Boost your favourite Mexican dishes with this salsa roja recipe…or simply eat it with tortilla chips. With its smoky taste, it is scrumptious any manner you attempt it!
Are you crew salsa roja or salsa verde? I’m crew…each! I like all sorts of salsa made with contemporary elements, and this salsa roja recipe is one I’ve been particularly loving recently. It differs from different purple salsas I’ve beforehand shared in two methods:
- I roast the contemporary elements. Charring the tomatoes, onion, and serrano peppers provides smoky depth of taste to this salsa recipe.
- I take advantage of a dried chile. It thickens the salsa, provides wealthy complexity, and brings out the smoky taste much more.
If you happen to do that salsa roja, you gained’t consider it’s do-it-yourself. It tastes like you possibly can have gotten it in a Mexican restaurant! As a result of it’s so contemporary and flavorful by itself, my favourite solution to get pleasure from it’s as a dip with tortilla chips. That mentioned, it’s scrumptious with Mexican fare like tacos and burritos too. I hope you like it!
Salsa Roja Recipe Elements
Right here’s what you’ll must make this salsa roja recipe:
- Dried ancho chile – Ancho chiles are dried poblano peppers. If you happen to’re delicate to spice, don’t fear—they don’t pack an excessive amount of warmth. As a substitute, they’re smoky and barely bitter, including wealthy taste to this recipe. If you happen to purchase a pack, use the leftover peppers to make extra salsa, do-it-yourself chili powder, or my vegetarian tortilla soup! Search for them in Mexican markets, spice retailers, or the Mexican part of your grocery retailer. They’re additionally straightforward to seek out on-line.
- Roma tomatoes – I like to make use of them right here as a result of they’re much less watery than different sorts of tomatoes, yielding a thicker salsa.
- Onion and garlic – For savory chew.
- Serrano pepper – For a spicy kick! If you happen to can’t discover a serrano, a jalapeño pepper is a superb sub. Be at liberty to skip these chili peppers should you’re delicate to warmth.
- Contemporary lime juice – It makes the salsa zesty and shiny.
- Avocado oil – Its richness helps stability this punchy salsa roja. One other impartial oil would work right here too.
- Contemporary cilantro – It provides a refreshing kick and fairly inexperienced flecks.
- And sea salt – To make all of the flavors pop!
Discover the whole recipe with measurements under.
The way to Make Salsa Roja
Step one on this salsa roja recipe is prepping the dried chile. Use kitchen scissors to take away the stem, then lower vertically alongside one of many pepper’s edges. Unfold it open in order that it lays flat.
Warmth a big, dry cast-iron skillet over medium warmth. Add the chile and toast till aromatic. Then, place it in a medium bowl, cowl it with water, and put aside to soak.
Subsequent, char the greens. Return the pan to medium warmth. Add the entire tomatoes, onion wedges, and serrano and cook dinner till the greens are properly charred, rotating them as they brown. Your complete course of ought to take 15 to twenty minutes.
Then, mix the salsa. Drain the ancho chile and pat it dry. Place it in a blender. Add the tomatoes, onion, serrano, garlic, avocado oil, lime juice, and salt. Mix till clean.
Lastly, add the cilantro and pulse till mixed. The salsa ought to have good inexperienced flecks. Season with extra lime and salt to style. Get pleasure from!
Tip
Chill the salsa earlier than serving. I recommending popping it within the fridge for not less than an hour to present the flavors an opportunity to meld. Plus, when it’s chilly, it’s tremendous refreshing!
The way to Serve Salsa Roja
We love this salsa roja as a dip with tortilla chips. Simply add guacamole for a enjoyable get together appetizer unfold!
It’s additionally nice with Mexican dishes like
It provides a punch of zesty taste to a burrito bowl too!
How do you wish to serve salsa roja? Let me know within the feedback!
Storage
Retailer this salsa roja recipe in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days. The flavour simply will get higher the longer it sits!
Extra Favourite Salsa Recipes
If you happen to love this salsa roja, attempt one in all these do-it-yourself salsa recipes subsequent:

Salsa Roja
Serves 8
- 1 dried ancho chile
- 6 Roma tomatoes
- ¼ medium white onion, lower into two wedges
- 1 serrano pepper, stemmed
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons contemporary lime juice
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- Heaping ¼ cup contemporary cilantro
Stop your display from going darkish
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Use kitchen scissors to slice the stem off the ancho chile, then lower it open vertically alongside one in all its edges. Unfold it open in order that it lays flat.
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Warmth a big, dry cast-iron skillet over medium warmth. Add the chile and toast for 1 to 2 minutes per facet, or till aromatic. Take away and switch to a medium bowl. Cowl with water and put aside to soak.
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Return the skillet to medium warmth. Add the entire tomatoes, onion wedges, and serrano and cook dinner till the tomatoes and serrano are browned and blistered and the onion is charred and gentle. Rotate the greens as they brown on all sides, eradicating them from the pan as they’re prepared. Your complete course of ought to take 15 to twenty minutes.
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Drain the chile and pat it dry. Place in a blender and add the charred tomatoes, onion, serrano, garlic, lime juice, avocado oil, and salt. Mix till clean. Add the cilantro and pulse till mixed. Season to style.