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.
You can clearly see the difference in color of these two salsa recipes.
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.
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.
Spicy Salsa For Birria
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
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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!
You’re welcome Robert.
I will try this salsa tonight ,,look good I like hot stuff keep given more us more..
Thanks Ben! I love spicy salsa as well! Enjoy and thank you for the feedback!
Which recipe is the dark red salsa ???
The one without the tomatillo.
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.
Amanda, I have experienced the same when I find sites from Mexico! Lol! Thank you!
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 🙂
Hi Hilda! So happy you like the salsa recipe!
I’m used to either lightly toasting the Chile de arbol in the oven or boiling it…
Hi Jose, I typically toast or simmer my chiles for salsa’s too. This is just a variation of the recipe.
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.
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.
Hello for salsa #1 do you roast the chile De árbol or you boil them like the tomatillos ?
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.
Regarding recipe #2 other than vinegar, what can be used?
Well, you could use lime, but the vinegar preserves the salsa for a longer time.
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 !!!!
Thank you Elizabeth! That one is my favorite!!
Hice la salsa de árbol y es fácil, picante y muy rica.
gracias sonia
Me encanta que te gusto la receta! Gracias por escribirme!
I love your patience. Aye .
How do I convert 1 cut of the peppers to dried powders version?
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.