Cranberry Salsa Macha Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Play Me a Recipe

by: Rick Martinez

October27,2021

5

8 Ratings

  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 10 minutes
  • makes 2 cups
Test Kitchen Notes

This dish is part of Residentsgiving—aka the Thanksgiving menu of our wildest dreams—created by Food52's resident experts-slash-superheroes. Devour the rest of the spread here, and while you're at it, learn how to .

This recipe was featured on our cook-along podcast Play Me a Recipe. Listen as Rick cooks through this recipe. —The Editors

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cupsvegetable oil
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 3/4 cupraw pecans
  • 8 (48 g/1.69 oz.) chiles guajillo, stemmed and seeded
  • 3 chiles de árbol, stemmed (seeded for mild)
  • 2 tablespoonsraw white sesame seeds
  • Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
  • 2 dried bay leaves, crumbled into small pieces
  • 1 teaspoondried oregano, preferably Mexican
  • 1/2 cupdried cranberries, sweetened
Directions
  1. Heat 1 ½ cups oil, garlic and pecans in a large saucepan over medium until garlic is golden brown and oil is lightly bubbling, 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer garlic and nuts to a heat proof medium bowl. Still off the heat, toss chiles in hot oil until oil turns slightly reddish and chiles are very fragrant and brick red colored, 15-30 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to transfer chiles to garlic mixture and let cool 5 minutes. Add sesame seeds to hot oil and let sit until ready to use.
  2. Purée garlic-chile mixture, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, bay leaves and oregano in a food processor until coarsely ground; with motor running, slowly drizzle in sesame oil mixture until all the oil has been added and chiles and nuts are finely chopped. Add cranberries and pulse to combine. Transfer to a jar, seal and store at room temperature for up to 5 days. After 5 days, chill in the refrigerator.

Tags:

  • Mexican
  • American
  • Play Me a Recipe
  • Thanksgiving
  • Side

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Liz Summers

  • MoMama

  • karishma

  • raeraeledo

Rick Martinez is currently living his dream—cooking, eating and enjoying the Mexican Pacific coast in Mazatlán. He is finishing his first cookbook, Under the Papaya Tree, food from the seven regions of Mexico and loved traveling the country so much, he decided to buy a house on the beach. He is a regular contributor to Bon Appétit, New York Times and hosts live, weekly cooking classes for Food Network Kitchens. Earlier this year, he was nominated for a James Beard Award for “How to win the Cookie Swap” in Bon Appétit’s holiday issue.

Popular on Food52

6 Reviews

MoMama April 4, 2022

Just back to let it be known that this salsa macha makes a transcendental grilled cheese. That's all.

karishma March 9, 2022

This was so, so delicious! I've never made salsa macha before, and I loved the twist with the cranberries and pecans. Right after we made it, it tasted a bit more bland and oil-heavy, but after a day or two, the flavors really melded -- all of our Thanksgiving guests loved it. Agreed with the other reviewers that the heat was pretty subtle.

We paired this with lots of dishes, but our favorite was with roasted sweet potatoes or any other roasted potato with a bit of yogurt and lots of the salsa macha dolloped on top. Honestly, we couldn't get enough of it, and I ended up taking spoonfuls straight from the jar. I'm making another batch this week, I honestly don't think we can go without it now.

Liz S. December 19, 2021

I love the flavors ... in my implementation, it seemed a bit heavy on the oil and I made a note to try with less next round. It might have been the hydration of my peppers or ??? Also, I think my cranberries did not have a lot of sweetening. And overall, it might have been my own expectation of a cranberry chile crisp kind of thing.

As far as heat ... again, maybe my arbol chiles ... not much heat. I do not think any fault in recipe, but will adjust for the ingredients I can get.

raeraeledo November 28, 2021

This was so freaking good! I will ALWAYS make and eat this. I served this to over 20 people and everyone raved about it. Thank you for featuring. My life is better bc of it! 😂

Tina November 25, 2021

I was very intrigued but skeptical. I like a little heat but don’t handle spicy well. I’m not sure if the recipe intended for fresh chiles but we only have dried. So I rehydrated. It is the perfect blend of smoky, salty, sweet heat and not too spicy. I’m in love. Making it with pavo al pastor so will see how that turns out tomorrow. Either way, this sauce is phenomenal and I would put it on just about everything

MoMama November 22, 2021

I've never made a salsa macha before and don't think I've ever eaten anything quite like it either. The recipe is divine. I imagine the flavors will continue to meld over the next few days but even after freshly blending, the smell alone is so intoxicating I couldn't stop taking small spoonfuls of it. I can't wait to serve it with a smoked turkey this Thanksgiving in lieu of a traditional cranberry sauce but pretty sure it would make an old shoe taste good. I'm also happy the recipe yields enough that I'll have enough to serve with dinner as well as gift guests with a small jar to take home for themselves, too. Thank you for a brilliant suggestion to switch things up this year and for introducing me to salsa macha!

