Spicy peanut salsa, or salsa de cachuate in Spanish, is one of the many different types of spicy salsas that Mexico is known for, like this salsa macha. Of course there are mild salsas also, and most can be made more mild depending on how many chilies you add. For example, this salsa verde can be made very spicy or quite mild depending on how many and what type of peppers you add.

This one, however, is going to be pretty spicy no matter what because of the addition of arbol chiles, which are at least 6 times hotter than a jalapeno.

If you are a fan of spicy food and spicy salsas, then this is for you and you will love the smoky flavor and creamy texture.

What is Spicy Peanut Salsa (Salsa de Cacahuate)?

Spicy peanut salsa is a spicy, creamy salsa that goes perfectly with your favorite Mexican “antojitos” or street food. For example, this goes great with tostadas, empanadas, flautas, or just as a spicy dipping sauce with freshly cooked tortilla chips.

This sauce gets its spicy and smoky flavor from the chile de arbol, which is a super spicy pepper that measures between 15,000 and 60,000 on the scoville scale! It has a deep, smoky flavor as well which just takes this recipe to the next level.

This traditional salsa also include roasted peanuts which serve to control the heat a little bit of this spicy salsa.

How do you make Mexican spicy peanut sauce?

Spicy peanut salsa is made with a combination of spicy and smoky ingredients, that are roasted in a skillet before being blended together to form a perfectly creamy and spicy salsa. To make it, you will need to gather the following ingredients:

• Unsalted peanuts
• Chiles de arbol, dried arbol chiles. You can vary how much you use depending on how hot you want it.
• Garlic cloves
• White onion
• Roma tomato
• Vegetable oil, olive oil, or another neutral oil
• Chicken bouillon
• Salt
• A cup of water

Start by heating a large skillet over medium heat and add a squirt of oil. Add the peanuts to the hot oil and fry them for about 5 minutes, moving them constantly so they don’t burn. Next, add the chiles de árbol until they start to change color. You will notice that they have a very pungent smell. I recommend doing this step with the windows up and if you have a vent hood, make sure it is turned on high. The smell can be difficult for people who are roasting arbol chilies for the first time, but if you follow my advice, you should be fine.

After a few minutes, remove the peanuts and chiles from the heat and set aside.

In the same pan, add the tomato, that you have cut into 4 pieces, and then add the onion and garlic also. Cook until softened and then add to a blender or food processor with the chiles and peanuts, chicken bouillon, salt, and water and blend until it reaches your desired consistency. If you do not have chicken bouillon, you can replace it and the water with a cup of chicken broth.

Add the resuulting salsa to a bowl and serve immediately. You can also store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for about a week if you want to cook it in advance.

This is definitely one of my favorite recipes when I am looking for a spicy salsa. If it has too much heat, go ahead and use less arbol chiles. You can also replace them with a milder chile like the guajillo chile, ancho chiles, or chipotle chiles, but this will change the flavor a little bit.

Check out these other Mexican Salsa recipes

• Authentic Avocado Salsa Verde Recipe (Salsa Taquera)
• Authentic Mexican Molcajete Salsa Recipe (Salsa de Molcajete)
• Authentic Salsa Macha Recipe from Veracruz Mexico
• Authentic Mexican Salsa Ranchera Recipe
• Authentic Mexican Salsa Verde
• The Best Creamy Avocado Salsa Recipe

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Authentic Spicy Peanut Salsa (Salsa de Cacahuate)

This spicy peanut salsa (salsa de cacahuate) is not for the faint of heart with its spicy, but delicious flavor. Learn how to make it today!

Course Appetizer, salsa, Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword authentic salsa, hot salsa, peanuts, spicy

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 16 Tablespoons

Calories 34kcal

Author Charbel Barker

Ingredients

• 1/4 Cup Peanuts Unsalted
• 1 Handful Chile de arbol
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 1/4 White Onion
• 1 Roma Tomato Large
• 1 Tbsp Oil
• 1 Tsp Chicken Bouillon
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 1 Cup Water

Instructions

• Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil.
• Add the peanuts and toast for about 5 minutes, moving them around constantly so they don't burn.
• Add the chiles de arbol and continue cooking for a few more minutes until they take on a slightly darker color. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Cut the tomato into four pieces and add to the pan where you cooked the peanuts and chiles with the onion and garlic and cook for about 2-3 minutes.
• Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until it reaches your desired consistency. If you want a thinner salsa, you can add additional water.
• Serve with your favorite foods or just with tortilla chips.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Tablespoon | Calories: 34kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.004g | Cholesterol: 0.02mg | Sodium: 180mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 951IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.3mg

The post Authentic Salsa de Cacahuate (Mexican Spicy Peanut Salsa) appeared first on My Latina Table.

