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Embracing my Mexican heritage and sharing all the wonderful flavors, colors and foods I grew up with. Join me on this journey as I also learn new foods and cooking techniques. Dedicated to my parents Ramiro and Blanca.

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Home » Salsa~Salsa » Salsa Recipes » Spicy Salsa For Birria

Spicy Salsa For Birria

May 21, 201926 Comments

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Savory Mexican recipes should have a spicy salsa! Most often people who are not familiar with authentic Mexican food assume that it’s all spicy. Spicy salsa is typically served on the side or available on the table. The birria recipes on my blog are not very spicy. For those of us who do enjoy our food spicier, I have two recipes below.

two variations of spicy salsa for birria

You can clearly see the difference in color of these two salsa recipes.

birria tacos
Birria de Res Recipe. Click link! https://pinaenlacocina.com/birria-de-res-con-consome-beef-in-consomme/
salsa for birria on a spoon over quesatacos
The above photo is new and shows Salsa 1 with the toasted chile de arbol. If you just boil the chile de arbol, it will yield a brighter red/orange color. Some of the original photos you will see a brighter red color because I toasted very lightly.
birria salsa close up on a spoon

Vinegar Or No Vinegar?

In my many years of preparing salsa, I have experimented with many combinations. Some of my followers have expressed how they prefer a purer salsa with no vinegar added. That’s ok! I don’t mind adding vinegar to certain salsa recipes like these for birria. My intention is to add some acidity and to preserve the salsa for a longer period of time. Since it’s more on the spicy side, I wouldn’t expect it to be all gone the first few days. The beauty of cooking is that we can control the outcome of the recipe for the most part.

birria taco
And not just for birria, these chile de arbol salsa recipes are delicious on any of your favorite tacos or quesadillas
dried chiles in measuring cup

I used a high speed blender to prepare these two recipes. If you have a regular blender, you may need to spend a little more time blending to achieve the same results.

dried chiles and garlic
salsa in blender jar
cooked tomatillos
bowls of salsa with blender jar
4 jars of spicy salsa
qusatacos with salsa
Beef Birria quesdaillas with Oaxaca cheese on corn tortillas
Spicy Salsa For Birria

Spicy Salsa For Birria

These two spicy salsa recipes I prepared can be served with any of your favorite Mexican dishes. They are perfect if you enjoy a spicy bowl of beef birria or birria tacos.
4.70 from 26 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salsa
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 16 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 Servings

Ingredients

Salsa #1

  • 1 pound tomatillos
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 cups dried chile de arbol, 2 oz or 60 gr
  • 1 large clove of garlic
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • Salt to taste

Salsa #2

  • 1 full cup dried chile de arbol, 1 oz, 30 gr
  • 4 large cloves of garlic, 20 gr., peeled
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Directions
  • Salsa #1: Peel and rinse the tomatillo and transfer them to a medium pot. Cover with 4 cups of water and heat to medium. Once they come up to a boil, reduce heat and continue cooking just until tomatillo turn from bright green to an opaque green color. Remove from heat and let sit for 20 minutes.
  • At the same time, in a separate skillet add the chile de arbol and heat to medium. Drizzle in 2 tsps. of your favorite oil. After a minute or so, the chiles should begin to sizzle and become aromatic. Continue stirring and tossing chiles around the skillet for the next minute or two. Pour in 2 cups of water. Bring up to a simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  • When ready, add the chile de arbol with all the water to the blender. Drain the water from tomatillos and transfer to the blender. Add the garlic, vinegar and salt, to taste. Cover blender tightly and blend at the highest speed until smooth.
  • Taste for salt. Store in airtight glass jars(if possibland store in refrigerator. Salsa will keeps for a few months. Yields 4 1/2 cups.
  • Salsa #2: In a medium skillet, add the dried chile de arbol and peeled garlic. Heat to medium heat. As soon as the chiles become aromatic, stir them around for the next few minutes. They can blacken in some spots, but don't let them burn. Pour in 2 cups of water and bring up to a simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes.
  • Transfer all of the ingredients, including the liquid to the blender. Add the vinegar and salt to taste. Blend on high until smooth. Taste for salt. Yields 1 1/2 cups.

Notes

To prepare salsa 1 a bit milder, I would suggest reducing the chile de arbol to only 1/4 od what I used. Replace with 4 large chile guajillo to keep that red color.
Tried this recipe?Mention @pinaenlacocina or tag #pinaenlacocina!
bowls of salsa

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Filed Under: Dried Chiles, Hot Sauce, Salsa Recipes, Salsa~Salsa Tagged With: Beef Recipes, Birria de Res, Consomme, Salsa, Salsa Recipes, Traditional Mexican Recipes

Previous Post: « Birria de Res Con Consomé (Beef in Consomme)
Next Post: Toasted Esquites- Mexican Corn »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Robert Fox

    May 21, 2019 at 6:48 pm

    i”m so glad that you came back with the sauce/salsa – I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to find it! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sonia

      May 22, 2019 at 5:50 am

      You’re welcome Robert.

