Mexican Restaurant Salsa Recipe

Salsa Roja or Salsa de Mesa or Salsa Mexicana

Simple, fresh, and easy to make. A winning Mexican restaurant style salsa prepared with plum tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and serrano peppers. Fresh tomatoes, not canned, star in this recipe.

In Mexico, it is known as salsa roja (red sauce)or salsa de mesa (table sauce). And just like in the U.S., it is served in every restaurant before your meal with tortilla chips.

Try With These Dishes

This salsa goes really well with quesadillas, carne asada, chorizo tacos, chicken fajitas, chicken taquitos, and nachos.

This is an easy Mexican salsa recipe that you will make again and again. Follow the simple steps to get great results every time.

Start with Fresh Ingredients. They Count

Homemade salsa starts with fresh ingredients. The fresher they are the better the results. Don’t use canned tomatoes. It gives the salsa a metallic taste.

You’ll notice that there aren’t any limes in the recipe. Whhhaaattt? Lime juice throws off the balance of flavors by overpowering the flavor of the tomatoes. But, if you prefer your salsa with lime try adding the juice from only one lime at a time until you get it perfect.

Ingredients

• 1 pound plum (Roma) tomatoes
• 1 half medium white onion
• 2 serrano chiles or small jalapeños
• 1 clove garlic (optional)
• 8 sprigs fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Chop the Ingredients Before Blending

You need to chop the ingredients before adding them to the blender. Precise chopping isn’t important. You just need smaller pieces so that it is easier to blend without adding water.

Don’t Add Water

Put all of the ingredients in your blender. Adding the tomatoes first makes it much easier to blend.

Do not add water unless it won’t blend and then only add 2 tablespoons of water at a time. Most of the time you won’t have to add any. Too much water makes the salsa runny.

You want a full-bodied slightly chunky tomato salsa.

Pulse to Get It Started

The easiest way to get it started it to pulse the blender 5 or 6 times until the blades start to catch. Then blend for about 30 to 45 seconds until it is fully blended but still has a coarse texture. The salsa sticks to tortilla chips better when it has a little texture.

Fry in Hot Oil

Once the salsa is blended, you are going to fry it in 2 tablespoons of hot cooking oil. To fry it you just pour it into the hot oil. This step is important to develop the flavor of the salsa and helps bind it. Don’t skip it.

Simmer Until Perfect

Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes until it has taken on a deep red color and has more body. Looks good, doesn’t it? The tomatoes need to be very ripe for the sauce to take on the deep red color in the photos.

There you have it, a delicious cooked salsa recipe!

Cool and Serve

Allow your restaurant salsa to cool and then serve with tortilla chips, tacos, or anything else you enjoy with salsa.

It is so easy to make you should always have some in your refrigerator. Let us know what you think!

Make it Your Go To Homemade Salsa Recipe. Provecho!

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Restaurant Salsa Recipe

Authentic Mexican restaurant salsa prepared with fresh plum tomatoes, white onion, cilantro, and serrano peppers just like they make in Mexico. It's simple, fresh-tasting, and easy to make.

Prep Time

10

minutes

Cook Time

15

minutes

Total Time

25

minutes

Servings

4

servings

Calories

60

kcal

Author

Douglas Cullen

Ingredients

• 1

  pound

  plum

  Roma tomatoes

• 1

  half

  medium white onion

• 2

  serrano chiles

  or small jalapeños

• 1

  clove

  garlic

  optional

• 8

  sprigs cilantro

  fresh

• 2

  tbsp.

  cooking oil

• 1

  tsp.

  salt

Instructions

• Remove the seeds and veins from the chiles (Leave them in if you want a hotter salsa)

• Roughly chop the tomatoes, onion, chiles, and cilantro

• Add the chopped vegetables to your blender (Do not add extra water unless needed and then add a couple of tablespoons at a time)

• Add ½ teaspoon salt

• Blend the salsa until it has a coarse texture

• Preheat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan

• Pour the blended salsa in the hot oil

• Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low

• Simmer for 15 minutes

• Adjust the salt

Notes

Only use 1 serrano chile if you prefer a milder salsa.

Add any or all of the following:

• 1 clove of garlic
• Juice from 1 lime
• ¼ teaspoon cumin

Nutrition

Serving:

1

/4 cup

|

Calories:

60

kcal

|

Carbohydrates:

5

g

|

Protein:

1

g

|

Fat:

5

g

|

Sodium:

338

mg

|

Sugar:

3

g

Tools

• Cutting board
• Kitchen knife
• 4-quart pot
• Kitchen spoon
• Serving bowl

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