Salsa Roja
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Salsa roja is a delicious cooked salsa with combination of three types of chiles, for just the right amount of heat and smoky flavor. We love salsa around here. Fresh salsa, salsa verde, (green salsa) and this salsa roja, also known as red salsa. Is there anything better than homemade salsa with fresh tortilla chips? This versatile salsa is delicious with chips, on tacos, as a base for Huevos Rancheros or any of your favorite Mexican dishes.
Not all salsas are alike!
The word salsa just means “sauce” in Spanish. Here’s are just a few of the more common salsa types.
- Salsa Fresca, also known as pico de gallo, is made in minutes using just fresh ingredients like tomatoes, chili peppers, onions, spices and cilantro.
- Salsa verde or green salsa, is made with tomatillos instead of fresh tomatoes.
- Avocado salsa is a blend of avocados, lime juice, fresh cilantro and chile peppers.
- Fruit salsas generally consist of tropical fruits like mango or pineapples in place of the tomatoes.
- Cooked salsa like this recipe for salsa roja.
Every cook will make their sauce differently, varying amounts and chile types depending on their preference. Even if you follow a recipe to the letter, the size and heat of the chiles might vary from time to time.
What are the best kinds of tomatoes for salsa roja?
I plant a variety of tomatoes every spring for different purposes. Bigger juicier tomatoes for salads like Greek or Caprese. Cherry tomatoes for snacking and vegetable trays and Roma or plum for cooking.
Plum or Roma tomatoes are best for this recipe since they are meatier and less juicy. Canned tomatoes will not work for this recipe.
Different types of chilies
This recipe uses three types of chiles, with each one adding a different flavor profile. The dried ancho chiles, are impart a fruity flavor. Canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce which give the salsa a smoky flavor and heat, and fresh jalapeño.
The names of chiles change depending on whether they are fresh of dried. Here are some examples;
- Fresh poblano peppers become ancho chiles when dried.
- Jalapeño peppers become chipotle when dried and smoked.
- Fresh Mirasol peppers become guajillo chiles when dried.
- Serrano peppers are known as chile seco when dried.
Ingredients for salsa roja
Unlike fresh salsa, there is a little bit of roasting involved. You can adjust the spice levels from medium to very spicy depending on your taste. (Recipe slightly adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, 2019)
- Dried ancho or guajillo chile peppers. These can be found at your local grocery store in the spice section, Amazon, or World Market.
- Roma or plum tomatoes.
- Canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. You’ll only need a small amount. Use the leftover canned chipotles on top of eggs, in burrito bowls or as an extra kick to beans.
- onion
- jalapeño pepper
- garlic clove
- fresh cilantro
How to make salsa roja
Once you’ve made this recipe, you’ll want to make a double batch thereafter! It rarely lasts longer than a day or two at our house. If you do make a double batch, freeze some of it in freezer-safe containers. Defrost several hours or overnight before using. Be careful when handling fresh chiles as the natural oils and seeds can irritate eyes and skin. You can wear thin gloves if you’d like. (I skip the gloves and wash my hands with a half of a lemon after touching fresh chiles)
- Cut tomatoes in half. Reserve 3 or 4 halves.
- Tear the dried chile pepper into pieces and process in a blender, food processor or spice blender until finely chopped.
- Chop up one of the canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce.
- Add 3 or 4 tomato quarters to the blender or food processor along with 1 teaspoon of the minced chipotle with the sauce and process on low until the tomatoes are finely chopped.
- Let the mixture sit in the blender for 10-15 minutes to rehydrate the dried chiles while the rest of the tomatoes are roasting.
- Set oven to broil and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place tomatoes skin side down with onion and jalapeño.
- Broil with rack on highest level, about 4″ from broiler element.
- Roast about 4 to 5 minutes, or until tomatoes begin to look spotty and jalapeno is beginning to char.
- Flip onion and jalapeño and add whole garlic clove. Continue broiling another 3 or 4 minutes until veggies are charred.
- Cool jalapeño on cutting board. Peel garlic and cut pepper in half, remove seeds and stem.
- Add roasted tomatoes, cilantro, onion, garlic and jalapeño to blender or food processor.
- Season to taste with salt and add additional chopped chipotle in sauce 1 teaspoon at a time, processing until smooth until the salsa is spicy enough. I find that 2-3 additional teaspoons is the perfect medium heat for us.
- If salsa is too thick at a teaspoon or two of water until desired thickness.
Looking for more Mexican inspired dishes?
Salsa Roja
Ingredients
- 1 pound Roma tomatoes cored and sliced in half vertically.
- 1/4 small onion unpeeled.
- 1 clove garlic unpeeled and whole.
- 1 jalapeno
- 1 dried ancho chile stem and seeds removed, torn into small pieces.
- 3 teaspoons canned chipotle in adobo sauce minced. Divided.
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems chopped coarsely.
- kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Tear ancho chile into small pieces and place in blender or food processor. Process until finely chopped, about 20-30 seconds.
- Add 3 or 4 of the halved tomatoes to the food processor and 1 teaspoon of the canned chipotles in adobo sauce. Pulse several times, scraping down sides of bowl until tomatoes are finely chopped. Let sit for 15 minutes.
- Heat oven to broil and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the remaining tomatoes, skin side down, the whole jalapeno, and onion quarter on the baking sheet. Place in oven 4 to 5 inches from broiler element and roast 4-6 minutes or until tomatoes blister and jalapeno begins to blacken.
- Turn onion and jalapeno, and add whole clove of garlic to baking sheet. Continue to roast until all veggies are blackened, another 3-4 minutes.
- When cool enough to handle, peel garlic and slice jalapeno in half. Remove seeds, white ribs and stem.
- Add whole garlic, jalapeno, onion, tomatoes, salt and cilantro leaves and stems and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and additional chipotle. (I add one teaspoon at a time, processing for a few seconds, until the heat is just right).
- Store in an airtight container for up to to a week.
Recipe
If I could give this recipe 7 stars I would! Such an amazing salsa and easy to make. Being from Texas it is hard to impress my family with salsa recipes, but this one made even my pickiest salsa loving family coming back not for seconds but the entire container. I ended up making multiple batches with various heat levels. I have always said -hot is not a flavor and this salsa has flavor!
Made this to test for our Cinco De Mayo party and had to make it again because it was soooo much better than store bought salsa Never buying a jar again! Thank you so much for this recipe!
We have been having it almost every week!