Salsa Macha

By Tejal Rao

Published Dec. 20, 2020

Salsa Macha
Heami Lee for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Rebecca Bartoshesky.
Total Time
30 minutes, plus cooling
Rating
4(425)
Comments
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Salsa macha is a rich chile oil from Veracruz, Mexico, made from variations of dried chiles, garlic, nuts and seeds fried in oil and finely chopped. As a condiment it’s easy to make, and stores well. It’s also incredibly versatile, adding texture and depth to everything it touches, from tacos and fried potatoes to poached eggs or a simple bowl of noodles with herbs. Once you’ve made it once, feel free to adjust the ingredients to suit your taste, playing with the chile varieties, or swapping in different seeds or nuts.

Featured in: The Most Valuable Condiment of 2020: Salsa Macha

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Ingredients

Yield:About 3 cups
  • 2cups grapeseed oil
  • 8dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
  • 4dried morita chiles, stems and seeds removed
  • 2dried chiles de árbol, stems and seeds removed
  • 6garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
  • ⅔cup roasted peanuts
  • 2tablespoons white sesame seeds
  • 1tablespoon rice wine vinegar, white wine vinegar or white vinegar
  • 1teaspoon light brown sugar
  • Sea salt, to taste
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (24 servings)

209 calories; 21 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 14 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 2 grams protein; 88 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium. Add all the chiles, turn the heat down to low, and fry, stirring often, until the chiles are puffed all over, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chiles to a bowl.

  2. Step 2

    Add the garlic to the oil and cook over low, stirring often until toasted, dry and golden brown, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to the bowl with the chiles.

  3. Step 3

    Add the peanuts and sesame seeds to the oil and fry for 5 minutes more, or until very lightly browned. Add the vinegar and sugar, and let the vinegar completely evaporate, about 1 minute.

  4. Step 4

    Turn off the heat, add the chiles and garlic back to the skillet and stir to combine. Allow the entire mixture to cool in the pan, about 15 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Once cooled, transfer the mixture to a food processor. Blend until the nuts and chiles are finely chopped, stopping before any ingredient starts to become a paste. Season to taste with sea salt. Pour into jars and use immediately, or keep refrigerated for up to 1 month.

Ratings

4 out of 5
425 user ratings
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Comments

Nancy

I’ve made Barbara Tropp’s Hot Chili Oil from her cookbook China Moon several times. Though the flavor profiles are different, Chinese vs Mexican, there is some overlap in types of ingredients. She recommends 225° to 250°F for hers.

David D

Since the balance between over cooked and under cooked is so important with these ingredients, are you able to provide an approximate oil temperature for these different steps, similar to a deep fried recipe? 2 cups of oil is a lot, so with the tip of a Thermapen I think there will be enough oil depth that a pretty accurate temperature measurement could be obtained. Maybe the next time you make this, you could reply or update the recipe? Thanks for considering!

David D

I used an 8qt Le Cruset, started at 250, dropped to 235 adding the chiles, and held at 235-245. Chiles didn’t bubble or get crisp. Dropping to low, added the garlic at 240, and dropped to 225 quickly. Barely bubbling, soft and not browned after 5+ minutes at 225-235. Slowly increased to final temp of 280 over 20+ minutes until they were dry and browned. Clearly too low, I raised to 300, did the chiles for 5 more minutes at 300-305, this time bubbling, puffing, and crisping. Nuts + seeds 270-290.

Emily S

This was frustrating to make. First, as has been mentioned, there's no mention of what temperature the oil should be for any of these steps. Second, approximate weights for the chiles would be more than helpful, "8 anchos" is completely unclear as the size varies widely. I ended up using 2 large anchos. Third and most importantly, 2 chiles de arbol?! I used about 30 and you should too. Completely bonkers, if you can't handle heat don't eat salsa macha. It's not salsa macha if it's not super hot

mike

Made this exactly as written, results were not good. Ended up with burnt tasting oil that had almost no spiciness. Not sure if the 8 minute chile cook time was the culprit or what, but definitely a recipe not worth repeating. Oh, and watch out for the vinegar into hot oil step, almost burned off my face with splattering oil.

Haolemon

I have found that Marcona almonds work perfectly in this. To my taste, they have a better texture than the peanuts. I also add a bit of smoked paprika for some extra smoke.

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