How to Make the Best Authentic Mexican Table Salsas from Scratch!

(Last Updated On: February 3, 2021)

Salsas are a key component in Mexican cuisine and if you prepare them right you will have a standout dish! The word “salsa” literally means sauce. Salsas can be used in lots of different ways. They are an important element of estofados (stews), enchiladas, and guisados (slow cooked dishes) as well as countless other dishes. But, for this week’s post you will learn how to prepare a few of my favourite authentic Mexican table salsas. Serve these simple yet delicious salsas with your tacos, corn chips, eggs, or any other dish that you like.

Mexican Table Salsas

The secret to any great salsa is using the freshest ingredients available from your local market or garden. Once you understand which ingredients and techniques are required to make your salsa of choice you will find that recipes are unnecessary. Ultimately, through the years, I have found that homemade table salsas are a reflection of the person who makes them. For example, in my case, aside from the basic ingredients, I like to incorporate a combination of chilis that not only create heat but also provide more depth of flavour. And I always use tons of fresh cilantro. Fun fact: Did you know that cilantro is a polarizing herb? There are forums, Facebook groups and websites dedicated to people who hate cilantro. Some of this dislike comes down to simple preference but for those who find that it tastes and smells like soap there is a genetic reason. Personally, I can’t get enough of this wonderfully, flavourful herb but my cousin and brother-in-law simply hate it. Go figure.

The Best Authentic Mexican Salsa Verde

Salsa verde is one of my absolute faves. Like many Mexican salsas you can either prepare a raw, roasted (asado) or boiled version. I prefer my salsa verde raw but each to their own. All three, use the same ingredients the only difference is whether you choose to bring to a boil the raw version when finished or roast the ingredients beforehand for the asado version. The following by no means should be interpreted as a “recipe” but rather more as a guide to point you in the right direction. Play with the amounts of each ingredient until you discover your personal, perfect combination.

Ingredients for Approximately 1 Cup of Salsa Verde

• 3 ripe tomatillos
• 1/8 of a small onion
• handful of fresh cilantro
• 2 garlic cloves
• salt (season to taste)
• chilies…how spicy do you like it? (I use a mix of seeded habanero, serrano and jalapeño chilis)
• pinch of cumin

Directions:

Cut the tomatillos and onion into medium size pieces. Chop and seed chilies ( avoid touching the seeds). Wash and disinfect the cilantro (it’s okay to use the stems as well) . Peel the garlic and smash it with the blade of your knife. Transfer to a blender. Add salt and cumin (go easy with the cumin as it has a very strong flavour and can overpower the other ingredients if overused). Blend until you achieve a homogeneous mixture. Turn the blender off and taste your salsa. Now is the time to make any adjustments to suit your particular taste preferences if need be. Once you are satisfied you can either use this salsa as is in its raw version ( again my favourite option) or transfer it to a saucepan and bring it to a boil and then serve it once it has cooled off. For the roasted version simply place the tomatillos, onion and chilis in an oil-free frying pan and roast evenly. Once cooled add everything to the blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend.

The Best Authentic Mexican Salsa Roja

My Mexican husband’s salsa of choice is salsa roja. This means that every time we prepare tacos, we have to make two salsas so that the both of us are happy. For hubby, the only way to prepare salsa roja is by roasting the ingredients before adding them to the blender. For this particular salsa I tend to agree with him. You will find that the boiled version is used more in cooked dishes, and the roasted version is far more flavourful when used as a complement for such dishes like tacos. Once again, play with the amounts of each ingredient until you discover your personal, perfect combination.

Ingredients for Approximately 1 Cup of Salsa Roja

• 3 Roma tomatoes
• 1/8 of a small onion
• handful of fresh cilantro
• 2 garlic cloves
• salt (season to taste)
• chilis…how spicy do you like it? ( hubby likes a mix of dried chile de arbol, habanero and fresh chile de arbol)
• pinch of cumin

Directions:

Place the tomatoes, onion and your selection of chilies in an oil-free frying pan. Rotate constantly until evenly roasted. Transfer the charred onion, chilis and tomatoes, once they are cooled, to a blender with the remaining ingredients. Blend until you achieve a homogenous mixture. Taste and make any necessary adjustments. Then serve.

Salsa verde and salsa roja are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the variety of salsas that one can find in Mexico. In upcoming blogs, I will share more salsa recipes as well as Mexican dishes that I love to make. In the meantime, if you are fortunate enough to count a Mexican as your friend, ask them what their favourite meal or salsa is, and I guarantee you that any recipe that they give you will include an interesting story too. Mexican cuisine is steeped in tradition and in my experience every family has their own special way to prepare a meal that has often been passed down from generation to generation.

Pro Tip

If you need to cut and seed lots of chilis use gloves since the oils in the peppers can irritate your skin.

As you can see Mexico has lots of different salsas to choose from. Subscribe to my blog and you’ll learn more about making salsas and other Mexican dishes. Looking for a few taco recipes? Check out The Mighty Taco! A Beloved Traditional Mexican Dish