Red Salsa with Cotija Cheese
This authentic Mexican salsa roja (red sauce) recipe brings together two of my all-time favorite Mexican foods: salsa and Cotija cheese! In Mexico, salsa is a condiment, and there are so many ways to mix it up—from salsa verde to this simple recipe for salsa roja. The salty chunks of Cotija cheese make this homemade salsa at its best!
What to Expect from This Salsa Recipe
Salsa roja with Cotija cheese is a spicy salsa (but not too spicy!) made from chile de arbol or arbol chiles (tree chili), Serrano peppers, roma tomatoes, tomatillos, garlic and onion. Cotija, which is a Mexican cheese made with cow’s milk, complements the spice with a delightfully salty flavor.
And the citrusy cilantro brings all of these amazing ingredients into a perfect balance. This salsa doesn’t require cooking, so you won’t need olive oil or any other cooking oil. It’s quick, and you can find all the ingredients in your local Mexican grocery store.
Salsa Roja Is Healthy and Delicious!
Salsas are naturally healthy foods. Onions and tomatoes make them rich in Vitamin C, with an extra pop of Vitamin A from those tomatoes and jalapenõs if you throw some in. Salsa also contains potassium, and the cheese adds calcium. Best of all, it’s so tasty!
How to Make Salsa Roja with Cotija Cheese
Ingredients
- ½ pound Cotija cheese
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 2 tomatillos
- ¼ white onion
- 1 Serrano pepper
- 5 chiles de arbol (tree chili — also called bird’s beak chile or rat’s tail chile)
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 handful cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 ½ – 2 cups water
Prepare the Salsa
Fill a pot with 1 ½ to 2 cups of water and add the chiles de arbol, Serrano peppers, garlic, roma tomatoes, tomatillos and onion.
Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, or until the skin begins to peel away from the roma tomatoes and the chilis change to a lighter color.
Remove the peel from the cooked roma tomatoes.
Cut the tops off the chilis.
Add the contents of the pot—all vegetables and water—as well as salt to your blender or food processor.
Put the top on and carefully purée for about 15 seconds. You may want to cover the top with a kitchen towel and hold it down as you blend. The hot contents adds pressure to the container and you don’t want to get burned if the top pops off.
Pour the contents of the blender into a serving dish and reserve.
Prepare the Garnish
Finely chop the cilantro and reserve.
Toast the Cotija Cheese
Preheat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Then cut the Cotija cheese into triangles and place onto the hot griddle.
Heat top, bottom and sides of each piece for about one minute each, or until toasted the way you like. Because Cotija cheese doesn’t melt, it won’t stick to your griddle, so toast away! Also, it’s best to use a kitchen spatula to turn the cheese. If you use kitchen tongs or another tool, your cheese might break. So toasty!
Once toasted, remove from the heat to a plate.
Place cheese on a cutting board and cut into ½-inch cubes.
Serving Salsa Roja with Cotija Cheese
Add the cheese cubes to the salsa in your serving plate. Sprinkle on the reserved cilantro and you’re ready to eat! This salsa is the perfect companion to most kinds of Mexican cuisine.
Serve with carne asada tacos, over enchiladas, on huevos rancheros, with a side of guacamole or pico de gallo, with chilaquiles or simply place in the middle of the table with tostadas or tortilla chips.
Save some salsa for me!
Salsa Roja with Cotija Cheese
Equipment
- Blender
- Griddle or frying pan
- Spatula
- Cutting board
- Kitchen knife
- Serving bowl
- Soup pot
Ingredients
- ½ lb Cotija cheese
- 2 Roma tomatoes
- 2 Tomatillos
- ¼ White onion
- 1 Serrano chili pepper
- 5 Chiles de arbol (tree chili)
- 2 Garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 Handful cilantro finely chopped
- 1 ½ - 2 cups Water
Instructions
Prepare the Salsa
- Fill a pot with 1 ½ to 2 cups of water and add the chiles de arbol, Serrano peppers, garlic, roma tomatoes, tomatillos and onion.
- Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, or until the skin begins to peel away from the roma tomatoes and the chilis change to a lighter color.
- Remove the peel from the cooked roma tomatoes.
- Cut the tops off the chilis.
- Add the contents of the pot—all vegetables and water—as well as salt to your blender.
- Put the top on and carefully purée for about 15 seconds. You may want to cover the top with a kitchen towel and hold it down as you blend. The hot contents adds pressure to the container and you don't want to get burned if the top pops off.
- Pour the contents of the blender into a serving dish and reserve.
Prepare the Garnish
- Finely chop the cilantro and reserve.
Toast the Cotija Cheese
- Preheat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Then cut the Cotija cheese into triangles and place onto the hot griddle.
- Heat top, bottom and sides of each piece for about one minute each, or until toasted the way you like. Because Cotija cheese doesn’t melt, it won’t stick to your griddle. Also, it’s best to use a kitchen spatula to turn the cheese. If you use kitchen tongs or another tool, your cheese might break.
- Once toasted, remove the cheese from the heat to a plate.
- Place cheese on a cutting board and cut into ½-inch cubes.
Serve Your Salsa
- Add the cheese cubes to the salsa in your serving plate. Sprinkle on the reserved cilantro and you’re ready to eat! Serve with carne asada tacos, or simply place in the middle of the table with tostadas or tortilla chips.
Notes
- Sprinkle with oregano or squeeze a little lime juice on top for a flavor boost.
- Add some chipotle chili for a smoky salsa.
- Add ancho chili for a sweet, mild, chocolaty flavor.
Richard Roderick says
This is an absolutely fabulous salsa recipe. It is so simple, so quick and rivals any restaurant salsa that I have ever had and loved. I make a chunky Mexican salsa that I have perfected over the years but I have always been on a quest for the juicier restaurant red salsa. And this is it!
Make it just the way the recipe says and you will not be disappointed.
Richard Roderick says
The original recipe is making this salsa Roja as a soup. Leave out half the water or all the water, my preference, and it makes a super super dipping salsa!