The Best Salsa Roja Recipe
Hyper-delicious, flavor-packed salsa roja with smoky dried chiles. This Mexican restaurant-style salsa adds just the right kick to your fave dishes without intolerable heat.
Servings: 3 cups
Calories: 197kcal
Ingredients
- 2 arbol chiles
- 1 dried ancho chiles
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion diced
- ½ jalapeno diced (or serrano pepper)
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 4 cups fresh tomatoes diced
- ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 4 teaspoons lime juice
- 1 cup cilantro chopped
- 4 teaspoons olive oil additional
Instructions
- Remove the stems and seeds from the dried arbol and ancho chiles.
- Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the chiles for two to three minutes, or until they become fragrant, but not darker in color or bitter.
- Place the toasted chilies in a container and cover with hot water. Allow the chile peppers to hydrate for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a small pot or dutch oven (not cast-iron) over medium-high heat. After 90 seconds when the oil is hot, add the diced onion, jalapeño, and whole garlic cloves, cooking for 4-5 minutes until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the diced tomatoes, salt and lime juice, lower the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes until the tomato skins appear wrinkled.
- Drain the dried chilies and put them along with the cooked veggies from the stove and fresh cilantro into a blender, or food processor process (10-20 seconds on low speed in a blender, or 40 seconds in a food processor). You are looking for a nicely ground consistency, not a completely smooth puree.
- In the same pan you used before, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. After 90 seconds when the oil is hot, pour the blended salsa into the skillet and bring it to a simmer. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavors to develop, consistency to become thicker and color to deepen.
- Remove from heat and let the salsa cool to room temperature before serving. Once cool, you may transfer it to a sterile glass jar for storage in your refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
🌊 Soaking Secrets:
Ensure your dried chiles are thoroughly hydrated. If they’re not soft and pliable, you’ll end up with large pieces in your salsa.
🌶️ Spice Control to Major Tom:
Jalapeños vary in heat. Omit them for milder salsa, or add more if you like it hot. A spoonful of shatta or red chili sauce can also amp up the heat.
🙅♀️ Don’t Mess with Mr. Burns:
Watch your skillet when toasting chiles and cooking veggies. Too high of heat burns the ingredients, making the salsa bitter, and making a grown man cry. Stick to medium heat.
⏲️ Chill Out:
Let the salsa cool to room temperature and sit for at least an hour. This rest time makes the salsa taste better, and besides, warm salsa? No. Just, no.
Nutrition
Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 649mg | Potassium: 822mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 5240IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 2mg