There isn’t a lot to say about this salsa. It will remind you that sometimes the best things are also the simplest. Chiles, garlic, lime and oil. Apply heat and then a blender. They are transformed into one of the best salsas I have ever eaten. The garlic allows this to emulsify into a surprisingly creamy sauce. Dribbled on tacos or scooped up with chips, (or even spread on a grilled cheese sandwich) –you won’t have any trouble eating it. Period.
With so few of them, ingredients matter. Taste your peppers to get a sense of their heat. Make sure your garlic is fresh.
Salsa Cremosa de Chile Jalapeño Asado (recipe by Rick Bayless)
- 6 ounces jalapeño chiles (about 5-6), stemmed
- 10 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- salt
In a large skillet over medium heat, roast the jalapeños and unpeeled garlicuntil soft and blotchy brown, 15-20 minutes. Cool, then peel the garlic and roughly chopped the jalapeños. (you can remove some of the seeds, to control heat) Combine the garlic, chiles, and lime juice in a blender and pulse to finely chop. Turn blender on and slowly dribble in the oil. Pour into a small bowl and add a tablespoon or two of water to thin the salsa. Taste and add salt, about a teaspoon.
This salsa is really best in the first 24 hours. You can keep it for a day or two, in the fridge- re-blend if it starts to separate.
Dayle says:
February 8th, 2011 at 3:11 pm
yummy i love a spicy dip….this with some corn chips & a lemony margarita would have me very happy indeed! dayle
jordan says:
February 8th, 2011 at 5:00 pm
those look like they’d compliment my blue corn chip addiction quite nicely…..no, but seriously, i need help. :)
Meister @ The Nervous Cook says:
February 8th, 2011 at 6:05 pm
Woah — easy, spicy, awesome!
elizabeth / sophisticated pie says:
February 8th, 2011 at 6:23 pm
yum! I love Rick Bayless. Frontera Grill is amazing, but sadly never go to go to Topolobampo while I lived in Chicago. This salsa looks great, and I agree with what you said about simple often being the best. I’ll definitely try this soon!
Aer Conditionat says:
February 9th, 2011 at 7:41 am
I love spicy food, too. And when it comes to that, jalapenos are my favorite. It never occurred to me to make a salsa out of jalapenos. Don’t know why. But it is so easy to make and I’m sure it’s spicy and perfect. Thanks for the idea.
Caroline Shields says:
February 9th, 2011 at 11:31 am
I’m such a salsa girl. Looks/sounds perfect.
and
Agreed about simplicity.
annaliese says:
February 9th, 2011 at 11:32 am
this looks fantastic! I’m always looking for new salsa recipes.
Renate says:
February 9th, 2011 at 5:35 pm
I’ve had salsa similar to this before but it had a little bit of softened cream cheese in it. I look forward to making this. I just put jalapeños on my shopping list!
Mavis says:
February 9th, 2011 at 11:47 pm
Sounds delicious! I usually make mine with jalapenos and tomatillos so this would be a nice, spicy change. Thanks!
SMM says:
February 11th, 2011 at 12:58 am
Oh and the things I see just before bed.
I will be bookmarking this recipe. I have to say we stuffed and grilled some jalapenos just a couple of days ago on the bbq and for some reason…they just didn’t have the flavour. And it was not the recipe’s fault. Got us wondering if this is just off season for a truly flavourful jalapeno. Any thoughts on this?
Amber says:
February 11th, 2011 at 9:35 am
I read somewhere else that jalapenos with striations are hotter than smoother ones. Look for the bumpy ones!
kickpleat says:
February 11th, 2011 at 12:33 pm
Oooh, I’ll totally give this a try. Last summer I seared padron peppers and ate them with salt and they were amazing and I never thought to do the same with jalapenos. This salsa looks amazing.
Cindy says:
February 24th, 2011 at 8:48 am
Been thinking about this recipe since I first read it. Gave it a try last night with shrimp and crunchy chips. Absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Tim says:
February 24th, 2011 at 1:04 pm
Glad you liked it, Cindy! We made it again recently too. So good.
scootette says:
February 24th, 2011 at 8:07 pm
just made this. it burns so good. O_O
Stephanie says:
March 29th, 2011 at 5:43 pm
Yum! Just got around to making this and it is fabulous! I have a little tip – if you don’t stem the jalapenos, you can hold them by the stem and chop them up with scissors and not have to worry about getting the capascin (sp?) on your hands (and nose, and eyes, and, and, and!)
Elia@FeedYourSister says:
March 29th, 2011 at 5:44 pm
I just made this salsa, and forgot to de-seed the jalapenos…VERY SPICY. So, to cool it down a little I added 3/4 of an avocado and cilantro, and the result is a spicy thick jalapeno guacamole! Delish! Thanks for the idea!! I’ll be posting the adapted version on my blog soon!
CBPilates says:
July 29th, 2011 at 1:34 pm
I just made this sauce to serve over mahi mahi tonight. I added ahit of cream (didn’t have any sour cream) and some cumin.
caprice mckinnon says:
June 19th, 2012 at 8:27 am
This looks delicious! Despite how my body hates them, jalapenos are my absolute favorite pepper! i have to make this!
Cassidy says:
August 24th, 2012 at 7:23 pm
I just made this, its literally on the side of my laptop and I’m eating it with warm tortilla chips. This is FANTASTIC. I will be making this again for sure. I would also love to try this on steak!!
Staen Agev says:
May 30th, 2013 at 3:12 pm
to change your life, add all ingredients(-lime)to the oil, leave over night. heat on medium till it all looks cooked and then blend!
Kyle says:
October 8th, 2014 at 10:16 pm
I have lived in south texas and this sauce is served in a lot of small Mexican cafes along with fresh handmade corn and flour tortillias, it really gives your breakfast a kick start. If you know how it is called in Spanish, please, share it with me as I never know what to call it but green sauce however it is not salsa verde as that is made with tomatillos and not just roasted jalapeños. A friend just dropped about 10 lbs of fresh picked jalapeños and even though I am not in s texas anymore this brings me back.
Gayla says:
November 8th, 2014 at 9:44 pm
This is so delicious. I make it often and by far it’s my favorite salsa.