Level Up Your Leftovers with Homemade Salsa Macha

Salsa macha
October 4, 2024

Gustavo Romero of Oro by Nixta's recipe for salsa macha is a vibrant blend of smoky, nutty, and spicy flavors that elevate any dish or snack. Literally translated as "brave salsa," this oil-based chile condiment features pasilla mixe and morita chiles for a bold kick. The best part of making your own is that you can adjust heat level to your liking and get creative with flavor combinations. Ideal for drizzling or dipping, salsa macha is an instant upgrade to just about anything — tacos, steak, roasted vegetables, popcorn, and even the most ho-hum of leftovers.

Molcajete
Salsa Macha

Salsa Macha

Gustavo Romero

Ingredients

  • ½ cup peanuts

  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds

  • ⅓ cup pumpkin seeds

  • 2 cups grapeseed oil

  • 8 dried morita chiles

  • 8 dried pasilla mixe chiles

  • 12 garlic cloves

  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

  • 2 tbsp grated piloncillo

  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Toast the peanuts, sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds on a comal or skillet over medium to low heat for about 5 minutes, or until golden and fragrant. Remove from the comal and set aside.

  2. In a large heavy saucepan, heat the grapeseed oil over medium heat. Add the chiles and garlic, frying until the chiles puff up and turn dark brown, about 2-3 minutes. Remove the chiles and garlic from the oil, but keep the oil in the saucepan.

  3. In a molcajete, combine the toasted nuts and seeds, fried chiles, garlic, piloncillo, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. Mash until you reach your desired consistency.

  4. Add the reserved oil back to the mixture and stir until well combined with the spices. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Let the salsa macha cool completely before storing in the refrigerator.

4 comments

CELIA HALSEY |

Se ve rica la salsa. Haber como me sale a mí

BKANCA |

Muchas gracias lo haré pronto compré los chiles diferente a su receta me olvidé en la tienda cuál era . Compré 3 por si olvidaba chiles ancho ,árbol y morita. Lo haré cuando tenga correcto los ingredientes. Gracias bendiciones

ANN |

I appreciate these recipes so much. I have to adjust for my allergies, and I cut the number of dried peppers in half because I love heat but can only handle just so much. This just leaves me salivating. I have all the ingredients on hand. Tomorrow! It will be very welcome on the leftover turkey. I might even make up some lovely yellow tortillas—it was this site that helped me learn to make my own.

CKETRON |

I made this with a few changes only because I didn’t have the same dried chiles as called for in the recipe. It still turned out awesome. I did add dried cranberries. A commercial brand I bought had dried cranberries and I Ioved the sweet/chewy texture along with the texture of the nuts. Great recipe. Will definitely make again and I’ll be sure to have morita chiles on hand next time. LOVE Salsa Macha. Thank you Gustavo and Masienda!

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