Spicy, bold, and bright red tomatillo red chili salsa recipe is quick and easy to make. This salsa recipe allows you to make Chipotle’s hot salsa from the comfort of your own home. Use this homemade salsa as a dip or a sauce for burritos, tacos, salads, and more.

Dipping tortilla chip into tomatillo red chili salsa.

❤️ You’ll Love This Tomatillo Red Chili Salsa

Chipotle Copycat – You’ll get to enjoy all the wonderful flavors of Chipotle in your own kitchen for a cheaper price point.
Customizable – Although this is one of the spicier Chipotle hot salsas, you can play around with the heat level to customize the spice to your liking.
Easy to Make – This recipe is so quick and involves very little active work. You simply prep the ingredients, broil the tomatillos, soak the chilies, and blend everything together. You’ll be amazed at how fast this hot salsa comes together.

🧾 Ingredient Notes

tomatillo red chili salsa recipe ingredients on a marble surface.

Tomatillos – In Spanish, tomatillos means “little tomatoes.” They’re small, green, and encased in a thin husk. As you shop for tomatillos, look for firm and green options that are free from any brown spots.
- Tomatillos add a citrus-like tangy flavor to the salsa.
Chile de árbol – These chilies are the secret ingredient that gives this Chipotle hot salsa its kick. They are small, red chilies that register between 15,000-30,000 on the Scoville Heat Unit scale, which is almost three times as hot as the average jalapeño.
New Mexico Chiles – These chilies provide that bright burst of vibrant red color to the sala. They’re more of a mild chile, compared to chile de árbol.
- These chiles are available in any Latino grocery store or easily available online.
- If you need to, you can also substitute these chiles for California chiles or Anaheim chilies.
Roma Tomatoes – Sometimes often called plum tomatoes, these tomatoes have very low water content and softer skin. These two factors make them a great choice for sauces and salsas like this Chipotle hot salsa.

👩‍🍳 How To Make Chipotle Hot Salsa Recipe? (Pics)

Clean, Soak chilies:

1) Wipe the chilies with a damp napkin or paper towel if they look dusty. Otherwise, this step is optional.

2) Remove and discard the stem of the chilies.

3, 4) In a large bowl, add the New Mexico Chiles and Chile de árbol along with boiling hot water. Let the chilies soak for about 20 minutes and then drain the water.

Collage of 4 images showing cleaning chilies and soaking in hot water.

Roasting Tomatillos:

1) Cut the tomatoes and tomatillos in half. Arrange the peeled and washed tomatillos and tomatoes (cut side down) along with garlic cloves in a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil.

2) Place the sheet pan on the top rack of your oven and broil for about 12 minutes or until a nice, black char develops across the tomatillos and tomatoes.

3) Allow everything to cool enough to handle. Then, remove the skin from the tomatoes only.

Collage of 3 images showing roasting tomatillos, tomatoes and garlic.

Making salsa

1) In a blender or food processor, add the soaked and drained chilies. Also, add the roasted tomatillos, tomatoes, and garlic with their juice.

2) Add salt, pepper, and ground cumin.

3, 4) Blend everything together until the mixture is slightly coarse and a little chunky. If you like you can make a smooth puree.

TIP: You may need to pause the blender every so often and scrape down the sides to incorporate all of the ingredients evenly.

Collage of 4 images showing adding everything into grinder and blending to make salsa.

💭 Expert Tips For Tomatillo Red Chili Salsa

Lower the Spice Level – This salsa is certainly meant to be spicy, but you can adjust the spice level to suit your personal preferences. To make the salsa a bit less hot, reduce the number of Chile de árbol.
Thin the Salsa – The salsa will have a slightly thick yet dippable consistency. However, you can add a bit of water to the blender to help thin the salsa out.
Wash the Tomatillos – After you peel the husks from the tomatillos, be sure to give them a thorough wash. Tomatillos generate a sticky film over the skin to repel insects. It’s natural and harmless, but should be rinsed away before roasting.

🥣 Storage Instructions

My copycat recipe for Chipotle hot salsa is best enjoyed on the day that it’s made.
However, you can easily store the salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
You may also place the airtight container in the freezer for up to three months.

🍽 Serving Ideas For Chipotle Hot Salsa

I recommend serving the Chipotle hot salsa at room temperature for the best flavors.
Enjoy the salsa as a snack or appetizer with a side of fresh tortilla chips.
For parties, potlucks, or large events, you can include a serving of this tomatillo red chili salsa alongside an array of dips and salsas such as:
This hot salsa can also be used as a sauce over various foods like a vegetarian taco salad, Air fryer quesadillas, or potato tacos.

Chipotle hot salsa served in a bowl with chips on the side.

Check Out Other Chipotle Copycat Recipes

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.