Hot Stuff
Salsa is one of the most popular condiments in America. You’ll find it in everything, including the popular tortilla chip and dip combo. But if you rarely visit the salsa section at your grocery store, now is the time to give it a try. Making your own salsa not only ensures you have fresh, delicious salsa, it also opens up a whole new world of salsa styles and ingredients. If you’re looking to try some chip and salsa options at your next pool party, these recipes will help.
1. Restaurant Style Salsa
First, there’s the classic. This is the style of salsa you’ll find in most Tex-Mex restaurants. It uses canned whole tomatoes as a base, giving it a richer tomato flavor. If you want it spicier, add a hotter pepper like a jalapeño, serrano, or habanero. It has just a little bit of cumin, but a little goes a long way.
recipe: Use it for pennies
2. Pico de gallo
Pico de gallo is a simple, rich salsa made with fresh tomatoes. It’s best made in the summer when tomatoes are in season. For best flavor, use fresh cilantro and lime juice.
recipe: Patty Jinich
3. Roasted Tomato Salsa
For an earthier, fuller, slightly smoky salsa, roast your vegetables first. This recipe uses only tomatoes, peppers, and garlic, but roasting them helps develop complex flavors. You can roast them on a griddle, on the grill, or under the broiler. I recommend making a salsa like this in a molcajete, a Mexican mortar and pestle, but a blender will work just fine.
recipe: Mexico in my kitchen
4. Salsa Verde
Salsa verde is made with tomatillos, which aren’t just any green tomato but a member of the gooseberry family (hence the same papery skin). Tomatillos make a tangy, tangy salsa, and can be easily made into a dip or sauce by simmering them in water with onions and peppers and stirring to combine.
recipe: Serious Sweets
Related: 21 Delicious and Cheap Mexican Dishes
5. Creamy Jalapeño Salsa
This recipe is magical. Jalapeños and garlic are simmered until soft, then mixed with vegetable oil to create a velvety, bright green sauce. The oil emulsifies to make it perfectly creamy without any avocado, mayonnaise, or other ingredients, and the jalapeño flavor really shines through. You can use this technique with any chili you like, including a fiery orange habanero version.
recipe: Mexico in my kitchen
6. Salsa Macha
Salsa macha is an unusual salsa from Veracruz that’s recently become trendy. It’s made with dried smoked chilies and garlic sautéed in oil, with peanuts and sesame seeds for a nutty flavour. Think of it as the Mexican version of a chili crisp.
recipe: Patty Jinich
Related: 30 ways to eat tacos cheaply and deliciously
7. Schnipeck Salsa
This is a very spicy but fresh Mayan salsa, similar to pico de gallo, but with diced habaneros instead of jalapenos, which of course adds heat, but also makes it more fruity with the addition of orange juice and lime.
recipe: Mexico in my kitchen
Related: 22 Traditional Hispanic Dishes Most Americans Don’t Know
8. Salsa de guacamole
Salsa de guacamole is a sauce often used on tacos. It’s made by mixing ripe, creamy avocado with tomatillos, onions, and bell peppers until it becomes smooth. The resulting sauce tastes like a cross between salsa verde and guacamole, and is the perfect complement to spicy grilled meats.
recipe: Patty Jinich
9. Yucatan Hot Dry Chili Salsa
This salsa is fruity, smoky, and spicy. Look for dried chiles de arbol and pasillas in the Hispanic section of your grocery store or go to a Mexican market. Toast them briefly in the microwave or on a dry griddle and mix with lime, grapefruit, and orange juice to create a deep red, spicy sauce.
recipe: Serious Sweets
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10. Mango Salsa
Fruit salsas are great with seafood, especially. This mango version includes red bell peppers for beautiful color and mild flavor. Just chop the ingredients, mix, and top your fish tacos with this delicious salsa.
recipe: All recipes
11. Grilled Corn Salsa
Grilling fresh corn enhances its sweetness and imparts a smoky flavor that’s perfect for a salsa. This recipe for pico de gallo is simple, with lots of charred corn, but the flavors are complex and interesting.
recipe: Minimalist Baker
Related: This trick for making the best tasting corn on the cob is easy, and I guarantee you have everything you need on hand.
12. Cowboy Caviar
If you like your salsa with corn and beans, try Cowboy Caviar (sometimes called Texas Caviar). This popular Tex-Mex party snack is made with black beans, black-eyed peas, corn, and other veggies, and is coated in a simple, tangy dressing of red wine vinegar and lime juice. This recipe does not call for cumin, but a little extra cumin is delicious.
recipe: Use it for pennies
13. Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
This is a roasted version of salsa verde, but it’s just as easy to make as the boiled version. Just sear the veggies under the broiler until they’re blackened all over, then toss them in a blender or food processor. This recipe calls for mixing in fresh chopped onion, but you can roast it first if you prefer.
recipe: Rick Bayless
This article was originally published on Cheapism
