• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Mexican Food Journal logo
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • About The Journal
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Salsas & Sauces / Restaurant Style Salsa

    Restaurant Style Salsa

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

    Salsa Roja or Salsa de Mesa or Salsa Mexicana

    Simple, fresh, and easy to make. A winning Mexican restaurant style salsa prepared with plum tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and serrano peppers. Fresh tomatoes, not canned, star in this recipe.

    Mexican Restaurant Salsa

    In Mexico, it is known as salsa roja (red sauce)or salsa de mesa (table sauce). And just like in the U.S., it is served in every restaurant before your meal with tortilla chips.

    Try With These Dishes

    This salsa goes really well with quesadillas, carne asada, chorizo tacos, chicken fajitas, chicken taquitos, and nachos.

    This is an easy Mexican salsa recipe that you will make again and again. Follow the simple steps to get great results every time.

    Start with Fresh Ingredients. They Count

    Homemade salsa starts with fresh ingredients. The fresher they are the better the results. Don’t use canned tomatoes. It gives the salsa a metallic taste.

    You’ll notice that there aren’t any limes in the recipe. Whhhaaattt? Lime juice throws off the balance of flavors by overpowering the flavor of the tomatoes. But, if you prefer your salsa with lime try adding the juice from only one lime at a time until you get it perfect.

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound plum (Roma) tomatoes
    • 1 half medium white onion
    • 2 serrano chiles or small jalapeños
    • 1 clove garlic (optional)
    • 8 sprigs fresh cilantro
    • 2 tablespoons cooking oil
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    Restaurant Salsa Ingredients

    Chop the Ingredients Before Blending

    You need to chop the ingredients before adding them to the blender. Precise chopping isn’t important. You just need smaller pieces so that it is easier to blend without adding water.

    Chopped Ingredients Restaurant Salsa

    Don’t Add Water

    Put all of the ingredients in your blender. Adding the tomatoes first makes it much easier to blend.

    Do not add water unless it won’t blend and then only add 2 tablespoons of water at a time. Most of the time you won’t have to add any. Too much water makes the salsa runny.

    You want a full-bodied slightly chunky tomato salsa.

    Salsa Ingredients in Blender

    Pulse to Get It Started

    The easiest way to get it started it to pulse the blender 5 or 6 times until the blades start to catch. Then blend for about 30 to 45 seconds until it is fully blended but still has a coarse texture. The salsa sticks to tortilla chips better when it has a little texture.

    Blended Salsa

    Fry in Hot Oil

    Once the salsa is blended, you are going to fry it in 2 tablespoons of hot cooking oil. To fry it you just pour it into the hot oil. This step is important to develop the flavor of the salsa and helps bind it. Don’t skip it.

    Cooking Salsa

    Simmer Until Perfect

    Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes until it has taken on a deep red color and has more body. Looks good, doesn’t it? The tomatoes need to be very ripe for the sauce to take on the deep red color in the photos.

    Simmering Salsa Roja

    There you have it, a delicious cooked salsa recipe!

    Cool and Serve

    Allow your restaurant salsa to cool and then serve with tortilla chips, tacos, or anything else you enjoy with salsa.

    It is so easy to make you should always have some in your refrigerator. Let us know what you think!

    Make it Your Go To Homemade Salsa Recipe. Provecho!

    Mexican Restaurant Salsa and Chips
    Print Pin
    3.70 from 463 votes

    Restaurant Salsa Recipe

    Authentic Mexican restaurant salsa prepared with fresh plum tomatoes, white onion, cilantro, and serrano peppers just like they make in Mexico. It's simple, fresh-tasting, and easy to make.
    Course Salsa
    Cuisine Mexican
    Keyword How to Make Restaurant Salsa, Restaurant Salsa, Restaurant Salsa Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time 25 minutes minutes
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 60kcal
    Author Douglas Cullen

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound plum Roma tomatoes
    • 1 half medium white onion
    • 2 serrano chiles or small jalapeños
    • 1 clove garlic optional
    • 8 sprigs cilantro fresh
    • 2 tbsp. cooking oil
    • 1 tsp. salt

    Instructions

    • Remove the seeds and veins from the chiles (Leave them in if you want a hotter salsa)
    • Roughly chop the tomatoes, onion, chiles, and cilantro
    • Add the chopped vegetables to your blender (Do not add extra water unless needed and then add a couple of tablespoons at a time)
    • Add ½ teaspoon salt
    • Blend the salsa until it has a coarse texture
    • Preheat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan
    • Pour the blended salsa in the hot oil
    • Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low
    • Simmer for 15 minutes
    • Adjust the salt

    Notes

    Only use 1 serrano chile if you prefer a milder salsa.
    Add any or all of the following:
    • 1 clove of garlic
    • Juice from 1 lime
    • ¼ teaspoon cumin

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1/4 cup | Calories: 60kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Sodium: 338mg | Sugar: 3g

    Tools

    • Cutting board
    • Kitchen knife
    • 4-quart pot
    • Kitchen spoon
    • Serving bowl

    More Salsa Recipes

    • Easy Salsa Roja
    • Salsa Verde
    • Guajillo Salsa
    • Grilled Tomato Salsa
    • Enchilada Sauce

    More Authentic Mexican Salsas

    • Mexican chile morita salsa in white ceramic serving bowl
      Chile Morita Salsa
    • salsa borracha in a molcajete
      Salsa Borracha con Cerveza
    • Mango Salsa
      Chunky Mango Salsa
    • Salsa de Chipotle
      Chipotle Salsa

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Susan says

      August 11, 2017 at 2:31 pm

      5 stars
      THANK YOU for sharing this recipe. I have tried so many other recipes that have been a major fail. This salsa is spectacularly flavored! I used jalapeños because I am wimpy. My husband is ready for another batch, and so am I. Again, thank you for sharing this perfectly flavored salsa. YUM!

