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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Restaurant Salsa Recipe
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
- 1 clove of garlic
- Juice from 1 lime
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
Nutrition
Tools
- Cutting board
- Kitchen knife
- 4-quart pot
- Kitchen spoon
- Serving bowl
Aaron says
Just an extra thought, chipotle peppers are canned in adobo. Adobe is a mud based building material. Or a software company. 😃
Sheena says
I LOVE this salsa recipe and my husband does too. I make it all the time now. Thank you so much for sharing :)
Larry scott. buffalo ny says
Can’t stand most jar salsas. Been looking for a restaurant type salsa and this worked out great..
Leslie Larson says
I emailed this jerk-off Douglas-C 3 times over 2 weeks to say that the sauce NEVER turned a dark red. I made it twice. The jerk-off NEVER responded. Don’t place your recipe on social media if you are going to be a JERK-OFF. Your sauce sucks.
Emma says
lol
Glen Spencer says
Hello Douglas my name is Glenn and I’m wondering about all the different red salsas is it okay to charge the vegetables on all of them and then fry them or just charm and don’t need to fry em does it make a difference looking forward to your response thank you and God bless by
Glen Spencer says
Hello Douglas this is Glenn I’m sorry for the misuse of the words that was the operator of the phone malfunction I was wondering about Charing the vegetables on all the red salsa recipes if it’s a good thing and frying them or not a good thing thank you
Danielle says
Do I really need a lender or is there a way around it please!!!thank you!
Jonnny Rocket says
A good idea, sounds great, but underwhelming. It’s a bit like finely chopped, cooked pico. I think cooking it killed the fresh cilantro and onion. Net time, I will use stewed tomatoes and then put in everything else fresh before I pulse in the food processor. Still chasing that dream!
Geoff says
I agree. I had a similar problem. Everything tasted great until I “fried” it in the oil. It completely removed the punchy cilantro and pepper flavors. It made the salsa taste like bland tomatoes with a little heat. I ate it, but I had to re-add fresh cilantro and peppers. Flavor should take priority over “binding”. Also, I like it more runny, less chunky… like you get at a Mexican restaurant.
Sounds like we had the same dream.
Douglas Cullen says
Thanks for giving the salsa a try and sharing your feedback. Cheers!
Glen Spencer says
If a person doubles or triples this to make five or six cups would that work?
Laurie McCabe says
Terrific recipe … the frying tip really adds to the overall flavor!
I roasted and blistered the tomatoes, jalapeño (I had those on hand), and garlic, and I used a half bunch of cilantro. It was easy and flavorful.
Thanks!
Mark says
Fry it Huh.
That must be the secret , mine came out dark red and sweet ,had to add some Cholula .
My tomatoes were really ripe, I also think I blended a little to long.
I hate raw tomatoes and this is perfect
Thanks
Colin says
Mine was orange….
James says
Normally when you blend tomatoes in a blender, it turns them orange due to all of the air being added. Use a food processor to solve the problem. Same thing when you make marinara.