Description
This Mexican salsa macha recipe is smoky and delicious! It’s a flavorful Mexican chili oil made with dried chilies, peanuts, sesame seeds, and garlic, perfect for drizzling over tacos, or use it as a marinade (see bowls below).
Ingredients
Units
- 1 cup dried Mexican chiles (1 1/2 ounces)- use mild Guajillo Peppers, or Ancho chilies, chipotle chiles, or a. mix.
- 1 cup oil- peanut oil, avocado oil or olive oil
- 4–6 cloves garlic- sliced in half lengthwise
- 1/2 cup peanuts – or sub pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or almonds (or a combo)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- optional spices: 1 teaspoon coriander (ground or whole seeds) 1 teaspoon cumin (ground or whole seeds), and ground chipotle powder.
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
See notes for bowls.
Instructions
Salsa Macha
- Discard the stems and seeds from the chilies and break them into smaller, one-inch pieces.
- In a large skillet, add the oil and heat it over medium-high heat. Add garlic and peanuts, and stir until golden and fragrant, about 4-5 minutes.
- Turn the heat to low, add the dried chilies, stirring for 2-3 minutes. Turn heat off, and stir in the optional spices. Let cool 5-10 minutes. Add salt and vinegar .
- Pour this into a food processor (or blender) and blend until well combined, but not too smooth. Taste for spice and add chipotle powder to taste. I added about 1 teaspoon, but start conservatively. You can also add canned chipotle peppers to taste or the adobo sauce they come in, for a nice smokiness.
- Pour the blended salsa macha into a jar, and stir in toasted sesame seeds.
- Store. Cover the jar with a layer of oil before storing it in the fridge. This will last 3-4 weeks in the refrigerator. Or freeze for up to 4 months.
Notes
Feel free to use different chilies, or mix of dried chilies, taking care to pay attention to heat levels. Add Chilies de Arbol for heat or dried Chipotles for depth and smokiness.
SALSA MACHA BOWLS:
- 1 medium yam-diced into ½ inch thick cubes
- 1 red bell pepper- sliced into 1 inch thick wedges ( or use poblano peppers)
- ½ red onion- into ½ inch thick half moons
- 2 boneless chicken breasts or thighs, or use tofu filets
- drizzle of olive oil, generous sprinkle salt, pepper and cumin
- Optional Bowl Bases- Seasoned Black Beans, or Mexican Pinto Beans, Cilantro rice or Cauliflower Rice, Greens
- Bowl Toppings- avocado, sprouts, cilantro, lime, sesame seeds
To make the BOWLS
- Preheat oven to 425F
- Place prepped yams, onions and peppers on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
- Place chicken or tofu on the side of the sheet pan.
- Drizzle with oil, gently tossing veggies, then chicken and tofu. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and cumin.
- Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes. Spoon some salsa macha over the chicken or tofu. Continue cooking for 5-10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Assemble Bowls. If using a Bowl Base like rice or beans, divide it among two bowls. Top it with roasted chicken or tofu, veggies. Add avocado, cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Spoon more salsa macha on if you like, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Calories: 142
- Sugar: 0.6 g
- Sodium: 302.5 mg
- Fat: 14.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 2.6 g
- Protein: 1.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg