Sunday Forward — Mexican & Latin · Week 2
Roasted Chile Salsa
Pasilla & árbol · toasted garlic · tomatillo · blended smooth
CondimentSalsaMake-Ahead
~2 cups
Yield
45 min
Total
Medium
Heat
Medium
Difficulty
Dried Chiles
🌶️
Chile
Pasilla Chiles
Stemmed and seeded
4
🌶️
Heat
Árbol Chiles
Stemmed and seeded — start with 1, add more to taste
1–2
Fresh Produce
🫒
Tomatillo
Tomatillos
Husked and rinsed
6
🍅
Tomato
Plum Tomatoes
2
🧄
Garlic
Garlic Cloves
Unpeeled for toasting
5–6 cloves
Finishing
🧂
Season
Kosher Salt
To taste
to taste
💧
Liquid
Chile Soaking Water or Chicken Stock
Added when blending to reach desired texture
as needed
Method
0 of 6 steps complete — click a step to check it off
1Toast Chiles
Toast the Dried Chiles
In a dry cast iron pan over medium heat, press the dried chiles flat and toast them, turning frequently, until fragrant and pliable — about 1–2 minutes per side. You want soft and aromatic, not blistered. Do not burn them.
2Toast Garlic
Toast the Garlic
Add the unpeeled garlic cloves to the same dry pan. Toast, turning occasionally, until the papery skin is blackened in spots and the garlic inside feels soft when pressed, about 8–10 minutes.
3Soak Chiles
Steep the Chiles in Boiling Water
Transfer toasted chiles to a heatproof bowl and cover completely with boiling water. Place a small plate on top to keep them submerged. Steep for 25 minutes.
4Cook Tomatoes
Simmer Tomatillos & Tomatoes
Place tomatillos and plum tomatoes in a small saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender and just starting to split, about 10 minutes.
5Blend
Blend to Your Texture
Drain the chiles (taste the soaking water — if it's not bitter, save some for blending). Peel the roasted garlic. Add chiles, garlic, tomatillos, and tomatoes to a blender. Blend to a rough paste, adding soaking water or stock to loosen. For a looser salsa, blend more; for chunky, pulse briefly.
6Season
Taste and Season
Season generously with salt. The flavors will be more mellow than raw salsa — that's the roasting. Taste, adjust, and transfer to a jar.
🌶️
Árbol Chiles Are Hot

Arbol chiles bring serious heat. One gives warmth; two gives fire. Start with one and blend in the second only after tasting the finished salsa.

💧
The Soaking Water

Chile soaking water adds earthy complexity you can't get any other way. If it tastes bitter, use chicken stock instead. If it tastes deep and rich, use it — up to half the liquid in the blender.