blend · salsa
NATIONAL AWARD WINNERPrep 10 minBirria Chile Marinade
Independent adaptation of a publicly published Salvador Alamilla recipe. Not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Salvador Alamilla.
Salvador Alamilla's Birria Chile Marinade, from the published recipe.
Ratio
Ingredients
- Water — 2 cups chile stock (480 ml)
- Dried Chile — 5 guajillo (of 20) (40 g)
- Pepper — 1/2 Tbsp peppercorns (4 g)
- Clove — 1 (0.3 g)
- Allspice — 1 berry (0.3 g)
- Cinnamon — 1/8 stick equivalent pinch ground (0.5 g)
- Cumin — 1/2 tsp (1 g)
- Sesame Seed — 1/2 Tbsp (4 g)
- Garlic — 1–2 cloves
- Bay Leaf — 1
- Oregano — 3/4 tsp (1 g)
- Onion — 1/8 (20 g)
- Salt — 3/4 tsp (4.5 g)
- White Vinegar — 1 Tbsp (15 ml)
Method
- This sauce needs a blender — the jar is for storing it, not making it.
- Combine measured ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Taste and adjust salt and acid.
Companion jar
Birria Chile Marinade wants a blender — make it from this page.
The jar carries pour-and-shake sauces. These are its closest cousins from kitchens like this one:
4 kitchens · 3 stars · 4 national awards
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First run is small.
Leave an email and we’ll hold a jar with its companions on it.
Provenance
Mexican chef awarded James Beard Best Chef: Mountain 2025. Work centers on regional Mexican technique in Colorado kitchens.
More from this kitchenFAQ
Can this go in a shake jar?
No — this one needs a blender or stove, so make it from this page. Jars only carry pour-and-shake sauces — its companion jar is below.
What do the quantities mean?
Amounts follow the published recipe in household units (with metric in parentheses). On a jar, every sauce scales to the same fill height.
Where did this recipe come from?
Adapted from Salvador Alamilla / Food52 (published as “Birria Chile Marinade”). Full citation lives in Provenance.