      Reply
  2. ben garcia

    May 22, 2019 at 10:09 am

    I will try this salsa tonight ,,look good I like hot stuff keep given more us more..

    Reply
    • Sonia

      May 22, 2019 at 10:28 am

      Thanks Ben! I love spicy salsa as well! Enjoy and thank you for the feedback!

      Reply
  3. Debra Hayes

    August 20, 2019 at 2:06 pm

    Which recipe is the dark red salsa ???

    Reply
    • Sonia

      August 20, 2019 at 4:44 pm

      The one without the tomatillo.

      Reply
  4. Amanda Elenes

    September 8, 2019 at 7:19 am

    I just found your site and I absolutely love it!! It’s 4:14am here in San Deigo and I can’t go back to sleep because I’m waiting for the market to open so I can attempt your Birria recipe LOL I’ve been awake for hours reading & scrolling through your recipes.

    Reply
    • Sonia

      September 8, 2019 at 11:43 pm

      Amanda, I have experienced the same when I find sites from Mexico! Lol! Thank you!

      Reply
  5. Hilda Sanchez

    January 20, 2020 at 10:51 am

    I finally found a salsa I was looking for! I only made salsa #2 I wanted something really spicy and this was it. It is awesome! Thank you for sharing the recipe. I’ve become a fan 🙂

    Reply
    • Sonia

      January 20, 2020 at 1:25 pm

      Hi Hilda! So happy you like the salsa recipe!

      Reply
  6. Jose Villa

    February 29, 2020 at 5:56 pm

    I’m used to either lightly toasting the Chile de arbol in the oven or boiling it…

    Reply
    • Sonia

      March 2, 2020 at 9:23 am

      Hi Jose, I typically toast or simmer my chiles for salsa’s too. This is just a variation of the recipe.

      Reply
  7. Bernadette

    March 27, 2020 at 3:47 pm

    I was wondering if the salsa will taste good without the white vinegar. I don’t have that ingredient and want to make it right now.

    Reply
    • Sonia

      March 27, 2020 at 4:51 pm

      Hi Bernadette, you can still prepare the salsa. The vinegar adds acidity and preserves the salsa for a long time. Without the vinegar, it’s still tasty, but it may spoil faster in the long run.

      Reply
  8. Yvette arellano

    September 3, 2020 at 1:23 pm

    Hello for salsa #1 do you roast the chile De árbol or you boil them like the tomatillos ?

    Reply
    • Sonia

      September 4, 2020 at 1:21 pm

      Hi Yvette, just follow the recipe as written. I added everything as is, unless I state that I cooked or softened them. I have a power blender, so it makes it much easier to blend the chiles straight out of the bag. You can soften them in some simmering water if you like.

      Reply
  9. Victoria Contreras

    March 11, 2021 at 2:50 pm

    Regarding recipe #2 other than vinegar, what can be used?

    Reply
    • Sonia

      March 12, 2021 at 12:41 am

      Well, you could use lime, but the vinegar preserves the salsa for a longer time.

      Reply
  10. Elizabeth

    May 12, 2022 at 2:08 pm

    OMG , this number 1 the one w tomatillos. I cannot wait to make it. I have been searching for this cannot wait to try . THANK YOU ! for your authentic recipes, they remind me of my nana in Mexico this is how she would make them !!!!

    Reply
    • Sonia

      May 15, 2022 at 2:22 pm

      Thank you Elizabeth! That one is my favorite!!

      Reply
  11. Jason Ramirezj

    October 22, 2023 at 4:11 pm

    Hice la salsa de árbol y es fácil, picante y muy rica.
    gracias sonia

    Reply
    • Sonia

      October 23, 2023 at 9:08 pm

      Me encanta que te gusto la receta! Gracias por escribirme!

      Reply
  12. Jason Ramirez

    October 22, 2023 at 4:13 pm

    I love your patience. Aye .

    Reply
  13. Bridget C Bisnette

    February 4, 2024 at 8:23 am

    How do I convert 1 cut of the peppers to dried powders version?

    Reply
    • Sonia

      February 5, 2024 at 7:08 am

      Hi Bridget. I full c of chile de arbol without the stems weighs about 30 grams or 1 oz. I would weigh out the powder the same weight as the dried chiles. But with the powder, I would suggest rehydrating it first by blending it with boiling hot water in the blender. This rehydrates the chile powders and gives it body. It also yields a smoother finish. I have used this method to prepare adobos, but haven’t tried it in salsa yet.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Birria de Res Con Consomé (Beef in Consomme) - La Piña en la Cocina says:
    May 21, 2019 at 3:55 pm

    […] Spicy Salsa For Birria Recipes https://pinaenlacocina.com/spicy-salsa-for-birria/ […]

    Reply

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Welcome!

Hi, my name is Sonia Mendez Garcia. My parents Ramiro and Blanca Mendez moved to the United States from Monterrey, Mexico in 1963. I am first generation Mexican American born in Los Angeles, California. Cooking has always been one of my passions in life. This is my journey and I can't wait to see what the future holds. Read More…

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