In Mexico, there are an infinite number of salsa recipes. Any home you go to will have their favorite recipeusing basic ingredients and imparting a ton of great flavors. Salsa is a staple in Mexican foods and you will find it at every table and nearly every meal.

One of the great things about salsa is that you can adjust the heat levels by adding or taking away different peppers, or by changing what kind of peppers you use. For example, for today’s avocado salsa recipe, I use serrano peppers and habanero peppers, so it has the perfect amount of heat for me. However, if you want to make it less spicy, you can replace the habaneros with jalapenos and omit the serranos.

What is Salsa Taquera?

This avocado salsa recipe is also called salsa taquera. This is because it is the perfect salsa to serve on your favorite Mexican tacos, like barbacoa tacos, tacos al pastor, carnitas tacos, and more! It uses fresh avocados, a combination of spicy peppers, fresh cilantro, and other simple ingredients. It has the best flavor and a slightly chunky texture which I love.

Throughout Mexico, you will find “taquerias” or tacos stands, all over the city. You can go right up, tell them what kind of tacos you want and have freshly made tacos on your plate in a matter of seconds. There is no need to wait for taco tuesday in Mexico! Usually they have a variety of salsas that you can choose from, and this avocado salsa is always at the top of the list for me since it is one of my favorite salsa recipes.

There are a few different varieties of avocado salsa. For example, some varieties blend all of the ingredients together to make a creamy avocado salsa, while others (like this recipe) include avocado chunks that are added directly to the sasa verde for a different texture. You can serve it on tacos like I explained above, or you can use it as a yummy dip with fresh tortilla chips.

How do you make Avocado Salsa Verde?

The key to this homemade salsa recipe is to use the freshest ingredients. For this particular recipe, you will need to gather the following avocado salsa ingredients:

• Fresh Tomatillos
• Serrano chile
• Habanero chile
• Ripe Avocado
• Onion (red onion or white onion is fine)
• Garlic cloves
• Fresh cilantro
• Salt

The process is very simple. You will start by making a delicious salsa verde, and then you add in the chopped ingredients at the end to give it this salsa’s signature texture.

Of course it is important to start by washing all of the ingredients first. Once you have done that, add some water to a pot and bring to a boil, adding the serrano peppers (don’t add the habanero to the water, it will be used later).

After 5 minutes, add the tomatillos and let it continue cooking for a few minutes until they start to change color slightly. Remove the peppers and tomatillos from the water and let them cool down.

Once they have cooled, add them to a blender with a little bit of water, the garlic, 1/4 of the onion, a few small pieces of the cilantro, and salt to taste and blend well. Then pour the salsa into a medium bowl and set aside for a moment.

Next, chop the rest of the cilantro and onion and cut the avocado into small chunks. Add the chopped ingredients to the bowl with the salsa and add additonal salt to taste if needed.

Let me know in the comments below how this recipe turned out and what your favorite kind of salsa is to serve with tacos.

Check out these other Salsa recipes

• Authentic Mexican Molcajete Salsa Recipe (Salsa de Molcajete)
• Authentic Salsa Macha Recipe from Veracruz Mexico
• Authentic Mexican Salsa Roja
• Authentic Mexican Salsa Ranchera Recipe
• The Best Creamy Avocado Salsa Recipe

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Avocado Salsa Verde (Salsa Taquera)

Learn how to make the perfect avocado salsa verde, also known as salsa taquera, which is a great salsa recipe to go with your favorite Mexican tacos.

Course Appetizer, salsa

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword salsa, salsa taquera, salsa verde

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 10 1/4 cup servings

Calories 45kcal

Author Charbel Barker

Ingredients

• 6 Tomatillos
• 4 Serrano Peppers
• 1 Habanero Pepper
• 1 Avocado
• 1 Onion
• 1 Garlic Clove
• 1 bunch Cilantro
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• Wash all of the ingredients
• Bring about 1-2 cups of water to a boil and add thte serrano peppers.
• Cook for 5 minutes and then add the tomatillos, and continue cooking until they start to change colors. Remove the peppers and tomatillos from the water and set aside.
• Blend the tomatillos and peppers with the garlic, 1/4 onion, a small amount of cilantro, and salt until smooth. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
• Chop the rest of the onion and cilantro and cut the avocado into small chunks.
• Add the chopped ingredients to the salsa and mix.

