Guajillo Salsa

This homemade guajillo salsa is smoky, spicy, and full of flavor. It’s made with guajillo and morita chiles along with Roma tomatoes, onion, and garlic that are cooked until charred in spots before everything is blended together. I especially love this salsa for taquitos, but it’s also delicious with tacos, quesadillas, and grilled meats. If you enjoy making salsa with dried chiles, this is an easy recipe to add to your rotation.

Guajillo and Morita Salsa

Guajillo chiles are one of my favorite dried chiles to use for homemade salsa. They make up the base of many different salsas and sauces as they are mild in heat yet rich in flavor.

For this recipe, I combine guajillo chiles with morita chiles. Morita chiles are smoked jalapeños that add smokiness and some extra heat to the salsa.

The dried chiles are briefly fried in oil before being soaked in hot water. The tomatoes, onion, and garlic are then cooked in the same skillet until softened and charred in spots.

Everything gets blended together and strained for a smooth dried chile salsa that’s great for serving with your favorite Mexican meals.

Ingredients

Guajillo chiles

Guajillo chiles provide the base flavor and beautiful red color of this salsa. Remove the seeds before frying them.

Be careful when frying dried chiles because they can burn quickly. They only need about 15 seconds in the hot oil before being removed.

Morita chiles

Morita chiles add a smoky flavor and more heat than the guajillo chiles. I’m using two in this recipe.

If you’re sensitive to spicy foods, you can reduce the amount of morita chiles. I however don’t find this dried chile salsa particularly spicy. If you love spicy then you can try adding an extra morita chile to the recipe.

Roma tomatoes

You’ll need two Roma tomatoes. Cooking them in the skillet softens them and develops their flavor before they’re blended into the salsa.

Onion

A small amount of onion adds flavor and a little sweetness. Cook it until its nicely charred in spots.

Garlic

Three garlic cloves add plenty of savory flavor. Garlic cooks faster than the onion, so remove it from the skillet once it’s toasted to prevent it from burning.

Oil

You’ll need one tablespoon of oil for frying the dried chiles and cooking the vegetables.

Salt

Add salt to taste after blending and straining the salsa.

How to Make Guajillo Salsa

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the oil.

Once the oil is hot, add the guajillo and morita chiles. Fry them for about 15 seconds, just until they become fragrant. Keep a close eye on them because dried chiles can burn very quickly.

Transfer the toasted chiles to a pot or bowl of hot water. Let them soak until softened and rehydrated.

Add the onion and garlic to the same skillet. Cook them, turning as needed, until they develop some blackened spots.

The garlic will finish cooking before the onion. Remove the garlic once it’s toasted and set it aside. Continue cooking the onion until it’s nicely charred, then remove it from the skillet.

Add the Roma tomatoes and cook them on all sides until they’re softened and blackened in spots. This should take a few minutes per side.

Transfer the rehydrated chiles to a blender along with the cooked tomatoes, onion, and garlic.

Blend until smooth.

Strain the salsa into a bowl and season with salt to taste.

Your guajillo salsa is ready to serve!

How Spicy Is This Salsa?

Guajillo chiles themselves are relatively mild, but the morita chiles give this salsa some heat.

Morita chiles are smoked jalapeños, so they bring both spiciness and a smoky flavor to the recipe.

If you prefer a milder salsa, try using just one morita chile. If you enjoy spicy salsa, use both. If you like it really spicy try adding one more.

Keep in mind that the heat level of individual chiles can vary.

Why Strain the Salsa?

Straining the salsa gives it a smoother consistency by removing small pieces of chile skin and seeds that may remain after blending.

You don’t absolutely have to strain it, but I prefer the texture this way, especially when I’m making this as a salsa for taquitos.

What to Serve with Guajillo Salsa

This salsa is especially delicious spooned over crispy chicken taquitos. The smoky dried chiles complement the crunchy tortillas and savory filling really well.

You can also serve it with:

Tacos
Quesadillas
Gorditas
Tostadas
Grilled meats
Eggs
Beans
Chips

It’s an easy salsa to keep on hand when you want to add more flavor and heat to a meal.

Can I Make This Salsa Ahead of Time?

Yes. You can prepare the salsa ahead of time and keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to serve it.

In fact, making it ahead gives the flavors some time to come together.

How to Store Guajillo Salsa

Transfer leftover salsa to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator.

For the best quality, use it within 3 days.

Always use a clean spoon when serving salsa from the container to help it stay fresh.

Guajillo Salsa Recipe

This homemade guajillo salsa combines dried guajillo and morita chiles with charred tomatoes, onion, and garlic for a smoky and flavorful red salsa. Serve it with taquitos, tacos, quesadillas, grilled meats, and your other favorite Mexican dishes.