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You are here: Home / Salsas & Sauces / Spicy Habanero Salsa

Spicy Habanero Salsa

Douglas Cullen, This blog generates income via ads and affiliate links which earn us a small commission.

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.

Tomato Habanero Salsa

How to Make

Ingredients:

A few simple ingredients make a great salsa.

  • 3 very ripe tomatoes (about 1 lb.)
  • ½ white onion
  • 2 habanero peppers (chiles)
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1tsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tbsp. oil.

Note: If you are sensitive to hot peppers, which habaneros definitely are, you can wear gloves to avoid any discomfort.

Ingredients Tomato Habanero Salsa

Remove the stems from the tomatoes and chiles and quarter the tomatoes and onion.

Chopped Ingredients Habanero Salsa

Preheat 1 tbsp. oil to medium-hot. Cook the tomatoes, onion, habaneros, and garlic until they start to brown, about 10 minutes.

Cooked Ingredients Habanero Salsa

Blend with the salt, vinegar.

Habanero Salsa Ingredients in Blender

You’re salsa before being cooked. It’s starting to look good. The next step is “seasoning.”

Blended Salsa Ingredients

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.

Seasoning Habanero Salsa

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.

Reducing the Salsa

Looks good, doesn’t it?

Yucatán Style Habanero Salsa
Tomato Habanero Salsa
Print Pin
4.25 from 44 votes

Habanero Salsa Recipe

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.
Course Salsa
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Habanero Salsa Recipe, How to Make Habanero Salsa, Salsa Habanera
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 61kcal
Author Douglas Cullen

Ingredients

  • 3 very ripe tomatoes about 1 lb.
  • 2 habanero chiles
  • ½ 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 cup | Calories: 61kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Sodium: 6mg | Sugar: 2g

More Mexican Salsa Recipes

  • Salsa Verde
  • Restaurant Salsa
  • Avocado Salsa
  • Red Enchilada Sauce
  • Salsa Taquera

More Authentic Mexican Salsas

  • Chunky Mango Salsa
  • Chipotle Salsa
  • Pineapple Habanero Salsa
  • Salsa Roja with Queso Cotija

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Alex Gibson says

    June 18, 2022 at 10:08 pm

    5 stars
    Well, I had a yellow onion I needed to use. That was the only substitution. I used canola oil for the browning & seasoning process. I went with the tomato weight of 1 pound. I have homegrown Roger Torsyth Giant Habaneros which were used. The simplicity of the ingredients and the pan browning and seasoning along with the apple cider vinegar are, what I believe, the keys to this excellent recipe. I look forward to making this again when my heirloom tomatoes are ripe. Thank you very much for the recipe. I will be attempting any and all recipes by Mr. Cullen.

    Reply
    • Douglas Cullen says

      June 20, 2022 at 9:21 pm

      We’re glad you loved the salsa. Everything is better with heirloom tomatoes. Thanks for letting us know!

      Reply
  2. Brandon says

    August 06, 2022 at 3:27 pm

    4 stars
    I made this salsa with twice as many habaneros and it is not even warm. The peppers were so hot i could barely could cut them up without coughing. Why would it not come out hot? Is it my tomatoes?

    Reply
  3. Ray says

    August 10, 2022 at 6:35 am

    Can I batch make this and refrigerate if so how long please

    Reply
  4. Mike Viront says

    September 28, 2022 at 2:38 pm

    5 stars
    This turns out great every time I’ve made it. My question is can it be safely processed in a water bath to preserve it? And should I add more vinegar for canning.

    Reply
  5. brad c says

    October 11, 2022 at 8:02 pm

    this looks like a great salsa, but i’ve tried it twice now and each time, it comes out like spicy tomato sauce. do you have any advice?

    Reply
  6. Graham Dawson says

    October 16, 2022 at 3:50 pm

    5 stars
    I first tried your recipe a couple of years ago, and it has been my go to salsa recipe ever since. Living on the east coast, frost is coming, so today was the tomato and pepper picking day. I didn’t grow habaneros this year, but I did grow cayenne peppers and plum tomatoes. I used 6 cayennes which turned out to be heat equivalent to 1 habanero. Delicious as usual. Thanks again for sharing the recipe!

    Reply
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D. Cullen Profile Picture

Hola, I am Douglas. Let me share my love of Mexican Cuisine with you that developed over 20+ years of living in Mexico.

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D. Cullen Profile Picture

Hola, I am Douglas. Let me share my love of Mexican Cuisine with you that developed over 20+ years of living in Mexico.

More about me →


Most Popular Recipes

  • Classic Salsa Verde
  • Restaurant Style Salsa
  • Traditional Sopa de Fideo
  • Red Pork Pozole
  • Chicken Tinga
  • Agua de Jamaica
  • Tres Leches Cake
  • Beet Salad with Feta Cheese and Citrus Balsamic Viniagrette
  • Red Enchilada Sauce
  • Mole Poblano

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