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Toasted Árbol Chilli and Peanut Salsa

Name: Toasted Árbol Chilli and Peanut Salsa
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 3 cloves Garlic; 2 cdas White wine vinegar; 3 Tomato; 100 g Unsalted peeled peanuts; 1 cdita Salt; 30 g Dried árbol chilli

25 min (15 prep + 10 cook) Easy 8 servings Centro de México

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 29 Mar 2026 · Updated: 30 Mar 2026

Thick, fiery salsa of toasted árbol chilli with peanuts, roasted tomato and vinegar.

About this recipe

Árbol chilli and peanut salsa is a thick, hot and extraordinarily flavourful salsa from central Mexico, where the toasted árbol chilli - small but ferociously hot - is combined with toasted peanuts, roasted tomato, garlic and vinegar to create a creamy, spreadable salsa of intense red colour with a complex flavour merging the herbal heat of the chilli with the earthy creaminess of the peanuts. It is the favourite salsa for basket tacos, tostones and sandwiches in Mexico City.

History & Origin

The peanut (Arachis hypogaea) was domesticated in northern Argentina and Bolivia about 7,600 years ago and reached Mexico in pre-Hispanic times, where it was quickly incorporated into Nahua cooking as a protein and fat seed. The Aztecs combined peanuts with chillies in salsas and moles, a practice documented by Francisco Hernández in his Rerum Medicarum Novae Hispaniae Thesaurus of the sixteenth century. Árbol chilli (Capsicum annuum), meanwhile, is one of the most widely cultivated chillies in central Mexico and is toasted to intensify its heat and develop toasted nut notes. The combination of both ingredients in salsa is a popular creation of market cooking and street taco stalls in Mexico City, where the salsa stations of basket taco stalls always include this salsa as the hottest option on the menu.

Estimated cost

£2.50

Total cost

£0.31

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

Calories

Protein

Carbohydrates

Fat

1.5g

Fibre

190mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Toast the dried árbol chillies in a dry comal over medium heat, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes until they darken slightly. Remove and set aside. Do not burn them or the salsa will be bitter.
💡 Correctly toasted árbol chilli smells of toasted nuts, not of burning.
2
Toast the peeled peanuts in the same comal over low heat, stirring until evenly golden, 4-5 minutes. Set aside.
3
Roast the tomato and garlic on the comal until well charred. Set aside.
4
In a blender, grind the árbol chillies with very little water first to make a paste.
5
Add the toasted peanuts, roasted tomato, garlic, salt and vinegar. Blend until you have a thick, creamy salsa. Adjust water to the desired consistency.
💡 For basket tacos, the salsa should be quite thick - almost spreadable.
6
Taste and adjust salt and vinegar. Serve at room temperature. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.