Piquin Pepper Salsa

If you like spicy salsas, then this salsa recipe is for you! Piquin pepper is a small pepper, but they carry a lot of heat for their size and are even hotter than Jalapeño peppers. Also known as Pequin, Tepin, or Bird peppers here in the States, Piquin pepper can be found in Mexico, Central America, and the southern U.S. states of Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Piquin Pepper Salsa

In the northern Mexican state of Nuevo Leon, it is common to find the plant in the wild as well as in household gardens. In large cities, some people will have a large pot outside their kitchens with a plant of Piquin pepper, that way they have it handy for when they’re cooking their salsas. Some people will also eat them raw, and just go outside their kitchens to cut some to enjoy with their meals. When I'm cooking chorizo, I like to add a few of these peppers.This recipe idea is courtesy of Mexican Chef Adrian Herrera

How to make Piquin Pepper Salsa

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS

DIRECTIONS:

• Toast the peppers in a hot pan for about 45 seconds, shaking the pan during the process to avoid burning the peppers. Place peppers into the mortar. (Please check the ingredients list below)
• Slightly toast the cumin seeds and black peppers for 30 seconds in the hot pan, and add them to the mortar.
• Grind the piquin peppers, cumin, black pepper, and the oregano until you have a very fine texture.

• Heat the oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, stir in the onion and garlic. Sauté until they start to get a golden color around the edges.
• Add the onion and garlic to the mortar, and keep grinding until it has a fine texture. Mix in the vinegar and water. Season with salt and enjoy!

For this recipe, use a Lava Stone Mortar

Buen Provecho!

Mely Martínez,

Leave a comment and share your experience with the recipe.

If you are on Pinterest, check our boards with hundreds of delicious ideas I'm pinning for you! Or if you are on Instagram, check out the meals pictures or stories ideas.

More recipes:

Steaks in Green Sauce

Avocado Green Salsa Recipe

Fish with Mexican Sauce

📖 Recipe

Piquin Pepper Salsa

Mely Martínez

If you like spicy salsas, then this salsa recipe is for you! Piquin pepper is a small pepper, but they carry a lot of heat for their size and are even hotter than Jalapeño peppers. Also known as Pequin, Tepin, or Bird peppers here in the States, Piquin pepper can be found in Mexico...

4.82 from 22 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

0 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Salsas

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 6 servings

Calories 10 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 tablespoons Piquín pepper*
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
• ▢ 4 black peppercorns
• ▢ ⅓ of a small white onion sliced
• ▢ 1 garlic clove sliced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
• ▢ ½ tablespoon of white or apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 6 tablespoons water
• ▢ Salt to taste

Instructions

 

• Toast the peppers in a hot pan for about 45 seconds, shaking the pan during the process to avoid burning the peppers. Place peppers into the mortar.
• Slightly toast the cumin seeds and black peppers for 30 seconds in the hot pan, and add them to the mortar.
• Grind the piquin peppers, cumin, black pepper, and the oregano until you have a very fine texture.
• Heat the oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, stir in the onion and garlic. Sauté until they start to get a golden color around the edges.
• Add the onion and garlic to the mortar, and keep grinding until it has a fine texture. Mix in the vinegar and water. Season with salt and enjoy!

Notes

• If you don’t find Piquín pepper, you can use árbol pepper.
• You can double the number of ingredients to make a larger batch; this salsa lasts several days in the fridge.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5tablespoonCalories: 10kcalCarbohydrates: 2gFat: 1gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 50mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 655IUVitamin C: 1.1mgCalcium: 2mgIron: 0.2mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!