This easy and spicy Chile de Arbol salsa is perfect for carne asada tacos. The chile de arbol peppers bring a lot of heat and it's really easy to make. The mixture of tomatillos, tomatoes, and fresh cilantro creates a bright salsa with a slightly tangy taste to enjoy with chips and any meal.
Chile de Arbol Salsa Recipe
Most arbol salsas are made with roasted peppers and roasted tomatillos, but this one is made by boiling the ingredients and also uses tomatoes in addition to the tomatillos. The combination of tomatoes and tomatillos in a sauce is familiar, but only some people try it. The results are amazing, as the tomatoes' sweetness and the tomatillos' tart flavor help to bring out the spiciness of the arbol chile peppers.
In This Post
If this is your first time cooking with Arbol peppers, let me tell you that they are pretty spicy, and we usually cook them with the seeds and veins included, which adds to the heat in this Chile de Arbol salsa. A good substitute for arbol peppers is Puya peppers or Piquin peppers. If using Puya peppers, use about 6 of them; if using Piquin chili peppers, you will need about 25.
This salsa roja (red sauce) is excellent for tacos (especially the carne asada tacos), over-fried or scrambled eggs, and in many of our Mexican dishes. I know you will love this version!
Frequently Asked Questions About Chile de Arbol Salsa
Before I share my recipe, I feel like I need to answer the questions I always get:
What is chile de árbol?
Chile de arbol (tree pepper) is a chile that has been dried with an acidic flavor and a lot of heat. This thin, bright red skin pepper measures 2 – 3 inches long and ¼ inches wide. They are one of the key ingredients in many recipes like tacos Tlaquepaque, Mexican spicy potatoes, spicy peanuts, and this spicy sauce, for example.
How spicy are chiles de arbol peppers?
Chiles the arbol has some heat, and according to the Scoville rating, this chile is potent with an enjoyable heat (15,000 to 30,000 Scoville heat units) similar to cayenne or serrano peppers. A great compromise if you like spicy but not scorching hot. For comparison, a Jalapeno pepper is 2,000-8,000 units, and a Habanero is 150,000-350,000 units.
Do you have to remove the seeds in the arbol peppers?
Leaving the seed provides more heat to your salsa, so removing them is recommended if you prefer less heat.
Can you make this arbol salsa ahead of time?
Yes, hot sauces like this one taste better the next day, and they can hold for several more days in the refrigerator.
How long does this salsa last in the fridge?
This arbol pepper salsa lasts up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.
How to make Chile de Arbol Salsa
JUMP TO SEE INGREDIENTS & INSTRUCTIONS
Ingredients
- árbol chili peppers stem removed
- Plum tomatoes
- Tomatillos
- Garlic cloves
- White onion diced
- Fresh Cilantro
- Salt to taste
DIRECTIONS:
- Place 4 cups of water in a medium saucepan, add the arbol peppers, and cook at medium heat. Once the water starts to boil, add the tomatoes, tomatillos, and garlic clove.
- Cook the tomatoes, tomatillos, arbol peppers, and garlic for 10 minutes, until they are well cooked, then set the saucepan aside. Allow the ingredients to cool for at least 3-4 minutes.
- Once the ingredients have cooled, drain them and place them in your blender along with the cilantro. Blend this until you have a sauce with some texture. Pour it into a bowl and season with salt. Top your chile de Arbor salsa with the diced white onion.
Note: If you prefer a chunky consistency, try your food processor instead of your blender.
Note: If you prefer a chunky consistency, try your food processor instead of your blender.
What to serve with Chile de Arbol salsa
Whenever I make this fresh salsa at home, I love to make some sort of a taco, like these tacos de suadero or tacos al pastor to eat with. I also like to use a few tablespoons of chile de arbol salsa with my pork carnitas or any other meat, next to a warm tortilla and a few drops of lime juice. But, if you are like me, you can just eat it with tortilla chips.
More Authentic Mexican Recipes To Enjoy
If you enjoyed this recipe for chile de arbol salsa, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican salsas recipes made with dried chiles :
Salsa Macha using Arbol chiles and Oil
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa with Arbol chile peppers
If this recipe was of any help to you, come back to let me know your experience. Please leave us a comment below and tell us all about it!
¡Buen provecho!
Mely MartínezFor more recipes, follow Us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. in español Visit Us at Mexico en mi cocina
📖 Recipe
Chile de Arbol Salsa
Ingredients
- 10 árbol chili peppers stem removed
- 8.5 oz plum tomatoes ( 2) 8.5 oz
- 4 oz tomatillos ( 2 small) small ( 4oz)
- 1 small garlic clove
- ¼ cup white onion diced
- ⅓ cup cilantro
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Place 4 cups of water in a medium saucepan, add the arbol peppers, and cook at medium heat. Once the water starts to boil, add the tomatoes, tomatillos, and garlic clove.
