Deb’s Chica Loca Salsa LLC

started home based in 2008.

   Officially established in 2022, Deborah Quezada Hernandez is the proud owner and CEO of this small local business serving the NW Indiana region.  We specialize in a wide variety of delicious, authentic and fresh tasting salsas and appetizers. We market our products through direct sales offering pick up, delivery and shipping services. We have gift baskets and gift sets for sale. We offer salsa bars for private, commercial and corporate events. You can also find us at farmers markets, festivals, and craft shows. Our salsa is known for it’s freshness and taste. We love to share our signature recipes featuring many of our salsas because “It’s more than just for dippin and more than just for Mexican cuisine!” 

Deb’s Chica Loca Salsa

MY story

“As a young girl growing up on the South Eastside of Chicago. I used to love watching my dad who would work wonders in our kitchen. My dad was born and raised in Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico. He came to the United States when he was about 14 years old. He started working for Wisconsin Steel Mill a few years later and worked there for about 25 plus years. My dad was a very hard working man and was a great provider, always willing to go without so that we could have. When it came to his home life, one of my fondest memories growing up was watching him create all kinds of delicious foods. He had such a talent for coming up with his own creations in a flash just using what was on hand, and it amazed me. The one thing I always remembered being a staple in our kitchen was the variety of delicious salsas he made himself and used on a daily basis, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. My favorite childhood dish he made for us was Chilaquiles, a delicious Mexican breakfast. After all those years of working in the mill, sadly, they closed their doors for good. That was a really rough time for us. Even though we went through this very hard season financially, you would have never known it when it came to family meals because of his passion and talent for being so creative as he cooked with his heart and with what we had on hand. His love for us definitely showed in all of his dishes. Food was truly our bond with one another. I learned how to cook from both my mom and dad by the time I was 9 years old and really enjoyed it. I still do to this day.

As I got older, it was evident that I too was blessed with the same talents as my dad. Creating quite a few salsa recipes of my own and used them in my own dishes, just like my dad did. My salsas and salsa dish creations were brought to parties and gatherings, they were a constant hit. I was always being encouraged to jar it up and sell it, so one day I decided to. I believe God works behind the scenes in our lives in so many ways. One evening, back in 2008 I was working as a bartender and this man came into the bar, who I did not really know, and he gave me this big tequila bottle filled with peppers, oil and herbs, the bottle looked beautiful. That was my inspiration to start selling my own salsas. I started out with 3 kinds and sold them to family, friends, coworkers, bar patrons, etc. Right from the start I obtained a lot of sales and regular loyal customers, who love my salsa and continue to shop with me today. I absolutely love being in the kitchen working with food, it is therapeutic for me and where I found my passion making people happy though adding love into my food just like my dad did.

I came up with the name, Deb’s Chica Loca Salsa (Crazy Girl Salsa) because I was known for being funny and the life of the party since I was a kid. One of my cousins nicknamed me “Crazy Cuz”. So I came up with the name, Deb’s Chica Loca Salsa and it had a nice ring to it and so I decided to use it.

Even though I was doing what I loved, behind the scenes I battled with addiction to drugs, alcohol, anxiety and depression. I struggled since I was a teenager. This put such a hindrance on moving forward with accomplishing any part of my dream. In 2012, I married my husband and I became a born again Christian and gave my life to Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. I soon overcame my addictions and started living a clean and sober life. A couple of years later I found out I had cancer. I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphatic Lymphoma and still battling it today since 2017.

In 2021 Covid hit me really hard during my chemo treatments. I was hospitalized, bedridden and on oxygen for almost a year. I am a firm believer in blessings coming in disguise. My illnesses caused me a lot of down time, which took a toll on me because I was always a busy and on the go kind of gal. Before allowing depression to take over, I decided to put that down time to good use. I learned how to use a computer, and took some business classes, for free by the way. I am excited to say during this time I created quite a few more recipes to add to my line of salsa creations. 13 varieties and still counting.

After receiving all of my licenses, insurance, tax IDs, I became an LLC all in a matter of a year. How great is that? What an exciting journey, learning and growing. My hard work and dedication was starting to pay off. In 2023, my dad, 86 years old came to live with my husband and I because he could no longer care for himself. I loved my dad so much, there was no way we were gonna put him into a nursing home. I took time off from my job and put the salsa business on the back burner to care for my dad full time. We were blessed to have my dad for the last year of his life. One last birthday, one last Christmas, we made some memories. He broke our hearts and passed away, 87 years old on January 25, 2024. I am so thankful for him and will never forget the things he taught me and how much he loved us. I was blessed to be able to give back to him what he gave to me. He enjoyed my cooking and my salsas as much as I loved his.

Today, Deb’s Chica Loca Salsa LLC is getting back in the groove of things. We offer an amazing line of salsas to choose from and now offering some appetizer products to build up our business and better serve our customers. We are local, serving the NW Indiana region. Our goal is to specialize in providing high quality and amazing fresh tasting homemade salsas offering “a lil something for everyone”, and while sharing our delicious and easy recipes, Deb’s Chica Loca Salsa can be a staple in every kitchen because “It’s more than just for dippin!” and “more than just for Mexican cuisine.”

Our mission: Focusing on quality ingredients, excellent service, creating relationships, glorifying God, while building up our community.

Our vision: Taking my dad’s legacy creating quality products that stand out from the rest, bringing simple and delicious family meals back into our homes because our salsas are more than just for dippin!

We have no physical location at this time. We market our products through direct sales, gift baskets and gift sets. We do salsa tastings, private, commercial and corporate salsa bar events, farmers markets, festivals and craft shows. As we continue on this path, may the Lord bless us with our own storefront. this would give us the ability to give back to the community by helping out future entrepreneurs. I personally would love to find a way to give back by helping others that battle alcohol and or drug addiction. I believe in second chances, because I was given one myself. There really is hope out there for anyone with a dream, passion and the drive. If I can make it where I am today and where I am going, then it is possible for anyone out there as well. I serve an all powerful God, and keep Him at the center of my dream big or small..

Blessings to all.

Deborah Q. Hernandez

Owner/CEO

Deb’s Chica Loca Salsa LLC

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as if you were working for the Lord and not for human masters.”

Colossions 3:23

For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son so that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16