      Reply
      • Douglas Cullen says

        August 11, 2017 at 3:21 pm

        Susan, glad you liked it! Cheers!

        Reply
    2. Dan says

      August 15, 2017 at 9:55 pm

      Looking forward to this. Does it freeze well?

      Reply
      • Douglas Cullen says

        August 15, 2017 at 10:43 pm

        It freezes really well. Hope you enjoy it. Cheers!

        Reply
    3. Andrew Z says

      August 15, 2017 at 11:16 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Douglas,
      This recipe looks very tasty. Have you ever modified it for canning (making it shelf stable, not using canned tomatoes as an ingredient)?

      I’ve got about 30lbs of tomatoes that are a few days away from meeting their salsa jars.

      Thanks!
      Andrew

      Reply
      • Douglas Cullen says

        August 15, 2017 at 11:33 pm

        Andrew,

        I would imagine it could be canned but keep in mind I have no experience with canning so I am really just making a guess. You will have to check with a more reliable source that knows about canning tomatoes. It does freeze very well though. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.

        Cheers!

        Reply
    4. Kathryn says

      August 17, 2017 at 4:02 pm

      How long will it keep just in the fridge?

      Reply
    5. Jack says

      September 27, 2017 at 12:45 pm

      I just made this using jalapeños instead of serrano. I used a larger onion and one more tomato. Now I boiled then simmered but it didn’t get as red as the photo above. Is this normal or did I do something wrong? How do I get that deep red tone?

      Reply
      • Douglas Cullen says

        September 27, 2017 at 10:51 pm

        The color varies depending on the tomatoes. So just naturally turn darker when cooked. Did you use plum tomatoes or regular tomatoes? Plum tomatoes will get darker than regular tomatoes. Did use do the step where you cook the salsa in hot oil? This step helps a lot to darken it. Cheers!

        Reply
    6. Stuart Laub says

      November 16, 2017 at 10:18 am

      5 stars
      Yo preparé una salsa. Fue muy picante y muy bueno. Fue salado y dulce pero se ve delicioso. Tenia bueno sabor. El jalapeño y los pimientos son muy picantes. Yo encanta la comida picante y la salsa. Mi salsa es mas jugoso que mi amigo Will salsa. Salsa es bueno para fiestas. Salsa es mas cremoso que otro salsa.

      Reply
    7. Kelly says

      December 22, 2017 at 6:25 pm

      5 stars
      Made this recipe about an hour ago for a Christmas salsa contest! Turned out amazing and hope everyone likes it!

      Reply
      • Douglas Cullen says

        December 24, 2017 at 10:27 am

        Let us know how it goes. Cheers!

        Reply
    8. Samantha Esparza says

      December 22, 2017 at 7:52 pm

      4 stars
      I followed the recipe and also added cumin, a garlic clove, and simmered after boiled for 45 minutes, but the color is still orange, not red. How do I get the red color?

      Reply
      • Douglas Cullen says

        December 24, 2017 at 10:30 am

        Samantha, it really depends on the tomatoes. We started with really red ripe tomatoes. If the tomatoes are a little more pale the salsa tends to be on the orange side. It will be just as tasty though. Cheers!

        Reply
    9. Rachel says

      January 03, 2018 at 1:36 pm

      5 stars
      So excited to try this! (Have to use jalapeño because i couldn’t find Serrano in two different stores). Do you know how much it makes? I have several size jars and want to use the right size.

      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Douglas Cullen says

        January 04, 2018 at 10:46 am

        Rachel, you can substitute jalapeños for the serrano chiles and get great results. Try the recipe with 2 jalapeños and if the salsa is too spicy reduce it to one. Removing the seeds and veins from the chiles reduces the heat too. Cheers!

        Reply
    10. Abby says

      January 05, 2018 at 2:20 pm

      5 stars
      This is the BEST salsa! The Verde is great too. I didn’t habe Serranos so used jalapenos. Salsa wasn’t “right” so sent son to store, added Serranos. Perfection! Note i use both peppers in recipe. When people come in and see tomatillos on counter they get very happy! This recipe had enhanced our lives bc it’s great. Freezes well and i can use non gmo organic ingredients. Thank you.

      Reply
    11. Nona Y says

      February 15, 2018 at 9:38 am

      I made this salsa today; included the cumin, lime and garlic as suggested. However, I had to use diced green chiles instead of the serrano peppers because the peppers are too hot for my family (I like it but…they won out). Mild and delish! Next time I may use roasted romas instead of regular roma tomatoes. Great recipe. Gracias!

      Reply
    « Older Comments
    Newer Comments »

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    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
    • Bowl of Mexican Restaurant Style Salsa
      Restaurant Style Salsa
    • Bowl of Traditional Mexican Sopa de Fideo
      Traditional Sopa de Fideo
    • Bowl of Authentic Red Pozole
      Red Pork Pozole
    • Bowl of Chicken Tinga
      Chicken Tinga
    • Agua de Jamaica
    • Tres Leches Cake with Berries
      Tres Leches Cake
    • Beet Salad Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe
      Beet Salad with Feta Cheese and Citrus Balsamic Viniagrette
    • Cheese Enchiladas with Red Enchilada Sauce
      Red Enchilada Sauce
    • Authentic Mole Poblano
      Mole Poblano

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Mexico Publishing LLC