- Cook the tomatoes, tomatillos, arbol peppers, and garlic for 10 minutes, until they are well cooked, then set the saucepan aside. Allow the ingredients to cool for at least 3-4 minutes.
- Once the ingredients have cooled, drain them and place them in your blender along with the cilantro. Process this until you have a sauce with some texture. Pour it into a bowl and season with salt. Top with the diced white onion.
Brenda
Liked by everyone in our house. Quick and easy to make. Thank you. 🙂
Dorothy
Really good but also really hot. I would omit maybe 3 or 4 peppers.
April
Hi! I’m looking for a salsa recipe that has toasted peanuts. Maybe sesame seeds too. I think I may have seen it on your site, but it was in Spanish. Thanks for sharing all of these wonderful recipes! I love the stories you include with them!
Mely Martínez
Hello April,
Maybe you are referring to the Salsa Macha, many people add peanuts and some sesame seeds.
Here is the recipe:https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/spicy-sauce-salsa-macha/
Happy cooking!
Noah
Very good. Hot. For my taste about a 7 out of 10 where 10 is about as hot as I want to consume. I added the juice of 1/2 lime to mine and it was perfect.
Tracy
Going to make today. Did you peel the tomatoes skin off before putting in blender? Also do NOT add any of the cooking water to blender - Correct?
Mely Martínez
Hello Tracy,
I didn't peel the tomatoes, and do not add water, only if your tomatoes are too dry and you need to add liquid to process the sauce.
Grace Swarm
I blended my onion and it was amazing, if you use the 10 arbol chilies be ready for all that hottness! It was delicious and I didn’t even add salt it was perfect without it but that was my preference.
Doug
I wish I’d read the comments before making kept the water in now have to reduce it huge
Jennifer Ballyns
Hello, What spice level would you consider this salsa? My husband and I like pretty spicy salsa. Can i add more peppers to this to make it more spicy?
Mely Martínez
Hello Jennifer
That will depend on the level of heat you consider to be spicy for you. I like very spicy food, and for me this will be a 7-8 in a scale from 1-10. You can remove a tomato or add more peppers to make it spicier.
Dana
I love spicy but my lips are still burning. I'm going to add more tomatillos and tomatoes to try and tame it down. It has a great taste just a bit spicy for me.
Mely Martínez
Hello Dana,
Arbol peppers are very hit, and this is a very spicy salsa. You can add more tomatoes and tomatillos to reduce the heat.
Melissa
Hello,
Does 10 chilis make it spicy? We love spicy salsa!
Mely Martínez
Hello Melissa,
Yes, it does.
Rachel
Can I use dried los chilleros? I live on east coast and cannot find fresh!
Mely Martínez
Hello Rachel,
The peppers are dried.
Jeana
This is my new go-to cooked salsa. So easy and soooo good!
Don
Can I preserve/can this in a water bath? I would like to make a lot of this to enjoy throughout the year.
Mely Martínez
Hello Dom, yes you can, but I suggest you add a little bit of vinegar to avoid spoiling.
Don
I made this tonight and it was excellent!
Kevin
Can I blend the white onion into the salsa instead of just serving it on top?
Mely Martínez
Hello Kevin,
Yes, you can.
Kevin
Thank you
I actually did but used Italian parsley by accident. Lol. Will make again tomorrow and this time I know for sure I bought cilantro
Josefina
Buena receta! No tenía chiles de arbol, así que usé chiles anchos. Además, agregué un poco de jugo de limón. Es delicioso, gracias!!!
Lara
This salsa looks so delicious, but I was curious if you have an amended version for it that’s less spicy? I have asthma and sometimes a really spicy salsa makes it hard on me. Would you recommend maybe to just cut the number of chile used in the recipe down? Would half as much compromise the taste at all? Thank so much, I love your recipes and always enjoy cooking them when I can! 😊
Mely Martínez
Hello Lara,
Yes, you can cut the number of peppers in the recipe. Maybe only using 5 peppers will be fine for a mild salsa.
April
Just made this and it has great flavor! Mine does not have the same dark color as yours. Any suggestions as to how I can get that rich, dark red color? I'm going to try roasting everything next time.
Mely Martínez
Hello April,
Add more tomatoes and peppers to get a deep red color. Happy cooking!
Amanda
This is a great recipe! I’ve made it a couple of times and it’s just delicious. It doesn’t last more than a couple of days - my fiancé and I put it on EVERYTHING!
MARIA
THANK YOU:)
Simon
Can I use dried Chile Morita instead? And how many will be appropriate?
Mely Martínez
Hello Simon,
ABout 4-5 morita peppers will be fine.
AFeltz
Made this tonight for Carne Asada tacos. It will be my new go to, even my 2yo loves it. Going to try same ratio roasting vs boiling just to compare.
mmartinez
Wow! A brave 2 years old. So glad to know you like it.