Cranberry Salsa Macha Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Why is it called Salsa Macha? ›

What is Salsa Macha? Literally translated as “brave salsa” (a reference to the spice level of some, not all, recipes), salsa macha is a delicious chile oil traditionally prepared with some combination of chile peppers (e.g., chile morita, chile de arbol, chile guajillo), nuts and/or seeds, spices and dried fruits.

What does Salsa Macha taste like? ›

Back to the original question: What does Salsa Macha taste like? The first note is the harmony of warmth and cinnamon, followed by the crunch of garlic and onion with a savory intermittent salt wave. Like a social media "About Me" descriptor....

What foods can you put salsa on? ›

What To Do With Leftover Salsa
  • 1– Top your morning scrambled eggs or omelet. Breakfast is one of life's greatest joys. ...
  • 2– Add a dollop of salsa to your burger. ...
  • 4– Mix it into meatloaf. ...
  • 5– Make homemade gazpacho. ...
  • 6– Make a dip. ...
  • 7– Homemade ceviche. ...
  • 8– Make Mexican baked chicken. ...
  • 9– Sub it for pasta sauce.

What is the shelf life of salsa macha? ›

Salsa Macha is a Mexican condiment with no additives, a flavor booster for soups and all types of homemade food as well as a condiment for tacos and grilled meat. Shelf life 36 month.

Is salsa macha the same as chili crisp? ›

In many ways, it's similar to chili crisp, the Chinese condiment that's been taking the U.S. by storm, finding its way onto everything from dumplings to ice cream. As with chili crisp, oil is the foundation of salsa macha.

What do Mexicans call salsa? ›

What is the name of the typical red “salsa” that is normally eaten with tortilla chips at Mexican restaurants? If it's fresh chopped tomatoes, onion, chile verde/jalapeño or árbol and cilantro, it's called “Pico de gallo”. If it's cooked, it's just salsa roja or casera. I'm Mexican.

What do Spanish people call salsa? ›

Officially, the familiar Mexican type of salsa is called salsa picante, or "spicy sauce" in Spanish. In fact, salsa — which is rooted in the Latin salsa, "salty food" or "condiment" — means "sauce" in both Spanish and Italian.

Does salsa macha have to be refrigerated? ›

It's a pulverized combination of dried chile, sesame seeds, and salt—ingredients still commonly used in most versions. Salsa macha doesn't require refrigeration, since the oil acts as a preservative.

How do you mix Macha? ›

Sift the matcha powder into a mug. Add the hot water and whisk until no lumps remain. Stir in the honey. Add the milk and either whisk to combine or use a milk frother; serve immediately.

What is salsa macha made of? ›

Salsa macha is a rich chile oil from Veracruz, Mexico, made from variations of dried chiles, garlic, nuts and seeds fried in oil and finely chopped. As a condiment it's easy to make, and stores well.

How to use tia lupita salsa macha? ›

How to use Salsa Macha
  1. Straight out of the jar with Tia Lupita Cactus Tortilla Chips.
  2. Top your tacos, burritos, tortas, enchiladas.
  3. Add to your charcuterie board, steak tartare.
  4. Spoon over grilled vegetables, your favorite buddha bowl, use as a salad dressing/topping.
  5. Serve on the side of grilled meats and fish.

Where did salsa macha originate? ›

Salsa macha originated in Veracruz, Mexico, with different variations in terms of ingredients and cooking method found all over Mexico, but it has recently become much more frequently used throughout the United States. Salsa macha has been a staple of the Mexican pantry for generations.

What are healthy things to eat with salsa? ›

You can eat salsa with other low-carb and low-sugar dipping options—like bell pepper strips, celery or other veggies, or low-carb tortilla chips—for a healthy, filling, and diabetes-friendly snack.

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