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Mexican

Salsa macha

Vegetarian

A crunchy Mexican chile oil: dried chiles, garlic, peanuts and sesame seeds gently fried in oil, then coarsely blended with salt and a splash of vinegar.

Salsa macha is a Mexican condiment from Mexico, ready in about 42 minutes and made with neutral vegetable oil and dried whole chillies. It serves 20 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
10 min
Cook
12 min
Rest
20 min
Total
42 min
Serves
20
Level
Easy
Calories
124

Ingredients

20 servings (about 1 tbsp each)

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Warm the oil in a saucepan (opens in a new tab) over medium-low heat. Add the garlic (opens in a new tab) and fry gently until pale golden, then add the peanuts (opens in a new tab) and cook until lightly toasted.

    Food safety: Hot oil causes serious burns; keep the heat moderate and the pan at the back of the stove.

  2. Step 2

    Add the sesame seeds (opens in a new tab) for 30 seconds, then take the pan off the heat and stir in the chiles. Let them sizzle in the hot oil for about a minute until they darken slightly — they must not turn black.

    • 2 min

    Off-heat frying prevents burnt, bitter chiles.

  3. Step 3

    Leave to cool for 20 minutes, until warm rather than hot.

    • Step 4

      Lift the solids into a blender (opens in a new tab) with a little of the oil, add the salt, vinegar and sugar and pulse to a coarse, crunchy paste. Stir back into the remaining oil and pour into a clean jar.

    About this dish

    Origin
    Veracruz, Mexico · Commonly attributedMost associated with Veracruz (Orizaba and Córdoba area); similar oil salsas are also made in Oaxaca and elsewhere.More food from Mexico
    Dish
    Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner · Condiments, chutneys & relishes
    Cooking method
    Pan-fried, Blended
    Taste
    spicy (chilli heat), nutty, smoky, garlicky
    Diet
    Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Keto-style · Low-carb
    All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb · DASH-style
    Without the optional extras: No added sugarWith the listed swaps: No nut ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Make-ahead
    Cook more with
    Dried whole chillies · Garlic · Peanuts · Sesame seeds
    Techniques
    Toasting · Pan-frying · Wet grinding · Emulsification

    Allergens

    • Contains, can be adapted: Peanutsfrom peanuts
    • Contains: Sesamefrom sesame seeds

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    124 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 17 g · recipe makes 20

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 3%
    • Carbohydrate 5%
    • Fat 92%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
    Energy124 kcal753 kcal
    Protein0.9 g5.6 g
    Carbohydrate1.7 g10.3 g
    Net carbohydrate1.1 g6.5 g
    Sugars——
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre0.6 g3.8 g
    Fat13.1 g79.2 g
    Saturated fat1 g6.4 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
    Sodium118 mg714 mg
    Salt equivalent0.3 g1.8 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    59 mg
    Calcium
    14 mg
    Iron
    0.4 mg
    Magnesium
    9 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    15 µg
    Vitamin C
    0 mg
    Vitamin D
    0 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    7 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: apple cider vinegar, brown sugar.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Stir before serving so each spoonful gets both crunchy bits and oil.

    Common mistakes

    • Adding the chiles to oil that is still on the heat — they burn in seconds and the oil turns bitter.

    Serve with

    • Tacos, eggs and quesadillas
    • Drizzled over avocado, soup or grilled fish
    • Mixed into mayonnaise

    Food safety

    • Raw garlic or herbs kept under oil can support botulism if left at room temperature. Refrigerate and use within the stated time; never store at room temperature.

    Storage

    • Keep in a sealed jar in the fridge and use within 3 weeks; let it come to room temperature to loosen.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in step 1

    Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.

    Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

    Reviews & corrections

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