Chile de Arbol Salsa
35
Updated Jun 02, 2025, Published Apr 12, 2021
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Smoky, spicy, and downright addictive, my mom’s Chile de Árbol Salsa is a family favorite. If you’re someone who can handle serious heat, this delicious homemade salsa deserves a spot on your rotation—especially during grilling season. It pairs beautifully with beef, pork, and eggs, and it’s so easy to make, you’ll never want to buy store-bought again.
Table of Contents
What is Chile de Árbol Salsa?
Chile de árbol salsa is made with dried arbol chiles, garlic, onion, and tomato. These slender red chiles bring bold heat and an earthy, smoky flavor that makes this salsa unforgettable.
Literally translated as “tree chile,” chile de árbol gets its name from the woody stems of the bush it grows on. They’re sometimes called bird’s beak or rat’s tail chiles because of their shape. Popular in both Mexican and Southeast Asian cuisines, they retain their vibrant red color even after drying.
In terms of heat? They range from 15,000 to 30,000 Scoville Heat Units—about 6 times hotter than your average jalapeño. So if you’re new to this pepper, go slow. Read more: An Introduction to Mexican Chiles.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Extra spicy and smoky – If you love bold salsa, this one brings the fire.
- Fast and easy – Just 10 minutes start to finish.
- Pantry-friendly – Uses simple ingredients you likely already have.
- Versatile – Serve it as a salsa dip, drizzle on tacos, or spice up breakfast.
- Better than store-bought –No preservatives or weird ingredients—just pure flavor.
Ingredients & Substitutions
You only need a few ingredients for this fiery salsa de chile de árbol:
- Dried chiles de árbol – Look for them in Mexican markets or the Hispanic aisle.
- Onion – White or yellow works great.
- Garlic – Adds a mellow richness.
- Tomatoes – Use canned or fresh; fire-roasted tomatoes add even more smoky flavor.
- Tomato sauce – Helps balance the spice.
- Salt – To bring it all together.
- Oil – Canola or olive oil both work well for frying.
Full ingredient list and quantities are in the printable recipe card below.
Optional Variations
This recipe has not been tested with all of these substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
- Use fresh tomatoes instead of canned for a fresher flavor
- Add a splash of white vinegar for a hot sauce-style kick
- Skip the tomato sauce and use more tomatoes if you prefer a chunkier salsa
How to Make Chile de Árbol Salsa
This salsa is so easy to make. Watch the video in the recipe card to see it in action!
Step 1: Toast the chiles. Heat oil in a skillet and toast the chiles de árbol for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly until they darken slightly and become fragrant.
Step 2: Add aromatics. Add onion and garlic to the pan and fry for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 3: Blend. Transfer everything to a blender or food processor. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and salt. Blend until smooth with visible chile flecks.
Step 4: Taste & serve. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Serving & Topping Suggestions
This spicy Chile de Árbol Salsa is the perfect way to add bold heat and smoky flavor to just about anything. Try it with:
- Tacos – Especially tacos de barbacoa, shredded beef brisket tacos, or tacos de papas dorados
- Huevos rancheros, huevos a la Mexicana, migas breakfast tacos, or breakfast burritos
- Classic nachos
- Beans or rice bowls
- Mexican soups – Like caldo de res, caldo de pollo, or caldo de albóndigas
- Chips – Make some homemade tortilla chips for a seriously spicy dip!
Chile de Árbol Salsa Expert Tips & Tricks
- Don’t over-toast the chiles – They burn quickly and can turn bitter.
- Remove seeds for less heat – Or reduce the number of chiles.
- Use gloves – When handling dried chiles to avoid skin irritation.
- Make it ahead – It keeps well and tastes even better the next day.
- Add more tomato sauce – If it’s too spicy after blending.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerator – Store in a glass jar or sealed container for up to 1 week.
- Freezer – Freeze in small portions for up to 3 months.
- Let thaw and come to room temperature before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can find dried chiles de árbol in most Mexican grocery stores, the Hispanic aisle of major supermarkets, or online.
No need to soak them—just lightly toast them in a dry or oiled skillet. Over-toasting will make them bitter, so watch them closely.
Yes! It tastes even better the next day. It keeps in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Start with half the amount of chiles and add more to taste. You can also increase the tomato sauce to mellow the heat.
Yes, this salsa is great for canning—just follow proper safe canning procedures to preserve it for gifts or long-term storage.
More Recipes
If you tried this Chile de Árbol Salsa or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below! Subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes!
Chile de Arbol Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
- 20 chiles de arbol, stemmed (do not remove seeds or veins)
- 1 small white onion, quartered
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup canned peeled whole tomatoes
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat canola oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add chiles and toast for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly so chiles are fried well and change color.
- Add onion and garlic and fry for 2 minutes, again stirring constantly.
- Transfer fried ingredients to a food processor or blender and add whole tomatoes, tomato sauce, and salt. Puree until salsa is smooth with specks of chiles. Add salt to taste.
- Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
- Serve as a salsa dip or to top off your favorite tacos or tostadas.
Video
Notes
- This recipe makes about 2 ½ cups of salsa.
- Too spicy? Add more tomato sauce to mellow out the heat.
- Serve as a dip with chips or spoon over tacos, tostadas, grilled meats, or eggs.
- Storage: Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days, or freeze for longer storage.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
way too hot and i love hot…. =(
Lawdy it’s hot! So good, but I normally do chile de arbol salsa in a molcajete after seeding and toasting them. I figured the tomato stuff would temper the heat a bit, so I could skip the tedious seeding, but NOPE! Don’t get me wrong it is incredibly delicious, but I dipped a spoon into the puree and tasted it and it about blasted my face off. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Yep. Don’t eat with h a spoon. Use a tortilla chip or dribble on your tacos or rice.
I’m also from El Paso living in Ohio and love New Mex/Tex Mex cooking. I just made this recipe and came out delicious! It is so easy to make. FYI, I omitted the can of tomato sauce b/c the canned tomatoes had plenty of sauce. Also, I added some chile piquin (http://www.pequin.us) my mother in-law sent us from Phx to make it extra hot!
I stand corrected, I added Chiltepin (http://www.chiltepin.us/) to spice it up more, not piquin!
My husband and I made this tonight with some dried chiles we got from our Mexican grocery store. It is the second hottest salsa I’ve ever tasted! My mouth was burning but for some odd reason I kept wanting more! I added some sour cream to my bowl to cut the heat a little bit, but my husband didn’t to his bowl. Very good! Tip: if this is too spicy for you and you want relief from the burn, eat a couple spoonfuls of honey, drink some milk, or do both!
I’m totally new to Mexican Cooking! Do you use fresh chiles or dried ones? This sounds right up my husband’s alley!
You do use dried chiles : ) At our local Mexican grocery store a bag was $1.79 plus tax. There is enough to make many batches just from one bag because the chiles are very small.
Thanks for your delicious recipe,looking mouth watering,thanks for your recipe..
Arbol chiles are the best!!! You are serious leaving in the seeds, I bet that salsa is spicy. Yum!!
I never remove seeds from chiles unless I’m stuffing them — I love spice 😉
Oh!!! Delicious… I have tried and love to taste it many times… keep posting nice recipes…
http://foodmumbai.co.in
Thank you for this recipe – I have a bag of chiles de arbol that I partially used over the holidays – I’m going to try this today!
This is right up my alley. I LOVE spicy. These kinds of peppers make me sneeze when I’m cooking them but I have all of this at home so it will be done later on today. Thanks!