Nutrition

Serving: 11/4 cup serving | Calories: 45kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 184mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 139IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.3mg

The post Authentic Avocado Salsa Verde Recipe (Salsa Taquera) appeared first on My Latina Table.

5 Things You Need to Know About Fresh Avocados

As a proud Latina and someone who grew up eating (even picking!) fresh avocados, I think I have more than the average level of expertise when it comes to avocados. Sure, we all know they are delicious (and once you try my recipe for creamy avocado salsa, you’ll have another reason to buy more) but let’s talk more about why avocados are so healthy for us. Some of these benefits you might have heard about, others could be news to you. Next time you reach for a fresh avocado, put on an extra big smile on your face because:

• Fresh avocados provide naturally good fats. This is really important to me, because I always want to make sure that my family is eating healthy and while we all need fats to help us absorb nutrients, good fats is a better choice than bad fats. Did you know that avocados are virtually the only fruit with good fats? Just one of many reasons to eat them as often as possible.
• Avocados are a heart-healthy nutrient-rich fruit. While many factors affect heart disease, eating avocados as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk. I love to cut up fresh avocados and add them to salads with other healthy fruits and vegetables to maximize this benefit. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables may help you control your weight, cholesterol and blood pressure.
• Avocados are a good source of fiber. This is important, because diets rich in healthy foods containing fiber, such as avocados, may reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. My grandmother suffered and ended up passing away from diabetes. Anything that I can do to prevent that from happening to me or anyone in my family is good in my book, and that is why I always have fresh avocados on hand.
• Avocados can act as a “nutrient booster.” This means that they can help the body to better absorb fat-soluble nutrients from foods that are eaten with the fruit. You can add avocados to so many great recipes, and it just makes it that much better!
• Avocados are sugar-free. It’s good to remember that avocados have the least amount of sugar per serving than any other fresh fruit. They go great in smoothies and other desserts because they add a creamy component without overloading your drink with sugar. One smoothie that I like includes avocado, mango, blueberry, kale, lemon juice, and flax seed. You have to try it!

For more information about avocados and some delicious recipes, check out LoveOneToday.com.

My creamy salsa avocado recipe uses fresh avocados and adds jalapeños too for a nice kick. I especially love eating it with my eggs in the morning, but you can put it on salads and more.

Last night, my husband ate it with one of our favorite weeknight meals – sheet pan flank steak with roasted potatoes – and he loved it!

Whenever I make this creamy avocado salsa, I store it in a large plastic bottle made especially for dressings and sauces. This makes it really easy to serve and store and is very convenient.

Creamy avocado salsa is so easy to make and I hope that you enjoy it as much as we do!

If you enjoy this salsa, you may want to check out some of our other salsa and dressing recipes as well.

• Salsa Verde
• Ranch Dressing
• Guacamole

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The Best Creamy Avocado Salsa Recipe

Author Charbel Barker

Ingredients

• 2 Avocados
• 1 Cup of Greek Yogurt
• Juice from 1 lime
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/8 of an onion
• 1-2 jalapenos depending on the desired level of heat
• 1/4 bunch of cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons of water you can add more if you want a thinner consistency

Instructions

• Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

The post The Best Creamy Avocado Salsa Recipe appeared first on My Latina Table.

Salsa Verde Grilled Pork Chops combines amazing flavor with a hint of spice for a delicious meal for any occasion. 

Salsa Verde Grilled Pork Chops is definitely one of my favorite recipes from growing up in Mexico. One bite and you will understand why!

The combination of a tangy, slight spicy salsa verde with perfectly grilled fresh pork is something that everyone should try at least once. When I was living in Mexico, I used to help my mom and my aunt make this recipe all the time. The first time that I made it for my husband, he instantly became a fan and I know that you will too.

Just as important as the salsa verde is the fresh pork. If you don’t buy high quality pork, then it doesn’t matter how good the sauce is – the dish won’t be what it could be. I always buy Smithfield Fresh Pork because I know that it is fresh and tastes great!

For this recipe I used the Smithfield Bone-In Pork Chops. When I know that I am using a hand-trimmed, high quality cut of pork, it gives me confidence to be creative with the rest of the flavors. Visit SaborSmithfield.com for even more delicious recipe ideas and to learn more about the freshness of Smithfield Fresh Pork.

