Salsa Macha, to me, is Mexico’s equivalent of the Chinese chilli oil or chilli crisp as it’s popularly called in the US. It’s an incredibly rich, complex, fruity and nutty salsa that can be as hot or as mild as you want.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
What does Salsa Macha mean?
- salsa = sauce, you know, that Latin American condiment
- macha = feminine form of the word macho
So salsa macha, literally translated, means brave or manly salsa. This refers to the fact that the original salsa macha was in fact, a hot little number. Hot enough to grow hair on your chest!
Language lesson: it can’t be salsa macho because salsa is a feminine noun, so it needs a feminine adjective.
This Mexican chilli oil is said to have come either from the state of Veracruz or Oaxaca, both of them having a traditional form of this salsa with chillies and nuts, dating back many, many years. The general consensus, however, seems to be leaning towards Veracruz.
What is Salsa Macha?
Is it a salsa? Is it a chilli oil? Well, I’m here to tell you it’s both. Salsa macha is, however, thicker than the Chinese chilli oil that I keep comparing it to, being slightly heavier on the crispy bits than the actual oil.
Suffice it to say, it is a condiment to be enjoyed any which way you fancy, but more of that below.
The “original” salsa macha was made with comapeño, a tiny chilli that’s native to the highlands in Veracruz, amongst the coffee plantations and cloud forests. This highly elusive chilli is a hot little thing, averaging 16 000 000 Scoville Units!
Which means the traditional salsa macha was hot, hot, hot. Hence its name!
Salsa Macha Ingredients
It’s a very, very easy recipe to make, with a small number of ingredients. All you need:
- dried red chillies – 2 varieties are good
- garlic
- dried oregano
- peanuts – optional, but add a beautiful, nutty flavour, you can also use other nuts
- sesame seeds – also optional, and also add a delicious, nutty taste, or other seeds like pumpkin and sunflower
- light olive oil (that means not extra virgin)
- salt
- vinegar
- sugar
What chillies in Salsa Macha?
You can use whatever dried red chillies you fancy, smoked or unsmoked. This red chilli paste wasn’t a smoked chilli condiment to begin with, but chipotles seem to be quite popular for many. Personally, I much prefer the non smoky version.
What chillies you use will also affect the heat level of your end result. A combination of spicy and mild and fruity is the way to go, in my opinion. I’ve gone with chillis de arbol for heat and anchos for the fruitiness. But you can use any of the following (or others):
- mulato (dried, mature poblanos, compared to young for anchos)
- pasilla
- cascabel
- guajillo
- chipotle
How long will Salsa Macha Keep?
When you’re done making it, cool it to room temperature. Then store, in a clean jar, covered in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
But I can guarantee you that you are going to be dipping into it non stop. Last night, I was in bed reading, and felt hungry (always happens when a character in my books is eating!). Went down to the kitchen and ended up having a spoonful of it as it was. Total yum!
How to use Salsa Macha
This, again, is open to interpretation, and also the viscosity of your finished result. You’ll find that salsa macha ranges from the runny with lots of oil to the very thick.
One of my favourite ways to enjoy salsa macha? As a fruit dip – forget the chocolate! Goes especially well with mangoes and pineapples.
And here are all the other ways salsa macha can be used. As a:
- topping on tacos, tamales, quesadillas, pizzas.
- sandwich spread (I do this with all chilli oils!) – 2 slices bread, buttered, than slathered with salsa macha on both sides, with cucumbers, you need to try this! Oh, I am going to have to do a post on that!
- marinade with other ingredients (or just some lime juice).
- salad dressing, a tablespoon or two, stirred with balsamic vinegar and EV olive oil – yum!
- condiment with rice and noodles.
- cooking ingredient – think omelettes, potatoes, roast vegetables.
- flavour enhancer – think soups and stews, finish them with it, or serve with a dollop on top.
- dip. On its own (especially if not hot), or … you know it – MAYO or blue cheese!
And there you have it. If you are a chilli lover, you are going to love salsa macha!
Shall we get our aprons on?
More Hot Stuff on LinsFood
If you like the recipe, don’t forget to leave me a comment and that all important, 5-star rating! Thank you!
And if you make the recipe, share it on any platform and tag me @azlinbloor, and hashtag it #linsfood
Lin xx
Salsa Macha Recipe
Equipment
- scissors
- Knife
- chopping
- small saucepan (or frying pan)
- heatproof slotted spoon
- other spoons/utensils as needed
- medium heatproof jug or bowl
- chopper
- jar for storing
Ingredients
- 375 ml light olive oil (not extra virgin)
- 20 g chillis de arbol (or any non smoked chilli of your choice)
- 30 g anchos (about 3)
- 3 medium garlic cloves
- 40 g raw, unsalted peanuts (sometimes I double this and the sesame seeds for a thicker salsa)
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 tsp Mexican oregano or regular
- ¼ tsp salt (or more, to taste)
- 2 Tbsp vinegar
Instructions
- Heat the oil on low heat. While waiting for it to heat up, cut the anchos in 2-3 pieces, with a pair of scissors.
- Tip the anchos and the whole garlic cloves into the oil and fry, stirring, for 2 minutes, until the garlic takes on some colour, but not brown. Use your slotted spoon and dish out the anchos and the garlic into your heatproof jug or bowl.
- Now fry the chillis de arbol, again for 2 minutes, stirring to brown them evenly. Scoop them out with your slotted spoon when done, and add to the jug.
- Next, tip the peanuts and sesame seeds into the oil and fry for 2 minutes, to brown both, also stirring. When done, pour the whole thing into your jug. Leave the oil and stuff to cool for 10 minutes.
- At the end of 10 minutes, transfer everything to a chopper and blend to a medium-smooth stage. How smooth you make salsa macha is completely up to you. Sometimes, I chop up the nuts separately to a coarse stage and add it to the rest, to get a coarse-grind salsa macha.
- Transfer to a clean jar, cool to room temperature and store in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
Looks good. Unfortunately, I had to scroll through dozens of pages only to find it’s metric. Don’t enjoy math; moving on.
You know the recipe card gives you the option of switching from metric to US, don’t you? And not sure what dozens of pages you are talking about. This article and its accompanying recipe is all on a single page. 😉
You will take the time to log in and leave a comment about math being hard but you won’t take a second to flip the tab from Metric to US?
That glorious deep maroon colour is making me drool! I can imagine how delicious this must be served in all the ways you have suggested above. I’ll be a very happy person to toss it with some pasta or noodles and enjoy the powerful flavours.
My mouth is salivating just reading and seeing the pics…I can imagine the burst of flavours here and would love to pair it with fruits. Very tempting
Such a versatile condiment with a few ingredients. Looks so tempting especially with those mango cubes. Azlin, I get to learn about many unknown recipes from your blog.
This was great, thank you.