Fire-Roasted Chile de Árbol Salsa
A smoky, spicy salsa roja made with toasted chile de árbol, guajillo chiles, and charred tomatillos. Perfect for tacos, tamales, grilled meats, or a bowl of chips.
Equipment
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 2 lbs tomatillos, husked and rinsed
- 10 dried chile de arbol stems removed
- 8 dried guajillo chiles stems and seeds removed
- 2 garlic cloves peeled
- ½ tspn salt, more to taste
- ½-1 cup warm water (to thin)
Instructions
Toast Tomatillos
- Heat a comal or heavy skillet over medium high. Add tomatillos and roast, turning often, until charred in spots and pale green, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
Toast Guajillos
- Add guajillo pieces to the hot pan. Press flat with tongs and toast 30 seconds per side until fragrant but not blackened. Remove and set aside.
Toast árbol chiles
- Repeat with chile de árbol, 15–20 seconds per side. Over‑toasting will turn the salsa bitter.
Blend
- Place toasted chiles in a blender with garlic, salt, and ½ cup warm water. Blend until mostly smooth. Add charred tomatillos and blend again for 60 seconds until silky. If needed, add more water a tablespoon at a time for a pourable consistency.
Season
- Taste and add extra salt if desired. Serve warm or chilled.
Notes
Note 1. If you don't want to toast tomatillos on a comal or skillet you can add them to your broiler on its highest settings. But be sure to mix them around often to get the tomatillos charred all around. This should take about 20 minutes.
Note 2. You can also add chicken knorr to the salsa to add even more flavor.
Note 3. If you want more of a smooth sauce, fill a small sauce pan add your chiles and add enough water to cover the chiles. Bring water to boil and turn off heat, cover and let it sit for 30 minutes, to soften the chiles.
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