Xni-Pec is a Yucatan salsa made with fresh habanero peppers, tomato, onion, sour orange juice and more. It packs some heat, and as the name implies, might make you sweat like a dog's nose.
Yucatan Habanero Salsa - "Xni-Pec"
Sweat like a dog's nose you may, my friends. The fresh habanero peppers in this salsa makes it quite hot, but addictively so. It is pleasant, really, as any fresh salsa can be and you can practically make it with ingredients straight out of your garden.
It is quite similar to pico de gallo in both composition and flavor, though quite a bit hotter and more of the typical habanero tropical flavor.
The name says it all. Xni Pec, pronounced "Shnee Pek", translates to "Dog's Nose" or "Dog's Snout" in Mayan, which implies you will sweat like a dog's nose when you eat it. I can verify the truth in this statement.
I made this salsa on a Saturday and snapped a photo, then posted it on Facebook, sharing how gorgeous it looked - and truly, it DOES look gorgeous, doesn't it? I received a comment from my neighbor to bring it to her party the next day for her son's 8th grade graduation - Congrats, Jacob!
While it was a hit at the party - it received many compliments - I think it was mostly a hit with Jacob and his young friend as they proceeded to devour half of the bowl together.
They enjoyed the flavor at first, but as the chow down session wore on, both were beading with sweat on their foreheads and attempting to waft the fumes of heat from their mouths.
Luckily there was a bit of whipped cream for them at the end of the evening to help control the burn, but I'm happy to say I believe I've converted a few more in the world to chileheads.
Yes! Goal accomplished.
Let's talk about how to make Xni Pec, shall we?
Xni Pec Ingredients
Habanero Peppers. Habaneros are key to this dish for their fiery heat and citrusy flavor.
Tomato. Juicy Roma tomatoes are great here.
Onion. I'm using white onion.
Sour Orange Juice. Sour orange juice is a unique ingredient that makes this dish special. If you can't find it, use fresh lime juice + fresh orange juice (as a variation, try grapefruit juice).
Fresh Chopped Cilantro.
Salt. To personal taste.
How to Make Xni Pec (Habanero Salsa) - the Recipe Method
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Taste and adjust for salt. Watch out for the punch of initial heat!
Cover and refrigerate overnight for the flavors to mingle and develop. Serve!
Boom! Done! Your habanero salsa is ready to serve. Get ready to sweat, my friends. Xni-Pec truly delivers in the heat department. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this salsa recipe up right away, as it is quite awesome when fresh, or let it sit covered in the refrigerator at least a couple hours or better yet, overnight, to allow the flavors to develop, just as you would do with a pico de gallo.
I like it both ways. Serve this as an appetizer along with chips, or as a garnish for tacos or tostados. I often like to spoon salsa over fish or chicken for a healthier but big-on-flavor meal choice.
Xni Pec will certainly deliver on those accounts. I hope you enjoy it as much as the soon-to-be freshmen did!
Patty's Perspective
The citrus in this salsa really tamed the other ingredients to my own personal tastes. Sometimes raw onion can be harsh, but not so with this recipe. It was quite hot, but delicious.
Try Some of My Other Popular Salsa Recipes
Habanero Salsa
Fresh Mango Salsa
Salsa Criolla - Argentinian Salsa
Homemade Picante Sauce
Salsa Roja
Salsa Verde
Fresh Ghost Pepper Salsa
Got any questions? Ask away!I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
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Xni-Pec (Dog’s Nose) - Habanero Salsa Recipe
Xni-Pec is a Yucatan salsa made with fresh habanero peppers, tomato, onion, sour orange juice and more. It packs some heat, and as the name implies, might make you sweat like a dog's nose.
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 6/3/22 to include new information and video. It was originally published on 6/6/16.
For red-based salsas, add more tomato, if possible, or add finely chopped cucumber, avocado, fresh leafy herbs, mango, melon or oranges. A touch of honey or sugar may also help.
For red-based salsas, add more tomato, if possible, or add finely chopped cucumber, avocado, fresh leafy herbs, mango, melon or oranges. A touch of honey or sugar may also help.
Remove the seeds and membranes if you want your pico slightly less hot. Finally, I like to add a handful of chopped cilantro to mine, along with a quick squeeze of lime juice, though the latter can always be added via some sliced wedges at the table.
Adding acid and sweetness are well known ways to tame a spicy dish. Try squeezing in the juice of a quarter lime and a half teaspoon of sugar or honey. Remember you can always add more, so mix in additional flavors little by little and taste as you go.
Balancing it with an acid can help neutralize the molecule's activity. This means drinking or eating something acidic — such as lemonade, limeade, orange juice or a tomato-based food item or drink — may also help cool your mouth down. (Milk is also acidic, by the way.) DO down some carbs.
As tomatoes ripen, their sugars start to convert to acids, resulting in a bitter taste. It's important to use fresh, firm tomatoes for your salsa to avoid any bitterness. Additionally, removing the tomato seeds can help reduce bitterness, as they can contain bitter compounds.
The best acidic ingredients that help make salsa less spicy are: Lime Juice, Lemon Juice, and Tomatoes. Depending on your personal taste preferences, and the flavor of your salsa, you may decide to add one or more of these ingredients.
The Best Mild Salsa You Can Buy Practically Anywhere: Pace Chunky Salsa. Emily Johnson admitted that she loved this salsa mostly for its "nostalgic flavor." It had pleasant low-level heat and was chunky, but a little thinner than our top picks.
Medium is spicier than mild, but many store-bought “medium” and “mild” foods taste similar. Spiciness levels are based on how much of the chemical capsaicin a pepper has. The scale ranges from mild to extremely hot. Everybody has a different spice tolerance—“mild,” “medium,” and “hot” are all relative.
Fortunately, there's an easy way to thicken this kind of salsa to your exact liking: tomato paste. A tablespoon or two could be just what you need to tighten up your sauce but do keep in mind that not all salsas are the same.
How do you make store bought salsa hotter? add any kind of hot peppers such as jalapeno diced, hot chili peppers diced,cayenne pepper those are just a few you can add and you will add the heat and will not alter the taste….
Cumin – Its earthy flavor adds complexity to the zesty sauce. Sugar – Just a pinch! It really brings this recipe together, taming the sharp, acidic flavors of the other ingredients.
For mild salsa, use banana peppers, Anaheim peppers, and/or canned diced green chile peppers. For medium salsa, add one finely chopped jalapeno to the mix. For hot salsa, add two finely chopped jalapeno peppers or the even hotter serrano peppers.
Adding a sweet ingredient can help counteract the heat and help to make salsa less spicy. But what? Start by adding a teaspoon of sugar to your hot salsa and mix it in thoroughly. Taste it and see if this has reduced the heat enough for you to eat the salsa.
Adding something sweet to a too-spicy dish is another great way to reduce spiciness. A sprinkle of sugar or honey should do the trick. Or add a touch of sweet ketchup. If it's a tomato-based sauce, stir in a little more tomato sauce and maybe a touch of sugar.
Prelief can help. Two caplets of Prelief can reduce 95% of the acid in 2TBSP of Chunky Salsa Medium. Pico de gallo, also known as salsa fresca, salsa picada, or salsa mexicana is made with fresh chopped tomatoes, lime juice, chilies (heat of your choice), onions, cilantro leaves.
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