Salsa Macha
A crispy, spicy Mexican condiment with charred chiles, toasted aromatics, and infused oil. Drizzle over eggs, soups, or beans for instant depth and crunch.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Servings
- 8
- Calories
- 187
- Protein
- 1g
Ingredients
- 4 whole dried arbol chiles
- 2 whole dried guajillo chiles
- 6 whole garlic cloves, unpeeled
- ¼ medium onion white onion, cut into 2-inch chunks
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- 1
Remove the stems and seeds from the arbol and guajillo chiles by holding each chile stem-side up and pulling the stem downward; shake out the loose seeds into the trash.
- 2
Tear each chile into 3 to 4 rough pieces with your hands so they will cook evenly and fit easily into the oil.
- 3
Place a 10-inch skillet over medium heat and wait 1 minute until it feels warm when you hold your hand 2 inches above it.
- 4
Add the chile pieces to the dry skillet and stir them constantly with a wooden spoon for 45 seconds until they smell toasted and turn slightly darker, being careful not to burn them.
- 5
Transfer the toasted chiles to a small bowl and set aside on the counter to cool for 1 minute.
- 6
Return the skillet to medium heat, add the unpeeled garlic cloves and onion chunks, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once every minute, until the garlic skins char black and the onion edges turn dark brown.
- 7
Remove the skillet from heat and let the garlic and onion cool for 2 minutes until they are safe to touch.
- 8
Peel the papery skin off each garlic clove by rubbing it between your fingers over the sink; discard the skins.
- 9
Pour the olive oil into the skillet and set it over medium heat; wait 2 minutes until the oil shimmers and moves quickly when you tilt the pan.
- 10
Add the cooled chile pieces, peeled garlic cloves, charred onion chunks, oregano, and salt to the warm oil.
- 11
Stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 3 to 4 minutes, watching carefully as the mixture bubbles gently; you should hear a steady, light sizzle.
- 12
Remove the skillet from heat and let the salsa macha sit undisturbed for 10 minutes so the flavors deepen and the oil cools slightly.
- 13
Pour the entire contents of the skillet—chiles, garlic, onion, and oil together—into a glass jar, leaving it at room temperature until it cools completely, about 30 minutes.
Tools you’ll need
- 10-inch skillet
- wooden spoon
- small bowl
- glass jar with lid
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
CookSnap is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
