Category: appetizer

What is Salsa Roja?

Salsa Roja is the crowning glory of Mexican food. It is served with almost every dish and is like a culinary signature of Mexico.

This recipe also called red salsa, is a spicy sauce made from tomatoes, chili peppers, onions, and garlic.

Salsa is a combination of indigenous Mexican cuisine and the influence of European cuisine when spices such as garlic and onion came to America.

Salsa Roja is incredibly rich in flavors, acidity, and hot sauce. Warning: it can become highly spicy!

There are as many ideas for this incredibly delicious red salsa as there are regions of Mexico.

In central Mexico, red salsa is served with fresh vegetables, also known as Pico de Gallo.

However, the most popular Salsa Roja is the version with roasted vegetables. To maintain the slightly smoky flavor of this incredibly delicious salsa, we use various methods, such as roasting, claying, or roasting in a pan.

I suggest my favorite quick and easy version of Salsa Roja, where the salsa practically makes itself in the oven. You can create main dishes to serve it with. I like it as a dip for nachos and tacos, chicken enchiladas, or chicken quesadillas.

How to choose the best ingredients for Salsa Roja Recipe

Fresh Tomatoes: I prefer fresh tomatoes and recommend tomatoes like San Marzano, Plum, or Roma Tomatoes. But any other tomatoes work well, too, as long as they are of good quality and smell of the sun. Some chefs make red salsa from canned tomatoes. Assuming that the tomatoes are roasted in a pan or baked in the oven anyway, this version can also be interesting if you don’t have good quality fresh tomatoes. Good quality Italian canned tomatoes also fulfill their role in this incredibly easy recipe.

Onion: the onion in the original version is white. Still, I lean towards red onion because it not only gives a more delicate flavor but also blends nicely with finely chopped Salsa Roja.

Chile peppers: without tomatoes and chili, it would not be lasly. It is the base of this sauce, dip. The most popular chili for red salsa are serrano, guajillos, and jalapeño peppers. Each of them is complex and hot but still gives a different flavor to the salsa, so guajillos are more subtle in their hot flavor; their flavor is broken with a hint of sweetness compared to berries. Jalapeño or serrano are very hot peppers where this hotness is dominated. The most common chilies in this recipe are serrano, but other kinds of chilies also fulfill their role and reign in salsa roja in Mexican cuisine.

The choice of pepper depends on the region of Mexico where the salsa is prepared. There are also recipes where you use dried chiles and soak them before use. The amount doesn’t change in this case anyway. If you have dried serrano peppers, ancho chiles, or chile de arbol, you can also use them in this recipe. 

These are common chiles you can use to create the best salsa.

Attention! 

When I prepared my first sala roja many years ago, I completely trusted the recipe from the book. After the first drop, I could drink a sea of water so bad! This proves the importance of choosing a chili pepper for your taste. I also recommend removing the seeds before adding the pepper to the final version of the salsa. This procedure will significantly restore the taste of ordinary mortals and make the salsa edible.

Fresh Garlic Cloves: The roasted garlic is milder, and the sharp taste of such a large amount is not present.

Fresh Cilantro definitely breaks the chilies’ sharp flavors and the tomatoes’ sourness. It is such a compliment, and although I do not like this herb’s soapy taste, I consider it essential here.

Lime juice cannot replace the taste of lime with lemon in this recipe. Lime is more delicate and sweet and perfectly combines the flavors of chili, tomatoes, garlic, onion, and cilantro. It is a must-have in this recipe!

Ground Cumin appears in various versions of Salsa Roja but is not essential. This red salsa will perfectly cope with the taste without it. I like to add a pinch to diversify the taste.

Cinnamon is the same as this spice. If you decide to use cinnamon, I recommend Ceylon, the only original one with the best properties and the most nutrients.

Kosher salt is essential because it breaks both the sharp taste of chili and the acidity of tomatoes.

Olive oil for roasting so that vegetables are perfectly baked in the oven; this flavor is essential.