Regina
Hi, just wanted to ask if the tomatillos are bitter? Thank you
mmartinez
Hello Regina,
Tomatillos tend to be bitter is they are too big, What I mean is that if they look too big like 2 inches in diameter or the husk is stick to the skin. Also, cooking the tomatillos at high heat will make the tomatillos to open while cooking, that also makes them taste bitter. If you already make salsa and this one comes out with a bitter taste, add a pinch of sugar.
Jocko
This is a very similar salsa an old friends wife used to make, she was from Mexico so very authentic and delicious, he simply called it a 'table salsa'. With practice on my part it will be almost as good as my memory of hers. Thank you for sharing.
Fran
Hi. I just made this. I roasted half of the tomatillos and tomato's and boiled the other half. After processing it all, it seems a lot funnier than yours looks. The flavor is excellent but I would like it a little thicker but still restaurant style. Any suggestions?
mmartinez
Hello Fran,
I use a Vitamix blender for my salsas, it usually renders a very smooth texture. Are you referring to the texture?
Fran
runnier..not funnier! Yes. it is much thinner than yours looks. I want it to be restaurant style but not so thin it runs off the chip. I am using a food processor because I dont have a blender. Could that be why?
mmartinez
Hello Fran,
It will also depend on the tomatoes, you know-how depending on the time of the year and the season, tomatoes tend to be juicer. You can play around with the number of tomatoes to get it to your liking. When making it using a food processor it is on the chunky side.
Chuck
This one is a keeper! Even with all tomatoes (no tomatillos on hand) it was excellent. Great flavour and a nice level of heat. Thank you Mely!
mmartinez
Hi Chuck,
Thank you for trying this Chile de Arbol Salsa recipe. Happy cooking!
LaTonya Smith
I am making the salsa at this moment, I love hot and spicy salsa. I will follow up once I try it, but I can tell I am going to love it to eat with everything. thank you for the recipe
mmartinez
Hello LaTonya,
Enjoy the salsa, chile de Arbol is spicy, you can adjust the amount of peppers to your liking!
David
Instead of boiling the vegetables, can I smoke them on my smoker until cooked? I usually do a light smoke so it isn't heavy but seems like it would mesh well with the heat and flavor.
mmartinez
Hello David.
Sure, the taste will be even better. Many cooks in Mexico do that when grilling meats to take advantage of the fire.
David
Excellent, thank you for taking the time to reply. I'm looking forward to trying this next week!
Obasan
Is there a good substitute for tomatillos? I’ve never seen them in our area.
mmartinez
Hello Obasan
You can use regular tomatoes if tomatillos are not available in your area.
Nick
Hello... I want to try this out and wanted to ask if you peeled the tomatoes after they were boiled. Based upon your photos, the tomatoes appear to be skinless when you placed them into the blender.
mmartinez
Hello Nick,
Yes, I removed the skins, but you can do either way, with or without the skins, is a personal choice.
Ben
Nice recipe! I made it exactly as written, which I rarely do, and it was quite tasty. I just couldn't resist, I had to splash some lime juice in after I tasted it. 🙂
Lizzet
Hello I used your recipe for my first time salsa de Chile de Arbol and my grandma and mother liked it they said it came out very good kind of chunky but we ate it all it was delicious to be my first time
mmartinez
Hello Lizzet,
Yes, the texture of this salsa Arbol Salda is sort of light/chunky. So glad to know you, and you grandma and mother like it.
Jaime
Hi there,
Are el guapo Japones a suitable substitution?
Thank you
Jaime
mmartinez
Hello Jaime,
Yes, you can use the Japones type. Some people get really upset when I give substitutions, but when you live in areas where finding dried peppers is not easy, you have to work with the things you can find. Happy cooking!
VICTOR RODRIGUEZ
Thanks for the recipe! When I look for salsa recipes online I always look for authentic recipes like yours. I'm so glad to find your site. All the recipes you provide remind me of my upbringing.
Again thank you for all your recipes.
mmartinez
Hello Victor,
Thank you for visiting and for trying the recipes. Saludos!
Derrick
Hello Mely,
Are you using fresh or dried Arbol peppers?
mmartinez
Hello Derrick,
The recipe uses Dried peppers.
Derrick Alford
Thank you very much for getting back to me. I’m making this one today as well as your habanero tomato salsa. Which is a big hit in our household.
Cheers,
Derrick
mmartinez
Hello Derrick,
Have fun cooking!
Cheryl Franco
Best salsa I ever made! Thank you for sharing your knowledge of Mexican cooking!
Kelly Shannon
Chile de Arbil salsa
Hello,
You were saying in #3 that after they cooled you are to drain them and put in the blender. Do you mean drain the liquid from the other ingredients and blend the other ingredients into salsa? Do you discard the liquid?
I just bought some fresh salsa de Chile de Arbil at a store today and it’s really good. Looks much different from the picture in your recipe.
Mely Martínez
Hello Kelly,
Yes, drain the cooking liquid since the tomatillos will be juice, unless you want a salsa with a watery texture, you can add some of the liquid to the blender.
There are dozens of recipes for Chile de Arbol salsa, all of them are different. Enjoy!