SalsasEasy

Pasilla Chilli Salsa

Name: Pasilla Chilli Salsa
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 6 Pasilla chillies; 3 cloves Garlic; 1 tsp White vinegar; 0.5 tsp Salt; 100 ml Water

25 min (10 prep + 15 cook) Easy 8 servings Nacional

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 24 Mar 2026 · Updated: 29 Mar 2026

Dark pasilla chilli salsa with roasted garlic. Fruity, earthy and perfect for barbacoa.

About this recipe

Pasilla chilli salsa is a dark, aromatic salsa made from toasted and rehydrated pasilla chillies, roasted garlic and a touch of vinegar. It has a unique flavour with fruity, earthy and mildly smoky notes, without being excessively hot. It is the classic salsa to accompany barbacoa tacos and consomme.

History & Origin

Pasilla chilli salsa is one of the most elegant and complex salsas in the Mexican repertoire, and its history is intimately linked to the chilli that gives it its name. The pasilla chilli, also called chile negro, gets its name because its wrinkled skin resembles a raisin or dried grape (pasa). It is one of the holy trinity of dried Mexican chillies along with ancho and guajillo, and is grown mainly in the states of Michoacan, Guanajuato and Aguascalientes. Its flavour profile is unique among Mexican chillies: it has fruity notes reminiscent of prune, earthy overtones like chocolate and a moderate heat that does not assault but rather caresses the palate. Pasilla salsa is the traditional and inseparable companion of lamb barbacoa in central Mexico. At the barbacoa stands of Hidalgo, Tlaxcala and the State of Mexico, you will always find this salsa on the table, served in a volcanic-stone molcajete. It is prepared by toasting the pasilla chillies on a griddle until they puff slightly and release their aroma, then briefly rehydrating them and grinding them with roasted garlic and salt. Some cooks add a splash of vinegar or orange juice that enhances the fruity notes of the chilli. The ideal texture is semi-rustic, with small pieces of chilli that burst in the mouth.

Estimated cost

£4.30

Total cost

£0.54

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

Calories

0.5g

Protein

3.5g

Carbohydrates

0.5g

Fat

Fibre

220mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Remove the stems and seeds from the pasilla chillies. Open them and shake out the seeds.
💡 Reserve some seeds: you can toast them and add them in if you want a spicier kick.
2
Heat a dry griddle or pan over medium heat. Toast the pasilla chillies, pressing them briefly against the griddle, 15-20 seconds per side, until they puff slightly and release an intense aroma. Do not burn them.
💡 Pasilla chilli toasts very quickly. If it burns, the salsa will be bitter.
3
Place the toasted chillies in a bowl with hot water and leave to soak for 10 minutes until soft. Drain, reserving some of the water.
4
On the same griddle, roast the garlic cloves with skin until golden and soft, about 5 minutes.
5
Peel the roasted garlic. Place the rehydrated chillies, garlic, salt and a splash of vinegar in the blender or molcajete.
6
Blend or grind, adding a little of the soaking water until you have a semi-thick salsa with a slightly rustic texture.
7
Serve at room temperature. Keeps refrigerated for up to a week and improves with resting.