This recipe is perfect for Father’s Day, which is coming up this weekend. If the father in your life wants to try something new, you should definitely check this one out.

One thing that you will want to know is that this can be a bit spicy depending on how much jalapeno you add, so make sure that you keep that in mind if you have any kids that are eating as well. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the full recipe.

With that in mind, I also want to share a few tips for summer lunch ideas for your kids. I have three kids this summer for the first time and it can definitely be tough to think of new lunch ideas every day. That said, here are a few ideas that they will love:

• Pulled Pork Quesadillas. Cook Smithfield Fresh Pork in a slow cooker, season it, shred it and put it in a flour tortilla with cheddar cheese.
• Grilled Cheese Sandwich. My kids never get tired of this and it is an easy one to make too!
• Bagel Pizzas – Kids love pizza, so try adding tomato sauce, cheese, and pepperoni to a bagel for a great summer lunch.
• Fruit Salad – My kids absolutely love fruit. In fact, I can barely keep the fruit bowls full at my house. Every once in a while I will make them a fun fruit salad in their own bowl that they can enjoy with a variety of berries and other fruits.

I hope that some of these ideas help you this summer, and that you try to make this delicious recipe sometime this year – it is really easy to make and I promise you will love it!

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Salsa Verde Grilled Pork Chops Recipe

Salsa Verde Grilled Pork Chops combines amazing flavor with a hint of spice for a delicious meal for any occasion. 

Author Charbel Barker

Ingredients

• 2-3 Smithfield Bone-In Pork Chops
• Salt Pepper, Paprika, and Cumin to season the Pork Chops
• 4-5 Tomatillos
• 1-2 Jalapenos depending on how spicy you want it
• 1/4 bunch of cilantro
• 2 Cloves of Garlic
• 1 Cup of Chicken Stock
• 1 Cup of Cola
• 1/2 onion cut into slices
• Green Onions Chopped

Instructions

• Season the Smithfield Bone-In Pork Chops with the salt, pepper, paprika, and cumin
• Grill the Pork Chops on both sides until almost cooked through
• Remove the Pork Chops to a pan inside the house
• Add the Tomatillos, jalapenos, cilantro, garlic, and chicken stock to a blender and blend until well combined.
• Pour the salsa verde made in the previous step and the cola over the pork chops and heat over medium high heat for 5 minutes
• Add salt to taste
• Add the onions and cook over medium low heat for another 5 minutes
• Garnish with green onions (optional)
• Serve with rice.

The post Salsa Verde Grilled Pork Chops Recipe appeared first on My Latina Table.

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There is nothing better than making delicious food with totally fresh ingredients, which is a common characteristic of authentic Mexican cuisine. Ever since I shared my recipe for enchiladas verdes here on my site, people have been asking me to share my enchiladas rojas (red enchiladas) recipe.

Today, I am going to do just that. Keep reading to find out how how to make these delicious enchiladas with a homemade, creamy, and delicious red enchilada sauce.

The key to what makes this recipe great is the homemade red enchilada sauce. It is made with dry chilies, that you can find online or in the Hispanic section at your local grocery store.

To add the perfect amount of creaminess, this enchilada sauce includes a touch of heavy whipping cream. You can find pre-made red enchilada sauce in most store in many different varieties, but there is nothing like this homemade version. One bite, and you will believe me!

Red Enchilada Recipe

For this recipe you will need 2 ancho chilies, and 3 Anaheim or guajillo chilies. They will need to be de-seeded and boiled. If you need a refresher on how to do that, check it out on my barbacoa tacos recipe.

You will also need 4 fresh tomatoes, 2 cloves of garlic, and 1/4 onion, all lightly charred. Finally, you will also need 2 tablespoons of sour cream (separate from the heavy whipping cream). You will blend all of the ingredients together, before straining out any leftover seeds and heating it up before adding to the the enchiladas.

The chicken filling is almost as important as the sauce in making sure that these red enchiladas are the best ever. This recipe reminds me of growing up in Mexico when my mom would always make this easy recipe on the weekends so that we had more time to do family activities.

I remember how my mom always used to teach me how to season the sauce and the chicken filling while we spent time together talking and having fun.

These delicious red enchiladas go great with freshly chopped lettuce and radishes, and topped with queso fresco – or any other cheese that you want. My husband uses mozzarella, because he is not a big fan of queso fresco.

Another great thing about these enchiladas is that they don’t have to be baked, but they can be! We have tried them both way, and both are delicious!

