…it does changes hotness too depending on how many days it’s been sitting in the fridge. Thanks so much!
Hi, how long does this keep in the refrigerator? I’d love to try to make it, but it will take me a while to eat it all since it’s just me 🙂 I’d love to make this for dipping some enchiladas (the fried kind, not the baked kind). Any specific instruction on storing it like using a certain type of jar waiting until it’s fully cooled before chilling? Thanks!
Hi Karen! For best taste I would say it’ll last about 1 to 2 weeks. You can freeze it by putting them in freezer ziplog bags or a glass container like mason jars. I will update the post with this info! Thanks so much for the question….it is delicious!
Our household is really big on salsa, and this looks amazing! We would have to make it fairly mild since we have two young kids, but I am definitely adding this to our dinner menu!
I think it’s great to have a good salsa in the fridge at all times. It goes with so many things right? I’m glad you like this!
i am in love with your photos. plus i am a huge fan of mexican food and this salsa just looks incredible. the flavors sound like perfection!
Thanks so much for the kind comment Danielle! You will love this salsa if you’re a fan of Mexican food! Thanks for stopping by!
This salsa is the real deal! Perfect spicy level! Although my husband, who likes his spice hotter than fire, opts for adding in the optional Serrano. Gotta love having options! Thanks for posting!
Hey you can probably do two batches! One for your hubby and one for you! I’m glad you like it Rachel!
This is a really good salsa, thanks for sharing it!!!