• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Mexican Please

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Most Popular
    • Most Recent
    • Salsas
    • Appetizers/Sides
    • Beans
    • Breakfast
    • Dessert
    • Drinks
    • Enchiladas
    • Main Dish
    • Mexican Cooking 101
    • Tacos
    • Soup
    • Tortillas
    • Vegetarian
  • Articles
  • Cooking Course
  • About Me
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Tips
  • Course
  • Contact
  • About Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Tips
    • Course
    • Contact
    • About Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Most Recent

    Cascabel Chile Salsa

    May 27, 2016 By Patrick 10 Comments

    207 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet

    Cascabel Chiles are the quiet kid in the back of the classroom.  Their smaller size and mild heat has kept them off most people's radar.

    This Cascabel Chile Salsa limits the other ingredients so that the Cascabels can shine! It's worth trying if you've never used Cascabels before mexicanplease.com

    Named after the distinctive rattle their seeds make, Cascabels are typically paired with other, more robust chiles to make up for their perceived shortcomings.

    But Cascabels have a unique flavor that can easily stand up on its own when given the opportunity.   Fruity and nutty undertones have created legions of fans devoted to this simpler flavor that somehow tastes of the Earth.

    This particular Cascabel Chile Salsa limits the other ingredients so that the quiet kid can finally be heard loud and clear.

    This Cascabel Chile Salsa limits the other ingredients so that the Cascabels can shine! It's worth trying if you've never used Cascabels before mexicanplease.comCascabel Chile Salsa Recipe

    Start by wiping off 7-8 Cascabels with a damp towel as there can be pockets of dirt in the surface folds.

    Tear each chile into 2-3 pieces and set aside the stems and seeds.

    This Cascabel Chile Salsa limits the other ingredients so that the Cascabels can shine! It's worth trying if you've never used Cascabels before mexicanplease.com

    Heat a comal or skillet on medium-low heat and press the chiles into the pan until they soften and begin to change color, about 1-2 minutes.  This flash-heating wakens some flavors that lie dormant at room temperature.

    This Cascabel Chile Salsa limits the other ingredients so that the Cascabels can shine! It's worth trying if you've never used Cascabels before mexicanplease.com

    Cover with hot tap water in a bowl and soak for 10-20 minutes.  If you have any floaters you can use a plate or small bowl to keep them submerged.

    This Cascabel Chile Salsa limits the other ingredients so that the Cascabels can shine! It's worth trying if you've never used Cascabels before mexicanplease.com

    While the chiles reconstitute, husk and rinse 2 tomatillos and roast them in the oven at 400F.  They'll be ready when they start to turn army green in about 10-15 minutes.

    Add the tomatillos and Cascabels to a blender along with 2 peeled garlic cloves.  Don't worry about draining the Cascabels too thoroughly, you can just pick them up out of the soaking liquid.

    This Cascabel Chile Salsa limits the other ingredients so that the Cascabels can shine! It's worth trying if you've never used Cascabels before mexicanplease.com

    Add an additional 1/4 cup of soaking liquid that was used to reconstitute the chiles, along with a pinch of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar.

    Pulse blend and taste for seasoning.

    This Cascabel Chile Salsa limits the other ingredients so that the Cascabels can shine! It's worth trying if you've never used Cascabels before mexicanplease.com

    You'll end up with a rich, delicious salsa that has a subtle and addictive flavor:  slightly acidic with nutty undertones and ample heat.

    This Cascabel Chile Salsa limits the other ingredients so that the Cascabels can shine! It's worth trying if you've never used Cascabels before mexicanplease.com

    It can be used on just about anything, with a special nod to grilled meats and/or lazy afternoons centered around tortilla chips.

    This Cascabel Chile Salsa limits the other ingredients so that the Cascabels can shine! It's worth trying if you've never used Cascabels before mexicanplease.com

    You'll find Cascabels in Hispanic markets and some gourmet grocers.

    Pick a few up next time you see them, it's worth giving them a listen.

    This Cascabel Chile Salsa limits the other ingredients so that the Cascabels can shine! It's worth trying if you've never used Cascabels before mexicanplease.com

    This Cascabel Chile Salsa limits the other ingredients so that the Cascabels can shine! It's worth trying if you've never used Cascabels before mexicanplease.com

    Cascabel Chile Salsa

    This salsa lets the Cascabels shine by omitting onions and limiting the number of tomatillos used.
    4 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 4 (1-2 cups)
    Calories: 15kcal
    Author: Patrick Calhoun | Mexican Please

    Ingredients

    • 7-8 dried Cascabel chiles
    • 2 tomatillos
    • 2 garlic cloves
    • 1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
    • salt to taste