How did they turn out for you?

If you loved this recipe, check out these other delicious meals:

• Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas with Pico De Gallo
• Fast and Easy Mexican Mole Enchiladas
• Homemade Enchiladas Verdes
• Tacos Al Pastor Recipe Homemade Version
  

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  The Best Red Enchilada Recipe

  Once you try this red enchilada sauce, you will never need to buy store-bought again!

  Course Main Course

  Cuisine Mexican

  Keyword enchiladas, mexican recipe

  Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

  Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

  Total Time 30 minutes minutes

  Servings 14 enchiladas

  Calories 180kcal

  Author Charbel Barker

  Ingredients

  For the Red Enchilada Sauce

  • 2 Ancho Chilies dried, de-seeded and boiled.
  • 3 dried Guajillo or Anaheim Pepper de-seeded and boiled.
  • 4 Fresh tomatoes lightly grilled
  • 2 cloves of garlic lightly grilled
  • 1/4 onion lightly grilled
  • 3 Tablespoons of sour cream
  • 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream

  For the Chicken Filling

  • 1 Chicken Breast cooked and shredded
  • 4 Ounces of Cream Cheese
  • 1/4 red onion chopped
  • Cilantro
  • Salt and Pepper to Taste

  Accompaniments

  • 14 Tortillas

  Instructions

  For the Red Enchilada Sauce

  • Combine all of the ingredients for the sauce except for the heavy whipping cream, and blend until smooth.
  • Strain out any seeds and add to a skillet, bringing to a slight boil.
  • Add the heavy whipping cream, and let boil for 5 additional minutes. Reduce heat to low.

  For the Chicken Filling

  • In a hot skillet, add a small amount of olive oil and then add the shredded chicken, the onion, and the cilantro.
  • After about 5 minutes, add the cream cheese, and stir in with the chicken until well incorporated.
  • Season with salt and pepper and let cook for an additional five minutes.

  To Make the Enchiladas

  • Lightly fry the corn tortillas in oil and pat dry.
  • Dip each tortilla in the red enchilada sauce, covering both sides completely.
  • Fill each tortilla with some of the chicken filling, and some cheese if desired.
  • At this point you can add them to a baking dish, top with mozzarella cheese and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
  • If you do not want to bake them, just put them on a plate, top with lettuce, cheese, and radish and serve immediately.

  Nutrition

  Serving: 1enchiladas | Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 260mg | Potassium: 278mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1865IU | Vitamin C: 4.9mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1.5mg

The post The Best Enchiladas Recipe (Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce) appeared first on My Latina Table.

I am so excited to share one of my favorite recipes of all time! It is creamy, fresh, and delicious. So, if you are an avocado fan, this recipe is especially for you. Don’t miss out!

Like I mentioned in my homemade guacamole recipe, avocado is one of my all-time favorite ingredients, and that definitely has something to do with the fact that I grew up in a place that had tons of avocado trees. As a result, I am always looking for ways to incorporate avocado into my daily meals and this recipe is definitely a favorite. The addition of fresh basil gives it a touch of freshness that makes this perfect for these sunny days.

To make this dish even more irresistible, I added a delicious chicken sausage that I found at the store, and it complemented the pasta perfectly. My whole family loved it and my boys even were willing to eat some veggies like this corn!

The avocado pasta sauce has a slightly thick consistency, which makes it creamy. It is important to make this dish right about the time that you are ready to eat it so that the avocado is perfectly fresh. I like to add some fresh salt and pepper to the vegetables that go along with this meal, but that is up to you and your tastes, so feel free to make any changes that you would like.

I hope you enjoyed this, and don’t forget to tell me how you liked it in the comments.

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Creamy Avocado Alfredo

Author Charbel Barker

Ingredients

• 3 Large Avocados
• 1 Package of spaghetti
• Juice from 2 limes
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Fresh basil
• Salt Pepper, Oregano, and Cumin to taste.
• Olive Oil

Accompaniments

• Chicken sausage cut into slices
• Cherry tomatoes cut in half and lightly cooked in olive oil
• Corn
• Green Beans

Instructions

• Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions
• Cook the sausage according to package instructions, cut into slices, and set aside
• Blend the avocado, the lime juice, the basil, the garlic cloves, the salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin, with a small amount of olive oil.
• Combine the mixture with the cooked spaghetti, and heat together.
• Serve with the sausage, tomatoes, green beans, and corn.

The post Creamy Avocado-Basil Pasta appeared first on My Latina Table.