I came across the idea of a salsa naranja, an orange salsa, on Kogi BBQ a while ago and it sounded really good! More recently I came across a recipe for the salsa naranja on Chow while searching for something else and decided that I would have to try it! In addition to the Mexican influences this salsa also has Korean and Thai aspects that really make it shine! The salsa naranja starts out with a base of sweet chili sauce and orange juice and builds up the flavour base with garlic, ginger, plenty of fresh herbs, chilies is several different forms and it is finishes off with sesame seeds. Don’t let the long list of ingredients fool you as once you have them all assembled all you need to do is puree them in a food processor and it is well worth making. I have to say that this is one amazing salsa! It is sweet and spicy, full of flavour and all of the herbs give it a fatastic freshness that will have you eating it by the spoonful.
Salsa Naranja
A sweet and spicy orange salsa packed with fresh herbs.
ingredients
- 1 cup sweet chili sauce
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 green onions
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 thumb ginger, grated
- 1/2 cup (loosely packed) basil preferably Thai
- 1/2 cup (loosely packed) cilantro
- 2 birds eye chilies
- 2 cayenne chilies
- 2 tablespoons gochugaru
- 1 tablespoon gochujang
- 2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon pepper
directions
- Puree everything in a food processor.
Okay…this is like my fifth time trying to get the word verification thing typed out. If this doesn't work I give up! What I've been trying to say that I like the idea of this salsa!!
I am totally inspired by this salsa. I can't wait to try it. You have just given me the excuse to stop at the asian grocery store 😉
KEVIN, THIS ORANGE SALSA LOOKS SO GOOD, BUT I HAVEN'T A CLUE AS TO WHAT "GOCHUGARU' and "GOCHUJANG" IS OR WHERE IN THE WORLD TO LOOK FOR IT. DO YOU KNOW OF A SUBSTiTUTE ?
yum! so many ingredients that i love, this is a must try!
Looks great! Love the color of the salsa.
Nan: Gochugaru is Korean chili pepper flakes and gochujang is Korean chili pepper paste and you should be able to find them at a local Korean or Asian market and I have seen them in some larger grocery stores. You can also order them online at Amazon or other places.
How long do you think this will keep in the fridge? I want to make a big vat of it! So delicious!!!
Anonymous: Given all of the fresh components and lack of cooking I am going to say not too long; probably about a week. It will keep in the freezer though if you want to save some for later.
Hey Kevin, I couldn't find the gochugaru, but I'm not sure it mattered because this salsa was fantastic! It's like a more complex dipping sauce for Vietnamese fried spring rolls. Spicy, sweet, tangy. Thanks so much for sharing!
Kevin, I just made this!! This is super delicious. With the cold weather here in T.O. I'm using this as a dipping sauce for my hotpot!! Thanks for sharing!!
Tigger mum: I am glad that you enjoyed it! I could eat it by the spoonful!
Okay, so I made a variation of this for a family reunion (couldn't find a few things so I had to substitute) and it was a huge hit! Seriously Kevin, this stuff is ridiculously tasty! Great recipe!
Hi Kevin! After seeing these pictures, and reading the recipe, I could almost smell the sauce. So off to the Asian supermarket I went. And I found the gochugaru and gochujang! I made the sauce exactly as stated and OMG we inhaled it! The smell alone is to die for. We made your Salsa Naranja quesadilla and we were in heaven….. Glad I made a good batch and have some left to freeze: this will become a staple condiment at our house. Thanks so much for sharing, we love your blog and recipes!!
Hi Kevin, our family have been using your recipes for years now and we always enjoy trying something new. We have 2 wee kiddos (1.5 and 3.5) so although they get lots of spices and herbs, we do have to be careful with the heat. Should we omit the chilis in this recipe? Mom and Dad can always add hot sauce, right? 🙂
The following iongrdients contain heat and you would want to limit them and add just enough to get the heat level that you desire:
1 cup sweet chili sauce
2 birds eye chilies
2 cayenne chilies
2 tablespoons gochugaru
1 tablespoon gochujang
What are the two Chili’s you have listed. I’m not familiar with those names. Thank you.
Bird’s eye chilies are a Thai chili that are a little milder than a habanero chili. Cayenne chilis are a chili that is hotter than a jalapeno and they are commonly used in hot sauces like Franks Red Hot. You can use whatever chilies that you have available and use enough to get the salsa to the desired level of heat.
Gochugaru are a Korean style of red pepper flakes and gochujang is a Korean style of fermented chili paste and you should be able to find them in a local Asian grocery store (or online).
Enjoy!