This Jarred Salsa Is So Good, It (Almost) Tastes Better than My Mexican Mom’s Beloved Recipe

Growing up Mexican American meant that spicy food was part of my regular diet, even as a child. Whether it was chorizo with eggs for breakfast or grilled fish with green salsa for dinner, spice was and is at the center of my culture. One of the handful of salsas my mom made and kept on rotation was salsa macha. 

Although my mom was born and raised in Mexico City, her father’s side of the family was from Veracruz, Mexico, the origin city of salsa macha. Making this salsa was a small way for her to connect to those roots. 

Unlike other tomato- or tomatillo-based salsas that are either chunky or watery, salsa macha is mostly oil with a thick yet finely chopped chile base. While recipes vary from family to family, my mom made hers with olive oil, chile de arbol, chipotle peppers, garlic, and unsalted almonds. Once she gave me the recipe, my husband and I couldn’t stop making it and I figured no other salsa macha (including chef-approved ones) could rival my mom’s — until I made a surprising discovery at Target.

At first glance, I was intrigued by the packaging of this salsa macha and was curious about its moniker: “Mexican chili crisp.” Despite their similarities and my familiarity with chili crisp, I never thought to compare the two. Still, I was intrigued enough to give it a try with my mom, naturally, to get her honest reaction and review. 

She’s undeniably critical of Mexican food she doesn’t make herself, so I wasn’t expecting more than a shrug from her. Turns out she not only loved it, she said it was (almost!) as good as hers. 

After looking at the ingredients, I could see why we both gravitated toward it. SOMOS Salsa Macha contains almonds and avocado oil instead of the typical peanuts and vegetable oil, making this salsa feel on par with the lightness of my mom’s recipe. She also loved the surprising addition of the pumpkin and sesame seeds that gives it an extra crunch, and the chile de arbol that maintains its heat. 

With its oily consistency and spicy flavor, my mom’s salsa macha was always the perfect drizzle for her best dishes like molletes, (quick and easy chicken) flautas, and tacos de calabacitas, and even non-Mexican dishes like pizza.

I have since tried SOMOS Salsa Macha on my own flautas recipe and a few of my husband’s go-tos, like salmon pasta, chicken fried rice, and a veggie omelet. For every dish, this salsa macha added a pleasant level of heat and nuttiness (not to mention a nice crunch) and best of all, a sense of nostalgia and appreciation for my culture’s foods. I even followed the packaging’s suggestion and drizzled it over vanilla ice cream; I was shocked the brilliant idea had never occurred to me before. 

This salsa doesn’t have to be refrigerated, so I keep it on my makeshift corner shelf pantry and reach for it when I want to feel transported to my mom’s kitchen, no matter how far away she is.

Buy: SOMOS Salsa Macha, $8.49 for 6.5 ounces at Target

Have you tried this salsa macha? Tell us about it in the comments below.