Valentina hot sauce is a Mexican staple and plays a huge part in the culinary culture, often poured over fries, popcorn, or fruit to add a little zing and spice.
If you have ever been to Mexico, you will recognize Valentina hot sauce from their street food – little carts that sell fruits and veg in plastic bags have smothered it in the sauce. That is salsa, Valentina!
Valentina is a brand, but you can make a delicious dupe at home if you can’t find it on store shelves.
We have put together a list of our favorite recipes for you to try, using this pantry must-have at home.
The Authentic Tasting Valentina Sauce
Ingredients:
One cup of white vinegar.
One cup of water.
Two tablespoons of chili powder
Two tablespoons of hot paprika
Two teaspoons of salt
One teaspoon of sugar
Method:
Add all of your ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for a minute on medium heat.
Take it off of the stove and let it sit for 4-5 minutes, but don’t let it cool completely.
Put everything into a blender and blitz for 1-2 minutes on high, until everything is well dissolved.
Pour the sauce into a sterilized bottle, and then secure with an airtight lid. Let the sauce rest for a few hours, and then use it as you like.
Valentina Hot Sauce Flavored Salt
Ingredients:
A quarter of coarse or flaky sea salt One teaspoon of Valentina hot sauce
Method:
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees fahrenheit.
Add a teaspoon of your Valentina hot sauce to a quarter cup of sea salt.
Mix everything together well.
Spread this mix into a thin layer on a lined baking sheet, and then place it in the oven.
Turn the oven off (as the salt will only need residual heat to dry out).
Stir every 10 to 15 minutes.
After about 30 to 45 minutes, the salt should be totally dry, and lighter in color.
You can keep it as is, or you can grind it to a finer powder using a spice grinder. The finer the powder, the better adhesion it will get with the food that you use it on.
Store in an airtight container.
Buttery Shrimp In Valentina Hot Sauce
Ingredients:
One and a quarter pounds of large shell-on shrimp, preferably with the head still on, too.
Kosher salt, to taste.
Half of a cup of Valentina sauce (or more/less, depending on your spice preference).
One tablespoon of fresh lime juice
One teaspoon of Maggi liquid seasoning, or soy sauce.
One teaspoon of Tajin Clasico seasoning, or kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
Half of a cup (equivalent to one stick) of chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces.
1 cup of thinly sliced red onion.
Method:
Cook your shrimp in a large pot of salted boiling water, until they are just turning opaque, which should take about 30 seconds. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined baking sheet so that they drain.
Bring the hot sauce, lime juice, Tajin, and Maggi seasoning to a gentle simmer in a large frying pan or skillet over medium to low heat. Whisk constantly, and gradually add butter, a few pieces at a time. Wish until all the butter is incorporated, and the sauce has fully emulsified. Add the shrimp, and cook, tossing gently, and then adjust the heat as is necessary to ensure that the sauce is kept just below a simmer. Finish when the shrimp are fully cooked through, which should take about five minutes.
Serve on top of the onions, on a platter.
Easy Mexican Ranch Style Eggs
Ingredients:
Two small flour tortillas
One or two eggs
One ripe but still firm medium-sized tomato
Three tablespoons of red Valentina sauce
A pinch of oregano
A little bit of water
Half of an avocado, cubed
Crumbled Wensleydale
Chopped fresh coriander
Lime
Butter and olive oil
Method:
Cook the tortillas by dry frying them in a saucepan until they penguin to puff and brown ever so slightly.
Make the sauce by slicing the tomatoes, into the sauce pan, with a good glug of oil. Fry the slices for a minute each side, so that they soften but still hold their shape. Then, add chili sauce, water and the oregano to the pan. Stir for a minute, and then set aside. Taste for seasoning (though the Valentina should be doing most of the heavy lifting on this front).
Fry your eggs in a separate pan, using plenty of butter. Cool the eggs however you like them, We like sunny side up!
Serve by placing the tortillas on a warm plate, and arranging with the eggs on top, followed by the tomato and avocado, crumbled Wensleydale cheese, and garnished with chopped coriander and a lime wedge.
Valentina Hot Sauce Michelada Cocktail
Ingredients:
One lime
One tablespoon of tajin, or any other chili lime seasoning
Two teaspoons of a Mexican Hot sauce, such as Valentina
One teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
A Mexican beer, like Modelo (but just pick your favorite).
Method:
Rim your glass by slicing your lime in half, and then running the lime around the lip of the cup a few times, until it has been coated in lime juice. Place the tajin seasoning on a small plate, and rub the lime juice-covered rim of the cup around in it, until it is coated. Carefully fill the cup up with ice, taking care not to knock the spices off.
Add the lime juice, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce into a cup. Top the cup up with beer, and give it a gentle stir. Serve with the remainder of the beer on the side.
Valentina Spicy Mayo Sauce
Ingredients:
Half of a cup of mayo
Two teaspoons of sriracha or hot sauce
One tablespoon of lemon juice or lime juice
One teaspoon of granulated sugar
Two teaspoons of oil
One garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, and then whisk until the sauce is creamy and well incorporated. Enjoy!
Final Thoughts
Valentina hot sauce is a staple of Mexican food – and it is easy to see why. These recipes show the culinary diversity of Mexico’s favorite condiment.
Now you know how to add a little spicy Mexican flair to anything you are whipping up in your kitchen, without too much hassle.
