A Classic Mexican Salsa Recipe
I want to share with you my favorite salsa recipe. It has great tomato flavor with the pop of cilantro and just right amount of heat from the serrano chiles. It goes well with chips, carne asada tacos, taquitos, eggs and just about any other dish that you like to add salsa to. You will find a variation of this salsa on tables throughout Mexico. It’s a classic and with good reason.
How to Make Mexican Salsa
Five ingredients are all you need for this quick and easy salsa recipe.
- Tomato
- Onion
- Garlic
- Cilantro
- Lime juice
Tomatoes are the most important ingredient. The fresher they are the better your salsa will taste. Look for the ripest ones you can find. Getting a good char on the vegetables is another key to developing the flavor. The lime juice brightens and enhances the flavor. The recipe calls for two serrano peppers but only add one if you want to reduce the heat.
Create Your Own Salsa
This recipe is a great starting point to develop your own Mexican salsa recipe. Adjust any or all of the ingredients to suit your tastes. Although this recipe calls for charring the chiles, you can also make it without charring them. Add more chiles for a spicier sauce or reduce the number for a milder version. Substituting jalapeño chiles for the serrano chiles will make a milder salsa too.
Homemade is Best
I encourage you to make your own salsas. It’s simple, takes little time and well worth the effort. Store-bought salsas just don’t compare. I think you’ll agree.
Provecho!
Mexican Salsa Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 Roma tomatoes halved
- 1 medium onion quartered
- 2 serrano chiles whole
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 6 sprigs of cilantro
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon of salt
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet or comal on high
- Place all of the vegetables except the cilantro in the pan or on the comal
- Allow the vegetables to char turning once
- Once the ingredients are well charred put them on a plate and allow them to cool
- Add all of the ingredients to the blender including the cilantro, lime juice, and salt
- Blend until all of the ingredients are just incorporated. Do not over blend
Angelica says
December 23, 2013 at 5:54 amAny chance you will post your enchilada sauce recipe you had on your previous website? Been searching high and low for it. Thank you!
Diana BEll says
July 2, 2018 at 2:09 pmWhat is a “comal” and where can you buy one.
PS. I love love your website. Thank you.
Douglas Cullen says
July 23, 2018 at 7:24 amDiana, a comal is a Mexican griddle used for many tasks; cooking tortillas and gorditas, reheating tamales, roasting peppers, and charring vegetables for salsa. Hernán sells a nice cast iron one https://hernanllc.com/collections/cookware/products/comal Cheers!
Poohla says
September 22, 2018 at 2:37 pmDouglas, I was just wondering about using the iron skillet or comal and the tomatoes. I tried a different recipe the other day and used my iron skillet to toast the ancho chilies, tomatoes and serrano peppers it called for. After blending all the ingredients, I used the same skillet to heat and cook the finished sauce. I only thought about it after the fact and wondered if the acidic sauce changed in flavor by using the iron skillet. I am sure our grandmothers used their iron for everything and never worried about the acid in them, so I am sure this question is moot, but I still want to know. I am not a very good cook, even though I try, and last weeks sauce did not turn out very tasty. I am going to give this one a try and hope it comes out better. Thank you for posting this.
glen says
March 19, 2019 at 2:08 pmHello Douglas, if i double the tomatoes to make it more liquidity would i also double the spices to ? i put a green chilli in mine . Thank U.
glen says
April 2, 2019 at 5:48 pmHello ! Mr.D, U said juice of one lime, is that the small or big lime T U. Also i got me a wooden tortilla smasher, A.K.A. tortilla press so i can try to make corn tortillas ,this time i hope they doint stick to the pam covered plastic ! Hope U & Ur wife all the best GOD has !
glen warren spencer says
May 16, 2019 at 10:19 pmHello Mr D need help again, i use 2 serranos ,yet next day no heat , any suggestions would help T U
Douglas Cullen says
May 17, 2019 at 7:16 amIf you want to add more heat to the salsa the next day. Very finely chop another serrano pepper and and mix it in with the salsa. Let it sit for about 10 minutes and it it will have the heat you are looking for and will taste great too. Cheers!
Glen Spencer says
May 27, 2019 at 11:23 amGood morning mr. D I took your advice I used to jalapenos then I take the seeds and stem of another jalapeno and I put that in there and I let it sit overnight and next day it’s perfect and I also add a half a teaspoon of liquid Mesquite flavoring cuz I like Mesquite flavor this is Mike salsa recipe from now on thank you very much !☺☺