Salsa de chile de árbol
Salsa de chile de árbol is a hot table sauce built on the thin dried árbol chile, combined with tomato or tomatillo and garlic. It is the classic fiery red sauce of the taquería.
Description
Chile de árbol is a long, slender chile used mostly dried, and Larousse singles it out as a very common base for table salsa. Two broad styles exist: one blends the toasted chiles with tomato and fried onion and garlic, emulsified with oil (see salsa taquera); the other pairs them with roasted tomatillos for a tart, brick-colored sauce.
Tomatillo version
Rick Bayless's tomatillo-árbol salsa toasts about 16 árbol chiles until fragrant, soaks them, roasts unpeeled garlic in a skillet and broils tomatillos until blackened, then purées everything, thins it with water and seasons it with salt and a little sugar. It keeps several days refrigerated.
Serving
Mexican Food Journal recommends the árbol-based taquería salsa with carne asada and shredded beef tacos.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 15 g (about 16) dried chiles de árbol, stemmed
- 6 unpeeled garlic cloves
- 500 g tomatillos, husked and rinsed
- Salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
Steps
- Toast the chiles in a dry skillet about 1 minute until aromatic, then cover with hot water and soak 30 minutes.
- Roast the garlic in the skillet about 15 minutes, turning, until soft and blackened in spots; peel.
- Broil the tomatillos close to the heat about 5 minutes per side until blistered and soft.
- Blend the tomatillos and their juices with the drained chiles and garlic.
- Thin with about 1/4 cup water and season with salt and sugar.
Reviews
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See also
References
- "Tomatillo Arbol Chile Salsa". Rick Bayless. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Chile de árbol". Larousse Cocina (Diccionario enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Salsa Taquera". Mexican Food Journal. Retrieved 2026-10-10.