Salsa de Birria

The best Birria tastes even better with Salsa de Birria, a simple red salsa made with tomatoes, tomatillos, serranos, and chiles de arbol. It’s a gold-standard salsa recipe that you can enjoy with birria and beyond.

During my travels in Mexico, I learned how the people of Aguascalientes prepare birria for special events with lots of family and friends. There, they serve the Birria de res with stacks of warm corn tortillas, minced onion and cilantro, lime wedges, and Salsa de Birria.

I also love it with scrambled eggs, quesadillas, fajitas, Carne asada, and even grilled cheese sandwiches. Make a triple batch and freeze it future delicious moments.

Recipe ingredients

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

• Tomatillos: Tomatillos look like unripe green tomatoes wrapped in a papery husk. The smaller version (shown above), tomatillo milpero, are more concentrated in flavor and are slightly less acidic than the regular size. If you can find milpero tomatillos, get those! After you remove the husk, the tomatillos might feel sticky underneath. Just rinse them off and you’re good to go.
• Serrano chilies: Or substitute jalapeños for less heat.
• Chiles de arbol: Also known as “bird’s beak” or “rat’s tail,” these dried chiles add a lot of heat, so remove the seeds if you’re not accustomed to the fire. Store in the pantry in a dark, dry place.
• Mexican oregano vs Mediterranean oregano: Mexican oregano has a lemony-citrus flavor, while Mediterranean oregano (Italian, Greek, or Turkish) can be sweet, bitter, or peppery depending on the variety. They cannot be used interchangeably here, so if you can’t find Mexican oregano, just omit it.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil. Add tomatoes, tomatillos, serrano and arbol chiles, and garlic. Boil until cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain well.

2. To a blender, add tomatoes, tomatillos, garlic, and oregano. Depending on your tolerance for spiciness, add one or more serrano chiles and one or more arbol chiles, with or without seeds. Blend until smooth.

3. Taste and add more chiles and/or seeds depending on your preference for spiciness. Remember, the salsa tastes spicier when warm and when tasted without food. It will be milder after chilling and when eaten with food. Season to taste with salt.

Recipe tips and variations

• Yield: This recipe makes 4 cups (1 quart) salsa, or about 8 servings (½ cup each).
• Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Freezer: This recipe is ideal for the freezer, especially if you want to make a bigger batch. Cool and portion into jars (leave 1/2-inch head space), label, date, and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
• Customize your spiciness: The salsa tastes spicier when warm and when tasted without food. It will be milder after chilling and when eaten with other foods. I recommend boiling more chiles than you might need, and you can always blend them one at a time and taste the salsa after each addition.

Beef Birria

My husband is a born-and-bred Mexican, and he has strong opinions on Birria. This is the recipe that has been passed down through the generations in his small town in Aguascalientes, and I’m so excited…

4 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

View Recipe

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Salsa de Birria

By Meggan Hill

The best Birria tastes even better with Salsa de Birria, a simple red salsa made with tomatoes, tomatillos, serranos, and chiles de arbol. It's a gold-standard salsa recipe that you can enjoy with birria and beyond.

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 8 servings (½ cup each)

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mexican

Calories 40

5 from 8 votes

ReviewPrint

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 2 pounds Roma tomatoes (about 10 medium)
• ▢ 1 pound tomatillos husked (see note 1)
• ▢ 2-3 serrano chiles (see note 2)
• ▢ 2-3 arbol chiles (see note 3)
• ▢ 1 clove garlic peeled
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano (see note 4)
• ▢ Salt

Instructions 

• Bring 4 quarts water to boil. Add tomatoes, tomatillos, serrano and arbol chiles, and garlic. Boil until cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain well.
• To a blender, add tomatoes, tomatillos, garlic, and oregano. Depending on your tolerance for spiciness, add one or more serrano chiles and one or more arbol chiles, with or without seeds. Blend until smooth.
• Taste and add more chiles and/or seeds depending on your preference for spiciness. Remember, the salsa tastes spicier when warm and when tasted without food. It will be milder after chilling and when eaten with food. Season to taste with salt.

Recipe Video

Notes

1. Tomatillos: Tomatillos look like unripe green tomatoes wrapped in a papery husk. The smaller version (shown above), tomatillo milpero, are more concentrated in flavor and are slightly less acidic than the regular size. If you can find milpero tomatillos, get those! After you remove the husk, the tomatillos might feel sticky underneath. Just rinse them off and you’re good to go.
2. Serrano chilies: Or substitute jalapeños for less heat.
3. Chiles de arbol: Also known as “bird’s beak” or “rat’s tail,” these dried chiles add a lot of heat, so remove the seeds if you’re not accustomed to the fire. Store in the pantry in a dark, dry place.
4. Mexican oregano vs Mediterranean oregano: Mexican oregano has a lemony-citrus flavor, while Mediterranean oregano (Italian, Greek, or Turkish) can be sweet, bitter, or peppery depending on the variety. They cannot be used interchangeably here, so if you can’t find Mexican oregano, just omit it.
5. Yield: This recipe makes 4 cups (1 quart) salsa, or about 8 servings (½ cup each).
6. Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
7. Freezer: This recipe is ideal for the freezer, especially if you want to make a bigger batch. Cool and portion into jars (leave 1/2-inch head space), label, date, and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
8. Customize your spiciness: The salsa tastes spicier when warm and when tasted without food. It will be milder after chilling and when eaten with other foods. I recommend boiling more chiles than you might need, and you can always blend them one at a time and taste the salsa after each addition.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cupCalories: 40kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 2gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 7mgPotassium: 430mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1057IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 1mg

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