 Tips and Tricks for Homemade Salsa Roja

• If you have time, roast the chili, tomatoes, and onions in a pan to slightly char the skin.
• If you decide to roast the tomatoes in a pan, the best option is a heavy skillet, such as a cast iron pan.
• If you trust the recipe and salsa roja turns out inedible for you because the spicy taste burns your insides, don’t worry. I have a solution for you so you don’t throw everything in the trash. Make more salsa base without chili peppers, and then just add the prepared spicy salsa to the taste you like. I remember adding only ⅛ of the previous sauce to the next portion the first time. You can imagine how very spicy salsa was!
• You can use red salsa as a marinade ingredient for meat if you want to give it more expressiveness and emphasize the taste with a bit of spicy flavor.
• You can add lime zest to get a more refreshing taste.
• If you don’t like spicy flavors, you can try to make your own taste and use green bell peppers like pardone. Another green chili pepper with a mild fruit flavor but hotter than the pardon I recommend is the green poblano chile. It is known for its meaty texture, complex flavor, and mild heat. You can add many pepper options to this great salad and test them out to choose the one that suits your taste buds.

Sides To Serve Wonderful Chile Salsa Recipe

This great recipe is perfect for your favorite Mexican dishes, such as a dip for nachos, enchiladas, chicken quesadillas, or tacos. 

With its fiery kick, salsa roja is not just a dipping sauce. It’s the perfect accompaniment for grilled dishes and tortilla chips, adding a spicy twist to your evenings, date nights, and party recipes.

Here are some critical chili facts to consider before making Salsa Roja!

• The chili seed nests add the most spiciness to the dish, so it’s a good idea to empty them before use.
• If you do it without gloves, watch your fingers so they do not touch your eyes or other sensitive areas such as your mouth or nose. You will have capsaicin on your hands.
• Because capsaicin is soluble in fats, it should be washed off with, e.g., milk, butter, yogurt, and similar products. Regular lard, avocado oil, or olive oil can also be used.
• I also recommend keeping chili peppers away from children.

Salsa Roja Step-by-Step

The best way to make this wonderful salsa is to use fresh ingredients.

For a quick and easy Salsa Roja, I opt to bake all the vegetables in the oven. Another approach involves charring the tomatoes in a dry pan (preferably cast iron) until they blacken. This is just one way to prepare this classic Mexican salsa, and it’s simpler than you might think. 

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 C)

Step 2: Wash all the vegetables thoroughly, such as tomatoes, onions, chili, and garlic, and place them on a sheet pan or in a casserole dish.

Step 3: Drizzle generously with olive oil, mix, and place in a preheated oven.

Step 4: Bake for about 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are soft, the tomatoes are bursting, the garlic is fragrant, and it becomes so smooth that you can crush it with your fingers. This is the key to a delicious salsa, and you’re on the right track.

As you take the vegetables out of the oven, the air should be filled with the enticing aroma of roasted onions and garlic, with a hint of tomatoes. This sensory experience adds to the joy of cooking.

Step 5: Now transfer the tomatoes, garlic, some of the onion, and chili peel to a blender (food processor) and grind until smooth.

Step 6: Finely chop the remaining onion to give this red salsa a not-too-smooth texture.

Step 7: Add the chopped red onion and lemon juice to the sauce. Mix. Finely chop the cilantro, add it, and mix it well.

Your salsa is ready. They may have a bright color and smell so good!

Serve at room temperature or chilled. 

Enjoy!

How to store Salsa Roja

You can store the roja salad in a container or jar in the fridge for up to a week. You can also try freezing it, just not in a glass container. That’s what I did the first time when the salsa came out incredibly spicy, and I couldn’t eat the amount of sauce I made. The salsa will be ok. If it’s too thin, you can heat it until it evaporates and leave it to cool.

FAQ

Is salsa roja gluten-free?

Yes, salsa roja is gluten-free.

Can you make salsa roja without chili peppers?

You can make salsa roja without chili peppers or choose a less spicy chili version.

What other types of hot salsa are there?

Another hot salsa is salsa verde, also known as green salsa. Fruit and vegetable salsas have been popular lately, and you can try my Avocado Mango Salsa here. Fruity vegetable salsas are perfect for spicy chicken.

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