About us

Pinche’s Salsas sources its ingredients from central Mexico, bringing Serrano Chiles from the mountainous regions of Puebla, Árbol Chiles mainly from the Northern Highlands of Chihuahua and Nuevo León, and the Nayarit highlands, and producing our Chipotle Chiles in Chihuahua.

Once the chiles arrive in El Paso, they are cleaned and roasted on grills in clay ovens with mesquite wood.

Our Heritage

The story begins in Chihuahua, Mexico, in 1808 with Francisco Quiñones, a humble peasant with a knack for seasoning and big dreams of becoming an international chef to share Mexican cuisine worldwide. His passion for cooking led him to work as a pinche (kitchen assistant) in various northern Mexican haciendas, where his true talent lay in his salsas. Unfortunately, the head cooks took all the credit, and he never advanced.

Frustrated by culinary injustices, Francisco left formal kitchens to join the revolutionary ranks as a cook. He served salsas with totopos at the historic 1914 Revolutionary Convention in Mexico City, where Generals Zapata and Villa met. There, General Francisco Villa named him Head Pinche (Chief Chef) of the Northern Division.

Everyone raved about Francisco “El Pinche” Quiñones’ salsas. Rumors spread that they were not only delicious but had aphrodisiac properties and boosted courage in battle. It was said Villa’s Dorados slathered their tacos with so much salsa they boldly invaded Columbus, New Mexico.

Legend has it “El Pinche” fled to the Chihuahua mountains with an Adelita he met, and for a time, nothing was heard of him or his salsas. In 2010, Flavia Quiñones, his great-granddaughter, discovered his salsa recipe book in a secret room of an abandoned hacienda once owned by Francisco. She knew it was her mission to share “El Pinche’s” legacy.