Chile de Arbol Salsa
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Updated Jun 02, 2025, Published Apr 12, 2021
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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.
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This Chile de Arbol Salsa recipe has been featured on TODAY.com: Skip the jar and get creative with easy, homemade salsa.
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, crispy cheese carne asada 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
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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.
Thanks! This was quick, easy and tasty. I used fresh tomatoes too. The only thing is that I found pieces of the chiles and though I kept blending it. Any suggestions of what I should do different next time
Maybe you can help me. I’m looking for a recipe that’s very similar to this but without a smokey flavor. Are all chili de arbol smokey? I’m trying to duplicate the best salsa I’ve ever had as a kid. A relative of my family used to make it (she was originally from California but Greek, not Mexican). Unfortunately I’ve been unsuccessful with getting the recipe from her and have wanted to find a close recipe for decades. It was all red (no green or black specks from charring) and VERY HOT. So hot you couldn’t even put any on your chip just dip the corner in without scooping. As many have noted despite the intense heat it was addicting and you couldn’t stop eating it. It was 1 of the 1st times I realized I liked spicy foods. Either way it wasn’t smokey (plus I don’t like smokey flavor, for example I’m not a fan of chipotles in most recipes). I did buy a bag of arbol chiles so just curious what you think. Does the heating them in the skillet make them smokey and if so can I skip it? Thanks!
Hello, I make a salsa that requires Chile de arbol that my uncle taught me to make. The recipe doesn’t require the chilies to be roasted and it gives it a complete different flavor. I would say if you don’t roast them it will be the flavor your looking for.
It came out Delicious!
I made this last weekend. It was so hot it would peel the paint off a car.
HOWEVER, it is very addicting. Open a fresh bag of tortilla chips and a cold beer, and you’ll stay busy for hours.
Can I substitute New Mexico chilies or guajillo chilies for the Arbol?
Amend my above comment: Next time I make this I’ll just use stewed tomatoes which is usually what I prefer for salsa. I think the recipe’s choice gives the sauce too much of a spaghetti sauce vibe. I also would recommend pureeing the tomatoes separate to the desired consistency, removing from the blender/food processor then using a little bit of the tomato puree to chop up the chile mixture. If you blend it all together, you might get too smooth of a texture.
I found the tomato sauce flavor a little too forward of the other flavors. When I make this again, I’ll probably cut it in half (or omit it altogether) and use more peeled tomatoes. I also added an extra clove of garlic. It is very spicy. I will probably try to shake out some of the seeds too. The heat is different, it wasn’t so hot in the mouth as the spice made the area around my nose and under my eyes sweat.
The video says to use use a cup of tomato sauce whereas the written instructions say to use an 18 oz can. I think the “18” was a typo and it should’ve read, “one 8oz can..”
Arbol Enterprise is one of the mildest Chile’s. Your article confuses me.
cant wait try all this on my own
This was excellent this recipe I loved . I put it over porkchops delicious