    Instructions

    • Wipe down the Cascabel chiles with a damp paper towel
    • Tear open the chiles and remove the stems and seeds
    • Tear each chile into 2-3 pieces
    • Using a comal or skillet on medium-low heat, cook the Cascabels until they soften and start to change color, about 1-2 minutes. Use a spatula to press them into the skillet.
    • Place chiles in a bowl and cover with hot tap water. Submerge and let reconstitute for 10-20 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, husk and rinse 2 tomatillos (I usually remove the stem but this is optional)
    • Roast tomatillos in the oven at 400F for 10-15 minutes or until they start to turn army green in color
    • Add tomatillos, chiles, and 2 peeled garlic cloves to a blender
    • Add approximately 1/4 cup of the soaking liquid to the blender, along with a pinch of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
    • Pulse blend and taste for seasoning
    • Serve immediately
    • Store in an airtight container in the fridge
    Like this recipe?Click the stars above to rate it or leave a comment down below! @mexplease

     

    We use a similar recipe in this Pasilla Chile Salsa.

    This is a great Salsa to get you familiar with the flavor of Pasilla Chiles -- earthy, fruity, with mild heat. But don't confuse them with Anchos! mexicanplease.com

     

    Still hungry?!

    Want to receive Mexican Please recipes via email when they are posted?  Sign up below to subscribe.  All recipes are spam free.

    And don't worry, we hate spam too!  You can unsubscribe at any time.

    Thank You For Subscribing!

    « Chicken Tinga Tacos (Are Everywhere)
    Mexican Black Bean Soup »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. mike

      January 27, 2019 at 12:59 pm

      Surprised at the seeds in finished product after reading instruct #2.
      Is the temp spicy dependant on added seeds?
      Will save recipe and try.

      Reply
      • Patrick

        January 29, 2019 at 4:59 pm

        Hey Mike! I usually remove the majority of the seeds but there are always a few stragglers left behind.

        I don't think the final temp will depend too much on how many of these stragglers are in the final Salsa as you'll be getting ample heat from the chili pieces. Cheers.

        Reply
    2. Catherine McDonough

      September 14, 2018 at 11:55 pm

      How long can this salsa be kept refrigerated?

      Reply
      • Patrick

        September 17, 2018 at 6:10 pm

        Hi Catherine! Like most salsas, it can be kept in the fridge for at least a week, but it will lose some of its zip after a day or two. Homemade salsa always seems superior to me when freshly blended so I'm in the habit of making smaller batches more often. Cheers.

        Reply
    3. David Christy

      August 05, 2018 at 5:00 pm

      Delicious! This is so different from all the dried pepper sauces I currently make. The look and consistency remind me of Valentina sauce. The taste is similar to Valentina sauce without the clove or allspice flavor. I had to run it through a mesh strainer as my inexpensive blender couldn't deal with all the bits of skin. Great recipe Patrick! This is going on my tostadas tonight!

      Reply
      • Patrick

        August 07, 2018 at 6:30 pm

        Thanks David! Those Cascabels have a completely unique flavor don't they? It's been a couple months since I've had this salsa and now officially craving it!

        Reply
    4. Carolyn Blake

      July 12, 2018 at 8:13 pm

      5 stars
      Wonderful! I just made this and everyone is inhaling it. It's mild, smoky, rich and unique. Thank you. It was not easy to find these peppers but fortunately I got them at a local Mexican grocery. They were in small packages of about 4 to 5 peppers.

      Reply
      • Patrick

        July 13, 2018 at 1:53 pm

        Thanks for the feedback Carolyn! It's been a few months since I've had this salsa and I'm now officially craving it!

        Reply
    5. Coley | Coley Cooks

      August 31, 2016 at 8:24 am

      Amazing!! I cannot wait to make this salsa this fall. I'm growing cascabels and tomatillos in my garden and should be harvesting them both over the next few months. I absolutely love the flavor of cascabels and they're impossible to find where I live... so, I grow them myself! Thanks for a killer recipe. I found this on Tastespotting and so glad I stumbled on your blog! Cheers.

      Reply
      • Patrick

        August 31, 2016 at 12:44 pm

        Hey Coley! Wow you grow your own cascabels, so cool, would love to try some of those. Hope your Fall is loaded with lots of great salsa. Cheers 🙂

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hey, I'm Patrick! I spent 2 years living in Cozumel and got obsessed with Mexican food. I built this site to share all the recipes and techniques I've learned along the way. Read More…

    Footer

    Mexican Recipes

    Cooking Course

    Mexican Cooking 101

    Ingredients

    Salsas

    Starting a Food Blog

    Enchilada Recipes

    About Me

    Contact

    Disclaimer

    © 2022 Mexican Please
 - Privacy Policy