Barley Free Salsa Macha
This smoky, deeply flavored Mexican condiment is the kind of thing you'll want to drizzle on absolutely everything — eggs, tacos, grilled meats, roasted vegetables, a plain spoon if no one's watching. Three varieties of dried chiles are slowly fried in neutral oil alongside garlic, peanuts, and sesame seeds, building layer after layer of toasty, nutty, gently spicy flavor before everything gets coarsely blended into a chunky, spooning sauce. The technique is straightforward but intentional — each ingredient gets its own moment in the hot oil, which is what gives the finished salsa its remarkable depth. For anyone navigating grain sensitivities, this recipe is naturally free of barley and any grain-based thickeners, relying entirely on chiles, aromatics, and good oil to do the work. Store-bought hot sauces and chile pastes can be surprisingly tricky, with unexpected additives or shared-facility concerns, so making your own from scratch puts you fully in control. A jar of this keeps in the fridge for up to three weeks, meaning you can make one satisfying batch and enjoy bold, complex heat all week long.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 cup neutral oil (such as avocado oil or sunflower oil)
- 4 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed, torn into pieces
- 3 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed, torn into pieces
- 2 dried chiles de árbol, stems removed
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- ⅓ cup raw peanuts
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp sugar
Instructions
- 1
Pour the oil into a small saucepan and set over medium-low heat until the oil reaches about 300°F (150°C) — it should shimmer and move easily when the pan is tilted, but not smoke.
- 2
Add the garlic cloves to the hot oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden and lightly blistered on all sides, about 3–4 minutes. Watch closely, as garlic can brown quickly. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and set aside.
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