I have been wanting to make an authentic Mexican dried chili salsa for a long time. I’ve even had a few different dried chilis up in the cupboard. For some reason I have been a little intimidated, but I’m not sure why. This guajilla dried chili salsa was very easy!

Guajilla chilis are medium spicy and even though I left the seeds out I thought there was a nice kick. If you want more spice, you can add in some of the seeds that were removed before toasting. Guajilla skin is pretty tough so it is best to strain the sauce. You could also use other dried chilis such as ancho chilis or California.

We had this salsa on top of cast iron skillet veggie tacos!

4 dried guajilla chilis stem removed and the seeds poured out
1 tomato cut into chunks
3 garlic cloves peeled but whole
Salt

1. Heat a cast iron skillet and add the guajilla chilis and toast for a few seconds on each side, careful not to let them burn (burning will make them bitter). Add to a bowl and cover with boiling water. Top with a plate to keep the chilis submerged and let soak for 30 minutes.
2. Add the tomato and garlic to the same pan and let them blacken in spots by only turning them occasionally.
3. In a grinder or food processor, blend the tomatoes, garlic, chilis, and 1/2 cup of the water the chilis were soaked in. Strain through a sieve.