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    You Are Here Home » Mexican Recipes

    Published: Jul 19, 2019 Updated: May 19, 2022 by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links 2 Comments

    Fire Roasted Salsa

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    arbol Chile in bowl

    If you love chips and salsa, you will be addicted to this smoky, spicy, and oh-so-tasty Fire Roasted Salsa Recipe. This salsa goes perfectly in my California Burrito recipe or over Chicken Enchiladas.

    fire roasted salsa recipe in a bowl with chips

    Charred Arbol chiles are the star of the show and lend an intense flavor that's hard to duplicate. The roasted garlic, onion, and diced tomatoes round off the taste of this salsa beautifully.

    Although simple on their own, the ingredients used in this salsa recipe really complement one another. So if you're looking for a smoky salsa with some kick, look no further!

    About This Recipe

    The first time I had Arbol Chile Salsa was at my friend, Sonia's house. She called it "Fire Roasted Salsa." When I asked Sonia for the recipe, she said the main ingredients were dried Arbol chiles, garlic, and a few California chiles.

    Sonia explained that she roasted the peppers and garlic, then emulsified them in hot water. Although I didn't get the exact measurements, I had enough information to get me started. I made the recipe a few times and I have changed it quite a bit since then. I hope you like it as much as we do!

    Recipe Ingredients and substitutions

    • Arbol chiles: The main ingredient in this Fire Roasted Salsa Recipe is Arbol Chiles, which range from 15,000 to 30,000 SHU on the Scoville Scale (see below for more info). What this basically means is this salsa is not for the weak of heart. Although there are other chiles that are much spicier, I would definitely consider this salsa on the spicy side. Arbol Chiles give this salsa a fantastic, rich flavor.
    • Garlic: Fresh garlic is roasted in a cast-iron skillet until charred before blending with the other ingredients. Jarred garlic should not be used.
    • Onions: I used yellow onions in this fire-roasted salsa. White or purple onions can be substituted.
    • Tomatoes: You'll need one can of diced tomatoes. You can also roast some fresh tomatoes in the pan if you prefer.

    How to Make Fire Roasted Salsa

    STEP 1. Break stems off of Chiles and add to measuring cup until you have two cups of chiles. Add oil to a hot pan and roast chiles until they start to char.

    roasted arbol chiles

    STEP 2: Place charred chiles into a bowl and cover with two cups of boiling water. Allow to stand for fifteen minutes until chiles rehydrate/soften. Stir and push chiles down into the liquid periodically.

    rehydrating arbol chiles in a bowl

    STEP 3: Meanwhile, add onion and garlic to the same pan. Roast for a few minutes until they begin to blacken. Remove from pan and add to a blender, along with the tomatoes, and blend.

    fire roasted salsa in blender

    STEP 4: Add chiles to the blender, and puree until the desired consistency is reached. Add liquid that chiles were in to dilute the salsa further if desired. 

    STEP 5: Mix in vinegar, salt, and cumin. Adjust seasoning to your preference. Break out the chips and enjoy your Fire Roasted Salsa!

    fire roasted salsa in a black bowl
    Fire Roasted Salsa

    Recipe Pro Tips

    • Replace canned tomatoes with 3 broiled Roma tomatoes.
    • Add fresh lime juice instead of vinegar.
    • Replace some of the Arbol Chiles with milder dried chiles such as Pascilla peppers, Guajillo chiles, or Ancho chiles.
    • Add a teaspoon of sugar to balance out the acidity of the salsa.

    Interesting Hot Sauce Facts

    •  The best way to stop your mouth from burning after consuming spicy food is by drinking milk. Milk contains a protein called Casein, which breaks down the bonds between Capsaicin (the active component of chili peppers).
    • The spiciness of peppers is measured in SHU = Scoville Heat Unit. The Scoville Heat Unit is named after an American pharmacist, Wilbur Scoville, who created it. SHU measures the concentration of capsaicin in one cup of mashed pepper, and how many cups of sugar water are required to dilute it. For a more detailed explanation of how this works, Check out this informative post.
    • The Carolina Reaper is currently the hottest pepper in the world at 2,200,000 SHU. The Trinidad Moruga Scorpion comes in 2nd place at 2,009,231 SHU. And  7 Pot Douglah is the third hottest, measuring at  1,853,986 SHU.
    • Tabasco Hot Sauce is credited with being the oldest hot sauce brand, dating back to 1868.

    Related Recipes

    If you like this Fire Roasted Salsa recipe, you may also enjoy these other delicious salsas!

    • mexican salsa in a bowl with a yellow rim and a sliced avocado on the side
      Mexican Salsa Recipe (using canned tomatoes)
    • salsa verde with limes and chips around it
      Tomatillo Green Chili Salsa
    • Homemade Enchilada Sauce
    • loquat salsa
      Fruit Salsa Recipe (using loquats)

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

    Stay in touch with me through social media @ Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

    📖 Recipe

    fire roasted salsa recipe in a bowl with chips

    Fire Roasted Salsa

    Spicy, smoky, and delicious Arbol Chile Salsa recipe.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Condiments, side
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    Resting Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 3 (8 oz) jars
    Calories: 22kcal
    Author: Hilda Sterner

    Equipment

    • Blender

    Ingredients

    • 1 teaspoon oil
    • 2 cup Arbol Chiles
    • 6 cloves garlic
    • 1 14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes
    • 1 small yellow onion
    • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon cumin

    Instructions

    • Break stems off of Chiles and add to measuring cup until you have two cups of chiles.
    • Add oil to a hot pan and roast chiles until they start to blacken.
    • Place charred chiles in a bowl and cover with two cups of boiling water. Allow to stand for fifteen minutes until chiles rehydrate/soften. Stir and push chiles down into the liquid periodically.
    • Meanwhile, add onion and garlic to the same pan. Roast for a few minutes until they begin to blacken. Remove from pan and add to a blender, along with the tomatoes, and blend.
    • Add chiles to the blender, and puree until the desired consistency is reached. Add liquid that chiles were in to dilute the salsa further, if desired.
    • Mix in vinegar, salt, and cumin. Adjust seasoning to your preference. Break out the chips and enjoy!

    Notes

    • Replace canned tomatoes with 3 broiled Roma tomatoes.
    • Add fresh lime juice instead of vinegar.
    • Replace some of the Arbol Chiles with milder dried chiles such as Pascilla peppers, Guajillo chiles, or Ancho chiles.
    • Add a teaspoon of sugar to balance out the acidity of the salsa.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 22kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Sodium: 170mg | Potassium: 84mg | Sugar: 2g
    Tried this Recipe? Please leave A Star Rating!Mention @HildasKitchenBlog or tag #HildasKitchenBlog!

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    1. Kelly Methey says

      July 23, 2019 at 5:23 pm

      5 stars
      I need this salsa right now! I have a huge bag of chips and everything to make this but the chili’s. Sounds so delicious!

      Reply
      • HildaSterner says

        July 23, 2019 at 5:31 pm

        Get them on Amazon and we'll get together and make some. I used up the last of my chiles to make salsa when my in-laws came to visit.

        Reply

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