Salsa Habanera
If you like your salsa hot, this is the one for you, a fiery red tomato habanero sauce like they make in the Yucatán. Habanero chiles have a fruity taste and are very hot, not for the faint of heart. A little goes a long, long way.
How to Make
Gather your ingredients. You need 3 very ripe tomatoes (about 1 lb.), 1/2 white onion, 2 habanero chiles (peppers), 1 clove of garlic, 1tsp. apple cider vinegar, and 3 tbsp. oil.
Remove the stems from the tomatoes and chiles and quarter the tomatoes and onion.
Preheat 1 tbsp. oil to medium hot. Cook the tomatoes, onion, chile and garlic until they start to brown, about 10 minutes.
Blend with the salt, vinegar.
You’re salsa before being cooked. It’s starting to look good. The next step is “seasoning.”
Fry the Salsa. This is an important step. Heat 2 tbsp. of oil to hot. Once the oil is hot, pour the blended salsa into the hot oil. This is called “seasoning” the salsa and it adds depth of flavor.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. During this time the salsa will darken in color, slightly thicken and take on a more intense flavor. It’s now ready to serve.
Looks good, doesn’t it?
Habanero Salsa Recipe
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 8 servings
Yucatán style tomato habanero hot sauce recipe. Habanero chiles have a fruity taste and are very hot, not for the faint of heart. If you like it hot, this is the salsa for you.
Ingredients
- 3 very ripe tomatoes (about 1 lb.)
- 2 habanero chiles
- 1/2 white onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp salt + to taste
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
Instructions
- Remove the stems from the tomatoes and chiles and quarter the tomatoes and onion.
- Preheat 1 tbsp. oil to medium hot. Cook the tomatoes, onion, chile and garlic until they start to brown, about 10 minutes.
- Blend the browned tomatoes, onions and garlic with the salt, vinegar.
- Heat 2 tbsp. of oil to hot. Once the oil is hot, pour the blended salsa into the hot oil to "season" it.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes to thicken and intensify the flavor.
Notes
Reducing the Heat
You can reduce the heat by only using 1 habanero chile. You can also remove the stems and seeds which will reduce the heat even more.
A Word of Caution
Habanero chiles are very hot. If you touch your mouth or eyes after handling them it will burn. Wash your hands thoroughly after working with chiles. Wearing gloves will help you avoid an uncomfortable situation.
Courses Salsa
Cuisine Mexican
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1/4 cup
Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
Calories 61 | ||
% Daily Value | ||
Total Fat 5 g | 8% | |
Sodium 6 mg | 0% | |
Total Carbohydrates 4 g | 1% | |
Sugars 2 g | ||
Protein 1 g | 2% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ivan Yoder says
May 27, 2017 at 3:55 pmI have made this twice now and I love it! Thank you for giving a SIMPLE recipe that is delicious. A lot of recipes require 48 ingredients most of which you have never heard of. This was classic, simple and I cant get enough of it!
Douglas Cullen says
May 28, 2017 at 9:17 pmIvan, glad you have enjoyed the salsa. Cheers!
mjskitchen says
May 31, 2017 at 9:09 pmHand me a bag of chips…I could easily eat a bowl of this in one sitting.
Connie says
July 21, 2017 at 7:25 amThis salsa is amazingly good, especially over fried potato, eggs and chorizo, maybe a few slices of peppers if you have any hanging around in the fridge.
Graham Dawson says
August 18, 2017 at 6:18 pmI used ONE habanero from my garden, tomatoes from a friends garden. I removed the seeds from the pepper. I’ll try it with two peppers next time. I can’t stop eating it! Wow, is this good!
Douglas Cullen says
August 18, 2017 at 6:26 pmGlad you liked it. It must be fantastic with homegrown peppers and tomatoes. I need to get some friends with gardens :) Cheers!
Graham Dawson says
October 11, 2017 at 2:15 pmSo I did the one habanero above, next time I did 2, the next time 3 and that was what we wanted. HOT. I am making it again with my homegrown habaneros and homegrown heirloom tomatoes. We just can’t get enough of this. Thanks again for the idea!
Andy says
August 28, 2017 at 9:41 amI added another pepper from my garden, I only had to buy garlic, my mouth is pleasantly on fire. Any other, yes I would recommend 2 but I love the heat. Great recipe
Mike viront says
September 7, 2017 at 11:38 amI made this for the first time for our labor day cookout.Everyone loved it.It’s hot but not to hot.I cut out the vein and the seeds of 2 Hibernos that I grew this year.Can’t wait to make more.the taste is amazing.
Hans Christian Linnartz says
November 25, 2017 at 8:44 amExcellent recipe! I used four habaneros and will probably add a ghost pepper next time, but I can take the heat and adore the flavors behind it. I also blended the peppers with about half the onions and tomatoes, but then threw in some cilantro and the rest of the tomatoes, garlic, and onions and chopped the remainder. This gave a salsa with a little more varied texture and the lovely taste of cilantro.
brent says
December 11, 2017 at 4:43 pmI have 2 questions, and hope you can reply in a short turnaround. I am going to make this for my students in the next 24 hrs.
First–why shouldn’t I char the veggies? In Mexican salsa making, what is the school of thought about salsa frita (like your recipe) vs. charred salsa? I’ve done them both but can’t determine why the variations are considered.
Two–If I double this, it would not be as simple as X2 your ingredients. would it?
Been to your MFJournal a few times and love it. Thanks for any reply.
Monica says
March 4, 2018 at 4:37 pmThis is the best salsa I’ve ever made and probably the best salsa I’ve ever eaten. I used one habanero and the heat is perfect. I’m in love.
AP says
July 29, 2018 at 4:46 pmI’ve made this salsa a bunch of times over the last year. I was so excited when my local farmer’s market started selling habaneros. Most of my friends don’t care for super hot food, so I eliminate most of the seeds. It’s a hit every time.
Douglas Cullen says
July 29, 2018 at 4:51 pmThat’s awesome! Glad the recipe has been a hit with your friends. Fresh habaneros have even more flavor. Cheers!
Aaron says
August 14, 2018 at 3:44 pmCan this recipe be canned and stored without refrigeration?
Douglas Cullen says
August 14, 2018 at 4:04 pmAaron, It definitely needs to be refrigerated. I’m not sure if it can be canned safely. I have never done any canning so you’ll have to check with another resource for safe canning tips. Hope that helps. Provecho!
Douglas Cullen says
August 16, 2018 at 4:39 amAaron, you will need to check with a resource on safe canning to verify if it can be canned and then stored without refrigeration. I have never done any canning so I am not a good guide. Cheers!
Aaron says
September 1, 2018 at 2:29 pmThank you for the response. How long woulda sealed jar be good for with refrigeration?
Ben says
August 24, 2018 at 4:09 pmNice recipe! Do you think cilantro is out of place in this salsa?