Salsa de cacahuate, peanut salsa! Not all of us associate peanuts with a spicy salsa, but it is actually common to combine nuts and seeds with dried chiles in Mexican cuisine. The top example of that is traditional mole and red pipian recipes. It had been a minute since I had prepared a salsa de cacahuate. I forgot how much I enjoyed it!

If you grew up like me, you remember the peanuts in a shell!

Who remembers the peanuts in a shell that were part of the treat bags we received during Christmas as kids? They contained peanuts in the shell, a fresh orange, colaciones(see photo below recipe) candy in all different colors and maybe some ricos besos hard candy, Montes brand. And how could you forget about the De La Rosa mazapan peanut candy? I still crave those to this day!

Besides enjoying as a salsa, what else would I use this peanut salsa for?

Besides for a spicy taco garnish, I really enjoy preparing a milder version of this recipe by reducing the amount of chile de arbol and replacing them with some chile guajillo. Sear some seasoned chicken pieces, then add the milder salsa with enough broth to generously just cover the chicken. Braise covered on medium low heat for 35-40 minutes. See notes for more details.

I confess I am a chilehead and enjoy my salsa recipes spicy!

Followers often ask me for mild versions of some of my salsa recipes. That really is an easy fix. For recipes that include dried chiles like chile de arbol or chile piquin, reduce those quantities to 1/4 of what is listed. Replace the eliminated peppers with 1-2 chile guajillo, depending on how much salsa you are to prepare. For salsa recipes prepared with fresh green chiles, like serrano or jalapeno, reduce the amount of peppers by 1/3 and replace with more tomatillo(for salsa verde) or tomatoes(salsa roja). I even prepare a milder version of salsa macha using guajillo peppers. It’s delicious!

Why is my salsa bitter?

When preparing salsa or sauces with dried chiles there are a number of reasons why the salsa could become bitter. In my experience with cooking with dried chiles, I have used peppers that were old and that did yield a bitter sauce in the end. You can try to fix it by mixing in a little sugar, but it may not always work. Bitter tasting salsa may also happen from over toasting or frying the dried chiles and not cleaning out the large seeds and membranes from the pods.

Chile cascabel is on the border of being spicy. It adds a nice pepper flavor without too much heat.

If you don’t want to fuss with peanuts in a shell, that ok. Purchase unsalted peanuts if you prefer.

Get into the routine of using whole spices when you can, especially when preparing sauces or salsa recipes. So much more flavor!

A little splash of vinegar adds a nice balance of acidity. Just make sure you season well.

How do you store your dried chiles?

Store dried chiles in a cool dry space. After opening the bags of chiles, I transfer them to a heavy plastic storage bag or an airtight storage container and keep them in a dark cupboard. Too much light will fade the peppers and alter the flavors. If you have room, ideally, I like storing mine in the refrigerator to avoid any unwanted critters. It has happened to me too many times in the past. Depends on the brand I buy.

collage of ingredients and salsa after blending

Using a power blender does yield the smoothest sauce and salsa!

If you do not own a power blender, that’s ok. You may need to blend for a few more minutes or you could strain through a wire mesh strainer for the smoother version. The motivation for my desire to purchase the power blender was because I do prepare a lot of sauce recipes. The straining of the sauce, especially for mole, put too much strain on my wrist over the years.

Let’s Salsa!!!!